Before anyone says "call your financial aid office" I have. I'm waiting for a response. So, until then maybe someone can help shed light because I think it's probably a simple answer..
I submitted my FAFSA a couple of nights ago. It said I could put up to ten colleges, I put two. I know that I can only get financial aid at one school at a time (I get full pell grants). Do I need to do anything at this point? Will financial aid be applied to both colleges until I choose one? Or is it in "Limbo" until I enroll?
In the past, I've only listed one college because I was working on my two year degree and going to a community college, so of course it was automatically applied to that college. But now I'm just wondering what happens when there are two different colleges (I haven't decided which one I want to go to) when I can only get financial aid at one college at a time.
Does this make sense?
Update:And I've applied and been accepted to the colleges already. So basically FAFSA is the last step for me.
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
Hey hey hey!
I've done the same thing, applied to two colleges on my FAFSA and ended up going to ONE.
My understanding is that they don't "cut" a check for you until you've enrolled in classes at a certain college. It's why certain colleges need additional papers and information from you.
e.g. I apply to both Santa Monica and Long Beach City College in March of 2011. May of 2011, I decide to go to Santa Monica College and register for my classes. SMC and LBCC ask for additional information that wasn't on my FAFSA in June. I give it to them within a few days. July I receive an award letter from SMC and LBCC, even though I haven't registered for classes at LBCC.
August, I receive a check from SMC, but not from LBCC since I have not registered for classes there.
So I guess they go by where you registered for classes.
Does that help?
"Do I need to do anything at this point? Will financial aid be applied to both colleges until I choose one? Or is it in "Limbo" until I enroll?" Since you did it WAY before you and the folks could have possibly finished your 2010 taxes, it will be "in limbo" until you correct your fafsa with the exact info the fafsa asks for. Anything you input before taxes are finished and estimated = wrong info. You will need to do this as soon as possible. No school will award you any aid with estimated (aka WRONG) info until you you fix it.
"what happens when there are two different colleges when I can only get financial aid at one college at a time."
Aid isn't awarded until you do many many things.
1. Correct the wrong info you entered on the fafsa since the taxes weren't done.
2. You have to apply for admissions and be accepted to the other school.
3. You have to turn in tons of documents to the school. They will send you a list usually. You will prob be selected for verification, this means you have to turn in tax forms, but don't turn them in to your new school unless they ask.
4. Always make sure you include your OLD school on your fafsa as well. Just in case you don't end up transferring.
Remember, aid isn't awarded by fafsa. It's awarded by the school you apply for admission to and ultimately attend. So the answer to "will financial aid be applied to both colleges until I choose one?" is no award will be given to any school until you attend classes. This means until you decide which school you will need to turn in admissions, fin aid documents, transcripts to both schools until you decide. Often times, ppl don't make a decision until they get an "Award Letter" telling them how much they are going to get from each and then compare that to the cost. Easy to decide once you know if you can afford it!!
Good luck
No, in case you're eligible for ACG (educational Competitiveness grant) you're in all risk eligible for different help, in all risk different provides you. Verification is often regarded at as punitive via many families, accusing them of becoming a mistake or mendacity on the applying, yet easily, approximately each and every 0.33 application is chosen for verification. confident, especially circumstances there are questions or oddities on the applying that verification possibilities up, yet frequently it particularly is particularly random. you need to print out that based Verification Worksheet and you and your mothers and fathers ought to finished the two sides and sign it. there's a certification for you there to correctly known which you probably did no longer document a tax return, yet you need to incorporate the income from any 2008 W-2 types you will have on there. You do ought to incorporate the tax return for the parent(s) you reside with (this implies in the adventure that your mothers and fathers are divorced and the parent you reside with now, or final lived with is remarried, you need to incorporate the parent and step-parent tax return(s) alongside with the worksheet), it would incorporate all pages and schedules filed with the IRS and could be signed via the parent or the preparer. without all the records you will get no financial help and the quicker you grant them the extra effective off you would be.