Decision Deadline v. Fafsa

[jacquelyn22g]

Hey guys.

I am struggling so bad to make a decision. Most of the schools I was accepted to are on the more expensive end. Websites all say that FAFSA information is given out in April but the decision deadline for most schoosl is April 15. That just doesn't seem like a lot of time. How is everyone else handling things like this??

[Speechster]

You can send the FAFSA to up to ten schools i think. I would fill out the fafsa and add all of those schools, and do it today. If you already filled out the fafsa, you will automatically get $20,500 from every school. Some schools may offer ga/ta/ra and they may come with incentives like reduced tuition, or you may even get paid for them. I would sit down and look at each school financially knowing you are getting the 20,500 and go from there. Don't forget you can always get private loans, even though they are not preferred. Just call your school's financial aid office and ask what your maximum budget will be, and if they will accept private loans if they exceed your max budget if the school didn't give you enough money for some reason. 

[jmk]

32 minutes ago, Speechster said:

You can send the FAFSA to up to ten schools i think. I would fill out the fafsa and add all of those schools, and do it today. If you already filled out the fafsa, you will automatically get $20,500 from every school. Some schools may offer ga/ta/ra and they may come with incentives like reduced tuition, or you may even get paid for them. I would sit down and look at each school financially knowing you are getting the 20,500 and go from there. Don't forget you can always get private loans, even though they are not preferred. Just call your school's financial aid office and ask what your maximum budget will be, and if they will accept private loans if they exceed your max budget if the school didn't give you enough money for some reason. 

Is that 20,500 per academic year?

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I updated my FAFSA today...I applied to over 10 schools, so in the update I took off schools I was rejected too, and added a school I was accepted to that I didn't have on there before. 

[JcSLP]

56 minutes ago, jmk said:

Is that 20,500 per academic year?

 

It is- but that academic year includes summer. So $20,500 for fall, spring and summer semester. I didn't realize this until I got a letter from a school I was accepted to regarding the fafsa!

Edited March 20, 2017 by JcSLP