Is anyone besides me frustrated with the entitlement mentality that seems prevalent

[cptofthehouse]

I don't think bargaining with FA for more money is necessarily entitlement. In fact, if you go into it with that attitude, you are going to fare badly if the FA director can detect that chip on your shoulder. I don't really even look at FA negotiations as bargaining. You lay out your situation, and let them see if there are additional factors that should be considered that may have been overlooked or not considered initially. I don't know anyone who got very far playing hardball with a college. I suppose if your kid is so desired that the college is drooling for him, you can get away with that. BUt most of the time, you are hoping that there are some extra funds availabe or going to be available from kids decining their offer that maybe the FA director will send your way if he can find good reason.

It seems to me that just telling them that a better school offered more, seems to whet their appetite the most in terms of aid increase, but you gotta have that other offer. That and a bona fide mistake made in the numbers.

[cptofthehouse]

Token, yes, the custodial parent's assets and income are what determine FAFSA's EFC which in turn makes a family eligible for Pell and other federal goodies which in turn can make a student eligible for other monies. If the non custodial parent is wealthy, but he is not giving money to the family that crucial FAFSA year, his wealth is irrelevant to the process. That has always been the case.

Actually, divorced kids used to have it even easier. Now many Profile schools are making it very difficult to let the recalcitrant parent off the hook. Too bad for the kid, if the parent with the money doesn't pay, or refuses to fill out the paperwork. That is often even a bigger problem. Some of those non custodial parents refuse to fill out a danged thing. Can't make them do it either. So at least if the custodial parent is needy, such families can get FAFSA tied funds. Usually, a kid will get a form from the school stating non custodial parent non involvement in kid's life signed by school, church, social worker and get a break from the non custodial parents ties, to get around those assets anyways.

I sent a letter many years ago about the problems with the FAFSA that I could find. I've seen just about every aspect of it raised on CC. They are very much aware of the problem. The drawback with massive complaining is that there is the risk that the program will be cut altogether. So much college aid has been cut as the costs have increased. So even as we ponder the entitlement issue, the government is cutting back on that aspect. It is mainly a private thing between college and students these days, as to whether they get to go or not if finances are at stake. No entitlement there.

[garland]

This was true of my H, whose parents were divorced. His father was an airline pilot and his mother a teacher. Little of what the dad gave the family (which was not much anyway) was reported. H and I went to the same college. my mom was a widow who made less than H's mom, but we got some Social Security which was credited to me, so it severely impacted my aid. S got the 2% NDSL subsidized loan, a grant which was Pell or its precursor, and lots of institutional aid. I got nadda except a bank loan form. His actual family income was far above mine. It was exasperating, to say the least.

Overall, though, I agree with cptofthehouse; even if the program is flawed, a lot of good is done. I'd hate to see this disappear entirely as a government responsibility--with my own students, who are really low income, the available aid, though often not enough, is vital.