GENERAL ADVICE FOR COMPLETING FORMS (continued) colleges you listed on the original form. The folks at FAFSA will send the revised SAR only to the colleges listed on the correction form. (If a student only applied to 10 colleges, just list those same schools again. If, however, you are using the additional spaces to send information to the remaining colleges, that’s when you will need copies.) 9. Do not make “careless” mistakes when you fill out the form. For example, do not use the wrong social security number. That could delay processing for months. The form needs the student’s number, not the parent’s. (A student MUST have a social security number to apply for aid.) 10. Every question that solicits a numerical response needs to have a number, even if that number is zero. Do not leave any “numerical response” questions blank. That, too, will slow the process significantly. 11. Do not be surprised if the aid packages you see from various schools in April are not identical. Sometimes one school will increase its package to match one offered at another school. Call us if you want to pursue a reconsideration of your package. (Do not, on the other hand, assume a college will offer more money if you try to “negotiate.” Financial aid officers need “new information” to change a package.) 12. If you have a complicated circumstance, you should write a letter and send that information directly to the financial aid office at each school where your child has applied. The processing centers are not equipped to analyze that information. 13. Many colleges require tax returns be sent to iDoc and will not accept hard-copy documents. 14. NEVER email your financial aid information to a college, particularly taxes. 15. If you need to borrow money to meet the family contribution, talk to a financial aid officer at the college where your child is going to matriculate. The financial aid officer can help direct you to options for parent and student loans. EARLY APPLICANTS The issue of Early Decision applications and financial aid raises concerns for many. By applying Early Decision, you limit your opportunities to compare financial aid packages between schools. On the other hand, our experience has been that the financial aid packages in the early round have been quite adequate for families demonstrating need. Recently, in an effort to manage resources and secure a higher percentage of their incoming classes sooner, more colleges have been encouraging students needing financial aid to apply Early Decision. We would be happy to discuss the issues of applying early and related financial aid concerns with any individual family to help determine what is best for you. You should definitely ask each college to which you plan to apply about its policies around applying early and financial aid.
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