How Do CSS Schools Generally Prioritize 2020 vs. 2021 Info for Aid?

The schools won’t give you an estimate of aid for any upcoming years after the one for which you submitted the financial aid forms. You will need to apply again for aid for future years…forms available October 1 each year to do so.

For need based aid, each year is a new financial aid year. There are just too many variables that can change from year to year. Adding to this…you are divorced…what if someone remarries? That will change the metric too.

In addition, need based financial aid awarding can be income dependent. For example, some schools award certain %age of aid for earners under a certain amount…but if you go over that, you could face a reduction in aid.

If you really wanted a firm number that would not be income dependent, merit aid would have been a good thing to chase down. That is not income dependent.

If your income for 2021 was significantly lower AND remains lower, you can apply for a special circumstances consideration at the college. You would need to contact each college to find out their process for doing this. Some colleges don’t do this at all. You will need to provide documentation of your reduced income, and most schools will expect that this reduced income is still the case.