Will you answer my questions about my visit to the financial aid office?

Question

I am about to go the financial aid office at my university. My parents are married--should I bring my mom or dad?

Also, how does the financial aid office determine how much money they will give me from the Pell Grant? Is there a way to "sweet talk" them into giving me more? How do they decide on how much money to give me?

Answer 1

It depends what you're going to your financial aid office for.

If this is a get-acquainted session, a financial aid advisor will explain all of the various programs that are available to students at your school. They'll tell you about aid from the federal government, they'll tell you about any state assistance that is available, and they'll tell you about any "private" money that the school might have.

They'll probably have a booklet on each of these programs, along with information on the eligibility criteria, and information on how to apply for each of these benefits.

Your parents may find the information useful in helping them understand what kinds of assistance are available to you (and them) to help them pay for your educational expenses. There is a specific form of government loan, called the PLUS loan, which is available to parents - they may find that information helpful.

If you're going to financial aid to have an advisor walk you through the process of filling out the financial aid application(s), then you might want to take your parents along, and be sure that they bring certain kinds of financial documents with them. You won't need to show them to the advisor, but your parents will need to refer to these numbers when they complete the form.

If you're doing that, have them bring their W-2 statements from last year, their tax return from last year, and a list of their major assets and their values. All of those things contain info that they'll need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student  Aid (FAFSA), the application that gets the ball rolling on all forms of financial aid.

As for "sweet talking" them? Neh. It won't help. Your eligibility is based on your financial need. The numbers don't lie - and all you will be doing is filling in a form. Resist the temptation to "cheat" a little bit - 30% of all applications are randomly selected for verification every year, and the government will rework your eligibility if you can't document your claims.

Good luck to you.

Answer 2

weather you bring your Mom or DaD does not matter.  With reagrd to Pell- the grant is an "entitlement" based on a math problem using your fafsa.  There is no human element used in detriming who gets what.  Your school does independantly detrimine what they give out in intituational funds.  So you may what to just ask if there is a process you can go through to appeal or get your package re-reviewed

Answer 3

You do not have to bring your mother and father to the fin and office.

They determine how much money to give you based on the EFC number you received when you filled out your fafsa. and by what scholarship and the loan paperwork you fill out.  No sweet talking in the fin aid office.  Again, they determine how much money to give  you based on your EFC, your grade level (freshman, soph, Jr) and your dependency status.