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One more important thing to check: does that $29,780 include EVERYTHING? Many schools advertise tuition only, but then have mandatory fees, housing requirements, meal plans, etc. that can add thousands more. Make sure you're looking at the TOTAL cost of attendance, not just tuition. If they're quoting you just tuition to match your aid, your actual costs will be much higher.
You're right - I just double-checked the financial aid letter. The $29,780 is labeled as "tuition only" and there's another $14,500 for "room and board" plus $1,200 for "mandatory student fees" in the fine print. So it's actually going to cost me WAY more than my aid covers. That feels deliberately misleading.
Exactly! This is unfortunately very common. When comparing schools, always use the full Cost of Attendance (COA) minus your total aid to determine your true out-of-pocket cost. Some schools offer lower tuition but higher fees, while others include more in the base tuition price. The only number that matters is what you'll actually pay.
Based on your update about the additional costs beyond tuition, I'd recommend these steps: 1. Request a Cost of Attendance (COA) breakdown from every school you're considering 2. Subtract all grants and scholarships (money you don't repay) from each COA 3. This gives you your "net cost" at each institution 4. THEN look at loans to cover that net cost Also, ask each school about their tuition guarantee or caps - some schools guarantee your tuition won't increase for 4 years, while others might increase 5-8% annually. This makes a huge difference in your total cost. Finally, remember that your financial aid package can be negotiated, especially if you have better offers from comparable schools.
Thank you so much for this detailed advice. I've requested COA breakdowns from my top 5 schools and I'm going to create a spreadsheet to compare them properly. I feel more prepared to make an informed decision now.
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Wait is the FAFSA for 2025-2026 open already??? I thought it didn't open until December? I'm so confused about when we need to apply for next year's aid....
Ruby Garcia
ā¢This thread is about setting up payment plans for the upcoming Fall semester using the aid you've already been awarded, not about applying for next year's FAFSA. But to answer your question, the 2025-2026 FAFSA should open December 1, 2024 (they delayed it again this year). For now, focus on managing the aid you've already received for the 2024-2025 year.
Maya Lewis
One additional tip that might help: Print out your Account Summary before and after setting up the payment plan. This creates a paper trail that can be invaluable if there are any discrepancies later. Also, don't forget that if you have excess financial aid (meaning your total aid exceeds your charges), you'll receive a refund which can be used for books, off-campus housing, etc. Virginia Tech typically processes refunds starting 10 days before the semester begins, but they can take up to 2 weeks to appear in your bank account if you've set up direct deposit.
That's a great idea about printing everything out! I actually think I might have excess aid this semester, so it's good to know when to expect that refund. Is there anything special I need to do to make sure I get the refund?
Maya Lewis
ā¢Yes, make sure you've set up direct deposit in HokieSPA (look for the Direct Deposit link in the Hokie Wallet section). If you don't set up direct deposit, they'll mail you a paper check which takes much longer to receive. Also verify that your permanent mailing address is correct in the system.
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Have you guys looked at Parent PLUS loans? The interest rate is fixed at 8.05% right now which isnt amazing but atleast its federal and has some of those protections? Thats what we did when my kid's aid package wasnt enough
We were approved for Parent PLUS but trying to avoid maxing those out since I've heard they have the highest origination fees of all the federal loans (around 4% I think?). But you're right about the federal protections being valuable.
Sophie Duck
One more suggestion - check if your daughter's school has a payment plan option. Many colleges will let you spread payments over 10-12 months with only a small fee (like $50-100) rather than interest. We're using this for about half of what we owe and then taking smaller loans for the rest. Also, if your daughter can find a part-time job on campus through Federal Work-Study, that money doesn't count against future aid eligibility the way some scholarships can.
Great idea about the payment plan! I just checked and they do offer a 10-month plan with only a $75 enrollment fee. This could definitely help reduce how much we need to borrow. Thank you!
Malik Johnson
Just to add some clarification - when the form goes back to your daughter, she should see specific sections highlighted as needing attention. The most common sections that need completion after parent contribution include: 1. Review of parent-provided household information 2. Confirmation of special circumstances (if applicable) 3. The final submission section The good news is that once all contributors have provided their information, your daughter just needs to review and submit. The final SAI calculation can't be generated until she completes this step.
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Emma Davis
ā¢This is really helpful, thank you! She's working on it now and found a section about household verification that wasn't available before. I think we're on the right track now.
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Freya Thomsen
Financial aid advisor here. The new FAFSA is definitely causing confusion, but what you're experiencing is working as designed. The application now has conditional logic that determines what questions appear based on previous answers. After you completed your section as a parent contributor, the system likely generated new questions for your daughter based on your responses. For example, if your income falls below certain thresholds, additional questions about specific tax credits or benefits might appear. Also, there's now a mandatory student review of parent-provided information before final submission. This is actually a positive change as it helps catch potential errors before submission. My advice: Have your daughter log in and carefully check each section for completeness. The system should clearly indicate which sections still need attention.
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Emma Davis
ā¢Thank you for the expert perspective! It's comforting to know we're not doing anything wrong. I'll definitely have my daughter check each section carefully. Do you know if this will affect when we receive her SAI calculation? We're anxious to know what her financial aid package might look like.
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Freya Thomsen
ā¢Once your daughter successfully submits the completed FAFSA, you should receive the SAI calculation within 3-5 business days via email. However, during peak periods, it might take up to 2 weeks. The colleges she listed will receive this information as well, which they'll use to prepare her financial aid package.
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