by Shannon Vasconcelos, former financial aid officer at Tufts University

Winter is an exciting time for high school seniors and their parents. Even (and maybe especially) in this unusual year, the receipt of a college acceptance is cause for celebration. For many families, however, the initial elation of a college acceptance is quickly tempered by the receipt of a financial aid offer and the realization that, even after the awarded financial assistance, a given college’s cost is still out-of-reach for your family. While disappointing, that inadequate financial aid offer is not necessarily the end of the story, nor the end of your child’s relationship with that school of choice. The college aid application is, while daunting, necessarily limited in scope and does not paint a complete picture of many families’ financial circumstances, especially in these complicated times. For that reason, colleges are given latitude to use their discretion in considering families’ special circumstances when awarding both government and institutional aid. Consider if you may have had any of these special circumstances that would warrant an appeal to the Financial Aid Offices for special consideration:

by Shannon Vasconcelos, former financial aid officer at Tufts University

If you’ve been within shouting distance of a TV, computer, tablet, phone, or newspaper today, you’ve likely heard that Congress passed an omnibus spending bill last night, including a COVID relief package. What you may not have heard much about yet is a number of significant changes to federal financial aid programs included in the legislation.  More details will be forthcoming, and the bill is still pending President Trump’s signature, but, for now, here are the major provisions in the bill that may directly or indirectly affect how students and parents pay for college:

Are you wondering if you can apply for financial aid on your own, without your parents’ financial information? While most traditionally-aged college students will require parental information as part of the financial aid process, some students are considered independent and can apply for need-based scholarships, grants, and student loans based solely upon their own information.

In the latest installment of the Bright Horizons College Coach video series, We Can Explain, we break down what it takes to be considered independent by a financial aid office.

by Robyn Stewart, former financial aid officer at College of the Holy Cross

If you are a regular reader of the Bright Horizons College Coach blog, you know that students are not required to include information about their non-custodial parent (NCP) on the FAFSA (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid). There are institutions, however, that do collect this information. Over 200 colleges and universities require students to complete a second application called the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile, and most of these require students to have their NCP submit income and asset information as part of the student’s aid application.

Financial aid officers understand that getting this information may be difficult or impossible for some students. Since failure to complete the non-custodial parent’s part of an aid application may result in the student losing institutional financial aid dollars, colleges that require non-custodial parent information have a process by which the student can request that the requirement to include NCP information be waived.

by Shannon Vasconcelos, former financial aid officer at Tufts University

In order to access financial aid for college, you can list up to 10 schools on your FAFSA (if you’re applying to more than 10 colleges, read our post How to Apply to More than 10 Schools on the FAFSA) to receive your family’s financial information. Upon receipt of your complete financial aid application, those colleges’ financial aid offices will determine your eligibility for any applicable federal, state, and institutional aid programs.

We are often asked if there is a particular order in which order a student should list colleges on the FAFSA in order to maximize financial aid or chances of admission. The good news for students is that, in most cases, it makes absolutely no difference in what order you list your schools: listing from first choice to last, in alphabetical order, or by favorite school color will not change your admissions or financial aid outcomes in any way.

Applying for financial aid can by scary. It’s intrusive. It’s intimidating. And it’s high stakes.

But don’t let fear stop you for accessing the money you need to go to college.

In the latest installment of the Bright Horizons College Coach video series, We Can Explain, we break down the financial aid application process into 10 easy steps.

If you couldn’t otherwise afford to attend college, applying for financial aid is a no-brainer. Of course you should complete a FAFSA! The decision may not quite as simple, however, for families who may be able to pay for college on their own. Is there any reason you should submit a FAFSA if you don’t expect to qualify for financial aid? Find out from former Boston University and Tufts University financial aid officer, Shannon Vasconcelos, in the first installment of the Bright Horizons College Coach video series, Ask the College Finance Expert.

by Shannon Vasconcelos, former financial aid officer at Tufts University

Once upon a time, the college application process was simple.  By and large, students applied to just one or a couple of local colleges, they were easily accepted, and they could often pay for tuition with not much more than a summer job.

Nowadays, lots of students are considering a much more expansive network of the more than 4,000 colleges available across the country, many of those colleges have grown increasingly competitive, and paying tuition with no more than a summer job?  Forget about it!

COVID is causing even the most financially stable families to take a hard second (or third, or fourth) look at the price of college. Though we’re past May 1, many colleges have extended commitment deadlines and are working with families to make college more affordable. Listen in as former Tufts and Boston University financial aid officer Shannon Vasconcelos offers guidance for families seeking to negotiate merit scholarships with their prospective schools.

by Robyn Stewart, former financial aid officer at College of the Holy Cross

The Sibling Factor: How EFC and Financial Aid Packages Can Change

When I worked in a Financial Aid Office, there was something that I could count on without fail every year. Whenever a student’s sibling graduated from college, I would inevitably get THE CALL from parents wondering “where has our financial aid gone?”

Behold the Sibling Factor: the effect on financial aid awards when siblings enter or leave undergraduate study. Parents might be delighted at the effect of a second child entering college (packages may increase). They get panicked, however, when a sibling leaves undergraduate study, and aid amounts for remaining undergraduate children decrease. (The other most common reason for changes to financial aid eligibility is a significant change in family income.)