Fafsa

Nursing Students General Students

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If you live in the United States you probably know what the FAFSA is. It is the major financial aid form that makes you a nurse or breaks you. Most states also use this form to decide financial aid status. If you don't qualify for federal aid (pell, loans) then you won't qualify for state aid either. If you do qualify then the aid can't be duplicated so often a lot of financial money sits in the governments bank accounts unused. I can't get federal money so I can't get state money. The colleges use the FAFSA to determine elgibility for their funds and since I don't qualify for federal or state funds I don't qualify for college scholarships. Ironically some people who do qualifly find that at time of registering for classes that aid is reduced because funds can't be duplicated. Many then can't go to school. Now apparently the new funds that are going to be used to remedy the nursing shortage are going to also use the FAFSA for eligibility. Now how is that going to help me or others get money for tuition and books? The money will sit there because the people who need it still won't qualify because of the great thing called the FAFSA. So lets ask them not to use the FAFSA in determining how these funds are used. Just allow anyone who is admitted to nursing school have the funds and as long as they keep their grades up and graduate and work in nursing they won't have to pay it back.

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Amen!

I've never qualified for financial aid because on paper my step-father makes too much money, even though that's because he's supporting 2 kids he can't claim on taxes because they receive social security.

How messed up is it that kids with parents that lie on their tax returns get money and all us honest people have to suffer.

Dang government.

By the way, where do you live, if you don' mind my asking?

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I've got to fill that thing out too! My best friend got lots of aid and his parents and my parents make about the same thing. I wonder how he qualified though because they make about 100K a year. Does it have anything to do with how much your tuition is?

Brett

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the dreaded fafsa..

Most everyone CAN get Federal Loans, many people don't consider this Financial AID but it is.. really, consider the low interest and the fact that you don't have to pay back the money until 6 months after you graduate. Sure it seems like a lot of $$ to a young person, my son is dealing with the "shock" of borrowing.

If not for Student Loans, many people would not be able to go to college.. and yes I agree that there could be some changes made to the FAFSA... paper does not show the true picture of parent/student income as far as how much is really available for tuition, etc. :)

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i would just like to add the following to this fafsa discussion...

have y'all realized that we as nursing students spend a lot more money for school than a regular student b/c of:

  • travel to/from clinicals
  • uniforms
  • more books than a regular student
  • "nurse" supplies (steth. b/p cuff, etc..)

yet, i called to find out if we qualified for extra aid b/c of this..."no" because the aid amount is based on formulas from the government - w/ the fafsa...

i think med. students get more aid...

:bluecry1: i know i'm whining (again) but it makes me so mad!

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How about this for a scenerio.

I do qualify for some aid. I will apply for every scholarship I can. However, I do not qualify for any more student loans because I had prior college. I changed my degree towards nursing, but because I am still in a 2 year school, my "cap" for loans is all but maxed. I think I have $1000 I can still borrow. Where do you go for money now? I think that is unfair. I was counting on getting student loans to cover all of the extra nursing stuff that I had to buy that my FAFSA did not cover.

Jen

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Oh Gosh!!! Pell, and FAFSA and .....................

I was lucky in that the first time I went to school everything was based on what my mom made because my parents are divorced and since she doesn't make a lot I was able to get a good amount of money. But with the high amounts of $$$ it takes for tuition I still have got about 17,000.00 in loans that I have to pay off.

Now that I'm going back to school I can't get any aid because I allready have a degree. Pennsylvania just passed a tuition relief program to get people to go into nursing and stay in nursing but I think that they will only cover 1/4 of your tuition a year and you have to work at a facility deamed by the state. I hope and pray that this program will work out for me but I'm sure there is some way for the state to mess it up for me.

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I turn 21 next month, so I WOULD qualify for a Pell, BUT....I just moved home and since I live with my parents now and don't have a job, I won't qualify. It SUCKS, SUCKS, SUCKS!!!

Also, Brett, if your friend's parents make over 100 thou and he STILL qualified for financial help, then his parents LIED on their taxes. There is no freaking WAY he would qualify with THAT kind of income, unless he works and claims himself. *sigh* Those of us that actually follow the rules and are good, moral, truthful citizens pay the price. AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!

But I'm not bitter or anything. :b

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Originally posted by meandragonbrett

I've got to fill that thing out too! My best friend got lots of aid and his parents and my parents make about the same thing. I wonder how he qualified though because they make about 100K a year. Does it have anything to do with how much your tuition is?

Brett

The amount qualified for is the cost of attendance minus expected family contribution (EFC). But 100K is still a lot to make and still qualify. That's why I'm glad I'm a little older and married or I would not qualify under my parents.

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