<p>Is anyone else having trouble accessing the FAFSA this morning? I’m trying to start the 2013 application but it keeps giving me an error message.</p>
<p>It’s up. I could get to the login page.</p>
<p>Hmm, I’m trying to start a new FAFSA and it won’t go any further than the next page- after I fill out my son’s name, SS, and bdate on the first page- where I’m getting an error. I’m using Google Chrome and I cleared my browsing history…Not sure why it won’t work for me.</p>
<p>Must be Google Chrome. I was able to get in through IE.</p>
<p>I did too. I have a question though… How do I know if my sons qualified for federal work study? Where do we find that information?</p>
<p>Schools get a sum of money from the federal government. They then divide that up among eligible students how they see fit. It can run out, that’s why it’s good to get fafsa in early. You won’t find out if your student has received work study until the school notifies you, could be snail mail, email or just on the school’s student portal. To be eligibe to receive it you have to have need, COA - EFC = need.</p>
<p>Thanks for the post. However, I don’t understand the formula, COA - EFC = need? could you give me an example with real numbers? and does the school notify us if my son qualifies? He is enrolled in UCF.</p>
<p>COA=cost of attendance, let’s say $40K per year. </p>
<p>EFC = Expected Family Contribution - the $ FAFSA gives you, could be anything but if it is less than $40K in this example, let’s say $30K, then you have $10K of need.</p>
<p>Cost of attendance - fafsa expected family contribution = need. Need has to be a positive number. You can find what the school has calculated it’s cost of attendance to be on their website. The school will notify you by one of the 3 methods I mentiond if your son is awarded work study.</p>
<p>Alright! I think I understand. My son’s school cost of attendance is about $16000, and fafsa gives him $5500… So is his need 11000? Sorry but this is new to me…</p>
<p>Is $5500 what fafsa said your EFC is? Sounds like the direct loan amount he qualified for. EFC isn’t the amount fafsa gives, it’s the amount your family is expected to contribute.</p>
<p>The EFC is 00040… The $5500 is the ell grant</p>
<p>So your unmet need is 16000-5500-40.</p>
<p>Ok! Thanks!!!</p>
<p>
COA - ETC = Need
16000 - 40 = 15960</p>
<p>The school will assemble a financial aid package trying to meet the need.</p>
<p>In the package, you should find
Federal Pell grant of 5500
Federal student loans of 3500(?)
state grants(?)
school grants(?)
PLUS loans(?)</p>
<p>The Pell will happen so that’s why I said unmet need. At that EFC the student is likely to be offered $2000 subsidized loan and $3500 unsubsized loan.</p>
<p>UFC can give you what FAFSA defines as need, or not. If he hasn’t been there yet you probably won’t find out until March…or is he already a student there? (You said he’s “enrolled” so I’m not clear)</p>
<p>Yes, he is a junior… but I think that when we filled out FAFSA in the past, we never answered “yes” to work-study… That’s why I am confused.
Thank you for all the responses!!!</p>
<p>PC vs EFC</p>
<p>Since the EFC numbers shows that the pell grant is 5500 do I subtract that from the EFC to get the Parents Contribution? What about if we expect to get a work study or something, should we include what we hope our child can earn in that work study as part of his contribution to lower the parents contribution?</p>
<p>Usually the Pell, work study, loans and any other grants are included in the part the school provides, not your EFC.</p>