Paying For College For Dummies

Chapter 10

Filling Out the Common Financial Aid Forms to Your Best Advantage

IN THIS CHAPTER

Deciding whether to apply for aid and understanding the possible downside to doing so

Seeing how to best complete the common financial aid forms: FAFSA® and the CSS Profile

Completing colleges’ own financial aid forms

I’m not going to fib to you. Filling out financial aid forms is a pain in the posterior, intimidating, and invasive. And, it’s stressful. Maybe you won’t feel all these negative emotions, but most people do.

But, if you want your kids to consider one of the better/more selective four-year colleges, unless you’re wealthy, you likely will be applying for “financial aid,” which is actually misnamed. What you’re really doing is trying to get a lower price than the full inflated and bloated sticker price colleges and universities hope to charge affluent families and those who don’t take the time to apply for aid.

Completing the forms isn’t usually as awful as most people think when they first begin the process. And, even if you are doing the forms online, you can save your partially completed forms and come back to them as you have time and energy to complete them. Your ultimate ...