anyone understand FAFSA?

[austin]

Husband has E., no job and I feel like I can't leave him alone. Second kid going to college next year and we are living on savings. Do we keep spending down or are some assets protected due to his condition? College where older child goes said call FAFSA. FAFSA says just go on-line and the form will tell you what to do. (available 1/1/2011) Doesn't seem to make any difference if one is disabled or not? Anyone know?

 

[Meetz1064]

Personally, I

would go talk to the people in the financial aid office at your son's school for some good advice.....

 

[mel239]

I can help with assets part-went through mine trying to save my house,but my son is in 3rd year at a private,expensive college-his choice-I have been filling fafsa out-I tell the truth-little income from employer disability-I dont claim it under wages but under other income.Your best route is go to the college website and download and fill out their special circumstance form.Lay it on thick and be honest-they check-alot of people dont realize the college financial aid dept can override fafsa-so even if your fafsa says you have to contribute 9,000.00,they can get around that.If my son had chosen a cheaper college he could have gone for next to nothing-as it is,he goes to a 43,000 a year and it costs me 1,000 a year and 6,000 govt sponsored student loans he will owe back-not bad and military will pay those off if you choose that route for 4 years and put money in their pocket.Even if the school doesnt come down enough for you follow it up with phone calls-I got his dropped an extra 2 grand and be sure to put him on work study-that adds another 1600.00 even if he cant locate a job through the school,but be quick about that one,theres only so many and buy books online I have websites or rent the book online through amazon for 4.00 a month.First semester we bought new,1800.00-this semester,230.00-DO EVERYTHING EARLY AND TWICE A YEAR

 

[austin]

thanks

Thanks for answering. Hoping for a state school but that is not a sure thing by any means. Trying to get work study on campus instead of working in grocery store as car is not an option. Just surprised that being disabled does not matter as far as fafsa goes. Of course will go to school for information when acceptance letter arrive. Thank you.

 

[mel239]

My boy comes home VERY infrequently to work at walgreens-just enough to keep the employee discount for me,thank goodness.,but he still got the work study money because he signed up early enough but campus jobs are usually held by kids who keep them the whole 4 years so you just luck into one here at Heidelberg.Funny thing i noticed is Sean{my wrestler at Heidelberg}got way more grants than his twin brother who stayed here to go to a community college-dont know why same fafsa filled out for both.Also,I believe being disabled will help when you deal with the college itself .I do remember telling them I had money in a 401k but we used that to live on because i had such minor unreliable income stream because of E.Trust me,they want bodies-they will pull out all the stops-you just have to be persistent and make it clear that you cant pay and they will keep dropping it somehow.Also,it was required to fill out a certain loan{cant remember this minute}be clear you have NO COSIGNER and when you get turned down,turn that denial into school,that generates more money for you.But let me be clear,although we got over 33,000.00 in free grants not even related to his field some will be government backed loans-you will get them if you choose and they will be low interest,but they are still loans-i dont want to give anybody the wrong impression here-

 

[austin]

thanks again

Thanks again. Great points!