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UPDATE: I just got off the phone with State University's financial aid office. You all were right! The $1500 (which is actually $3000/year total) is just the Pell Grant portion. They're still finalizing institutional aid packages and expect to send them out in the next 7-10 days. The counselor estimated my sons will each receive approximately $6,000-$8,000 in additional university grants based on our information, plus work-study eligibility. What a relief! Thanks everyone for helping me understand this confusing process!
That's excellent news! And much more in line with what I would expect for your situation. This is a perfect example of why it's so important to follow up directly with the school rather than trying to interpret FAFSA results on your own. Glad you got good answers!
yayyy!! so happy for u!! college is crazy expensive but sounds like ur boys will get decent help!
This is such a great example of why this community is so valuable! I'm a new parent going through the FAFSA process for the first time with my daughter, and reading through this whole thread has been incredibly educational. The fact that the initial FAFSA result only shows federal aid and not the full picture from universities is something I never would have known. Thank you Freya for sharing your journey and everyone else for explaining the process so clearly. It's ridiculous that we have to rely on forums like this to understand something so important, but I'm grateful this knowledge is here for families like mine who are just starting this confusing journey.
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Hey Nia! I'm in a really similar boat - my SAI came back at 19,200 and I was totally freaking out at first. My family income is around $90k but we have massive student loan payments from my parents' degrees that eat up like $800/month. Here's what I've learned so far: the SAI is basically the government's estimate of what your family can contribute, but it doesn't mean you won't get ANY aid. I called my state university's financial aid office and they told me to wait for my actual aid package before panicking because they have institutional grants that work differently than federal ones. Also, I found out my state has a grant program that goes up to SAI of 22,000 for families under certain income thresholds. Every state is different though! One thing that really helped me was making a list of all my family's actual monthly expenses (including debt payments) because if your aid package isn't enough, you can appeal it with that documentation. The financial aid counselor I talked to said they see appeals like this all the time. Hang in there - I know it's super stressful but don't give up before you see what you're actually offered!
Thank you so much Connor! It's really reassuring to hear from someone in almost the exact same situation. That monthly debt payment thing is exactly what we're dealing with too - my parents have like $650/month in various loan payments that just don't show up anywhere on the FAFSA. I'm definitely going to look into what grant programs my state offers. Do you happen to know where I can find that information? Is it usually on the state education department website? And when you say you can appeal with documentation of expenses, do you mean like bank statements showing the actual payments going out each month? This whole process is so overwhelming but hearing success stories like yours gives me hope that there might be options I don't know about yet!
I'm seeing a lot of conflicting information in this thread, so let me add some clarity as someone who just went through this process with my daughter. An SAI of 18759 definitely puts you above the Pell Grant threshold, but here's what people aren't mentioning enough: 1. **State grants vary WILDLY** - Some states like California have Cal Grants that go up to much higher SAI levels, while others are more restrictive. You need to research YOUR specific state's programs. 2. **Professional Judgment Appeals work** - We successfully appealed my daughter's SAI by documenting our mortgage payment increase and medical expenses. Her SAI dropped by about 3000, which opened up more aid opportunities. 3. **Timing matters** - Apply for your school's institutional scholarships ASAP. Many have deadlines separate from FAFSA and aren't automatically considered. 4. **Work-study and campus jobs** - Even with your SAI, you'll likely qualify for work-study which can cover several thousand in expenses. Don't let anyone tell you it's hopeless at 18759. Yes, it's challenging, but there are multiple pathways to make college affordable. Focus on what you CAN control: applying for every scholarship possible, documenting your family's real financial situation for appeals, and having honest conversations with your school's financial aid office about payment plans and emergency funds.
This is exactly the kind of comprehensive advice I needed to hear! Thank you for breaking down all the different options so clearly. I had no idea about professional judgment appeals actually working - that gives me real hope since my parents' debt situation is similar to what you described. Quick question about the appeal process: when you documented the mortgage payment increase and medical expenses, did you need official statements from lenders/hospitals, or were things like bank statements showing the payments sufficient? I want to make sure I gather the right paperwork. Also, you mentioned institutional scholarships with separate deadlines - is there usually a central portal at most schools where you can find all of these, or do you have to hunt around different department websites? I'm definitely feeling more optimistic after reading your response. Sometimes you just need someone to lay out the actual steps instead of just saying "don't give up hope" without specifics!
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As a financial aid officer, I want to emphasize that while these strategies can be helpful, timing is absolutely critical. The "snapshot" date when you file FAFSA matters enormously - moving large sums right before filing will almost certainly trigger verification. A few additional points for families with twins: 1. Apply for FAFSA as early as possible (October 1st) to maximize aid opportunities at each school 2. If one twin gets accepted Early Decision somewhere, immediately contact that school's financial aid office about your twin situation - they may adjust their aid package 3. Don't overlook state-specific aid programs - many states have additional grants for families with multiple kids in college simultaneously 4. Consider staggering enrollment by a semester if financially beneficial - sometimes having kids start in different terms can help with cash flow The most important thing is to be completely honest and transparent. Financial aid offices are generally very understanding about genuine family financial situations, but they have zero tolerance for anything that appears deceptive. Best of luck with your twins - it's a challenging but manageable situation with proper planning!
This is incredibly helpful coming from someone who works in financial aid! I'm definitely taking note of that October 1st filing date - I had no idea it opened that early. The point about Early Decision timing is really smart too, since we're still figuring out application strategies for both kids. Quick question about the state aid programs you mentioned - is there a good centralized resource to find these, or do I need to check with each state's education department individually? We're in Colorado if that helps with any specific suggestions. Also, thank you for emphasizing the transparency point. After reading about other families getting flagged for verification, I want to make sure we do everything above board. Better to get a slightly higher SAI than deal with verification complications!
For Colorado specifically, you'll want to check out the Colorado Department of Higher Education website - they have several programs including the Colorado Opportunity Fund and various need-based grants that might apply to your twins situation. The College Assist website (CollegeAssist.org) is also a great Colorado-specific resource that lists all available state aid programs in one place. For a broader search across states (in case your twins are considering out-of-state schools), NASSGAP (National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs) has a good database, though it can be a bit clunky to navigate. You're absolutely making the right call on transparency! I've seen too many families create unnecessary stress for themselves trying to "game" the system. The verification process has gotten much more thorough in recent years, and it's just not worth the risk. Your straightforward approach will serve you well.
Just wanted to chime in as someone who's currently going through this exact situation! My twins are juniors in high school and we've been meeting with a financial planner specifically about college funding strategies. One thing our planner emphasized that I haven't seen mentioned here is the timing of when you actually make Roth IRA contributions vs when you file FAFSA. You can contribute to a Roth IRA for the 2024 tax year up until the tax filing deadline in April 2025, but if your twins are starting college in fall 2025, you'll likely be filing FAFSA in early 2025. So the contribution timing can work in your favor if planned correctly. Also, our planner suggested looking into whether either parent qualifies for catch-up contributions (if you're 50+) since that increases the annual limit to $8,000 per person for 2025. With two parents maxing out contributions, you could potentially shelter $16,000 per year from FAFSA calculations. The key thing we learned is to start these contributions NOW for future FAFSA cycles, not try to do it all at once when filing approaches. We started this strategy last year and it's already making a difference in our projected EFC calculations. Hope this helps with your planning! The twins college journey is definitely expensive but there are legitimate ways to optimize your financial aid eligibility if you plan ahead.
Great question about timing! We actually started working with our planner when our twins were sophomores too, so you're at the perfect stage. The $2,000 was a one-time comprehensive planning fee, but we do have optional check-ins twice a year for $300 each (totally worth it for course corrections). Starting early like you are is definitely the smart move! Here's the general priority order our planner recommended: 1. Max out any employer 401k match first (free money!) 2. Build your emergency fund to 6+ months expenses 3. Then it depends on your income/tax situation - if you're in a high tax bracket, traditional IRA contributions might make more sense than Roth for FAFSA purposes 4. 529 contributions come next, but balance them with retirement savings since you can't borrow for retirement 5. Roth IRA contributions for the FAFSA benefit (if income allows) The key insight our planner shared: don't sacrifice YOUR retirement security for college costs. There are loans for college, but no loans for retirement! With two years to plan, you have time to implement these strategies gradually rather than making dramatic moves right before FAFSA filing. That's exactly what we did and it's made the whole process much less stressful.
This is exactly the kind of comprehensive planning approach I wish I had known about earlier! The priority order you outlined makes so much sense - especially the point about not sacrificing retirement security for college costs. That's something I keep forgetting in all the college funding stress. I'm definitely going to look into finding a CFP with college funding expertise now. The twice-yearly check-ins sound really valuable too, especially as financial situations and college plans can change so much during high school years. One follow-up question about the traditional vs Roth IRA decision you mentioned - how does the tax bracket consideration work with FAFSA planning? I understand traditional IRA contributions reduce current taxable income, but do they impact FAFSA calculations differently than Roth contributions? We're probably in that middle-income zone where every FAFSA strategy counts! Thanks for breaking down the priority order so clearly - it really helps to have a roadmap rather than trying to figure out all these moving pieces on my own.
Nia Thompson
As a newcomer to this community, I'm learning so much from everyone's experiences! I'm in the early stages of this process with my son who's a junior, so I'm trying to understand what to expect next year. One thing that's really standing out to me from this discussion is how much variation there seems to be between different private colleges in terms of their flexibility with institutional grants and their policies on outside scholarships. It sounds like doing your homework on each school's specific approach is really important. I'm curious - for those of you who have been through this with multiple children or looked at multiple schools, have you noticed any patterns? Like do certain types of private colleges (religiously affiliated, liberal arts, larger universities, etc.) tend to be more generous or flexible with their aid packages? Or is it really just school-by-school? Also, the advice about timing seems crucial - it sounds like being proactive early in the process gives you more options than waiting until closer to decision deadlines. I'm definitely going to bookmark this thread to reference when we start our FAFSA and applications next year. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed, real-world experiences!
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Zainab Mahmoud
•Welcome to the community, Nia! You're smart to start researching this early. From what I've observed in this thread and my own experience, there definitely seem to be some patterns, though every school is unique. From what others have shared, smaller liberal arts colleges often have more flexibility because they have smaller aid budgets that they can allocate more personally. Religious institutions sometimes have additional scholarship funds from donors. Larger universities might be less flexible individually but could have more diverse funding sources. The timing advice is spot-on - Maya Lewis mentioned earlier that colleges have "discretionary funds" they can allocate, and those probably get depleted as the enrollment season progresses. Starting early gives you more opportunities to advocate and provide additional documentation. One thing I'd add for next year - definitely ask each school directly about their outside scholarship policies during your campus visits. As Isaac Wright pointed out, some schools reduce grants dollar-for-dollar while others reduce loans first. Knowing this upfront can help you make more informed decisions about which schools to prioritize. Good luck with your junior year planning!
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Eloise Kendrick
As a newcomer to this community, I'm finding this discussion incredibly valuable! I'm currently navigating this process with my daughter who's a senior, and our SAI came back at $19,500. Reading through everyone's experiences has given me so much insight into what to expect. One thing I'm wondering about that hasn't been mentioned yet - does the school's endowment size typically correlate with how generous or flexible they are with institutional grants? We're looking at a few different private colleges with varying endowment sizes, and I'm trying to figure out if that should factor into our expectations for aid flexibility. Also, I've seen several mentions of scheduling meetings with financial aid offices. For those who have done this successfully, what's the best way to approach that initial contact? Should you call and ask for a specific type of meeting, or is there particular language that works better to get their attention? Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical guidance that's so hard to find anywhere else!
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