Welcome to the Trinity journey! As someone who's currently going through this process with my son (he's finishing his second year at Trinity), I wanted to add a few practical tips that might help: First, definitely apply for the FAFSA early - Trinity's financial aid office processes US federal aid applications, but they have their own internal deadlines that can be earlier than the general FAFSA deadline. Second, consider opening a euro account or getting a credit card with no foreign transaction fees BEFORE she starts. Currency conversion fees add up quickly when paying tuition and living expenses. Third, Trinity has a really active American Student Society that can be incredibly helpful for navigating both the financial and cultural aspects of studying there. They often share scholarship opportunities and tips for managing costs that you won't find anywhere else. Also, don't overlook Trinity's emergency financial assistance programs - they have funds specifically for international students who face unexpected financial hardships during their studies. It's not widely advertised but can be a lifeline if needed. The investment is significant, but the education and experience at Trinity is truly world-class. Feel free to reach out if you have specific questions about the day-to-day financial realities!

As a parent who just went through this exact process last year, I wanted to share what worked for us. My daughter is now in her first year at Trinity and we successfully pieced together a financial aid package. Here's what I learned: Trinity's US federal aid process is straightforward once you understand it. Use school code G06842 on your FAFSA. You'll qualify for Direct Loans but not Pell Grants. We supplemented with private scholarships - the Ireland-US Commission scholarships are competitive but worth applying for. One thing that saved us thousands: Trinity offers payment plans that let you spread tuition across the academic year rather than paying lump sums. This helped with cash flow enormously. Also, consider having your daughter work part-time on campus - EU student visa allows 20 hours/week work, and Trinity has good campus job opportunities. The total cost ended up being comparable to our state flagship university after factoring in all aid. Dublin is expensive for living costs, but the academic experience has been incredible. Happy to answer specific questions about the application process or budgeting!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who made the switch from the default school card to my own bank account last year - it was 100% worth it! Not only did I avoid all those random fees (seriously, they charge for EVERYTHING), but having the money in my regular account made it so much easier to budget and track my expenses. One tip: if you're planning to use any of that refund money for textbooks or supplies, consider setting up a separate savings "bucket" or sub-account specifically for school expenses. That way you can still earn interest on money you won't need immediately, but keep it separate from your regular savings so you don't accidentally spend it on non-school stuff. Also totally agree with everyone saying to go in person if the online process gives you any trouble - the financial aid staff are usually super helpful once you can actually talk to them!

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who works in banking! If you're considering using a high-yield savings account for your refund, definitely check if your bank offers a student checking account with good benefits - sometimes these have higher interest rates than regular checking and fewer restrictions than savings accounts. Also, I've seen students get tripped up by the timing of when schools actually disburse funds vs when they say they will, so don't panic if the money doesn't hit your account exactly when expected. The direct deposit usually takes 1-3 business days once the school actually sends it out. And definitely keep documentation of your refund preference setup - screenshot the confirmation page or keep any emails they send you, just in case there are any issues later!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so thankful I found this thread! My daughter is a high school senior and we're at about $200k household income - I was completely convinced we should skip the FAFSA since we "make too much" for need-based aid. Reading all these real experiences has totally changed my mind, especially the stories about missing merit scholarships worth $20k+ just for not submitting FAFSA. The point about federal loans having better terms than private loans really hit home too. Even if we can cover tuition upfront, having those income-driven repayment options and forgiveness protections as a backup seems incredibly smart given how unpredictable careers can be these days. I'm definitely doing the FAFSA now! Quick question - for those who mentioned the CSS Profile, is there an easy way to tell which schools on our list require it, or do we need to check each one individually? We're looking at a mix of public and private schools. Thanks everyone for potentially saving us from a very expensive mistake!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! My daughter is a senior and we're at around $190k household income - I was absolutely planning to skip FAFSA until I read everyone's experiences here. The stories about families missing out on significant merit scholarships just for not submitting FAFSA are truly eye-opening and have completely changed my perspective. What really convinced me was learning that many "merit-based" scholarships still require FAFSA submission, even when they're not technically need-based aid. I had no idea that schools use this data for their institutional aid decisions across the board. Plus the federal loan protections and income-driven repayment options provide such valuable safety nets compared to private loans. I'm submitting our FAFSA this week! One question I haven't seen addressed - for families in our income bracket, are there any particular sections of the FAFSA we should pay extra attention to or common areas where we might unexpectedly qualify for aid? I want to make sure I'm not missing anything that could work in our favor. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and potentially saving our family from a very costly mistake!

This is such valuable information for families navigating college costs! I'm curious - for those who've been through this process, how did you ultimately weigh the financial benefits of the more affordable school against other factors like program quality, campus resources, or career services? The math clearly favors the lower-cost option with the same Pell Grant, but I'm wondering if there are other considerations that might justify the higher cost at private schools, or if the affordable route really is the obvious choice in most cases?

As someone new to understanding financial aid, this thread has been incredibly helpful! I had no idea that Pell Grants stayed the same regardless of which school you choose - I was worried about the same thing as the original poster. It's really encouraging to see that choosing a more affordable school actually maximizes your aid value rather than penalizing you. The math everyone's laid out here makes so much sense - getting $12,395 in free money toward a $25K cost is such better coverage than the same amount toward a $40K+ cost. I'm just starting this process with my own kid, and knowing that we won't lose federal aid by choosing the budget-friendly option takes a huge weight off my shoulders. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and expertise!

I'm dealing with a similar situation but with a twist - my ex and I are divorced, living together, but we also have a child from his previous relationship living with us part-time. The FAFSA household size question becomes even more complicated when you factor in step-siblings and shared custody arrangements. From what I've learned through this process, document EVERYTHING - who pays utilities, groceries, medical expenses, school fees, etc. The financial aid offices really do want to see a clear picture of financial responsibility. Also, I'd recommend starting the FAFSA process early because these complex situations often require back-and-forth communication with both the Department of Education and individual schools. One more tip: if your daughter applies to multiple schools, be prepared to explain your living situation to each financial aid office separately, as they may interpret the guidelines differently.

I just went through this exact situation last year and wanted to share what I learned. The "unmarried parents living together" category is definitely the right one for your situation. Since you're the higher earner and likely provide more support, you should complete the FAFSA, but yes - both incomes will count. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple spreadsheet tracking who pays for what throughout the year (health insurance, groceries, utilities, school expenses, etc.) because several schools asked for this during verification. Also, when you get to the "parent" sections of the FAFSA, make sure you're consistent about which parent is "Parent 1" (the one filling out the form) versus "Parent 2" throughout the entire application. The silver lining is that your household size will be larger (all 4 of you), which does help the aid calculation somewhat. And definitely reach out to each school's financial aid office after submitting - many were more understanding about our unique situation than I expected and some offered additional institutional aid to help offset the impact of having both incomes counted.