Please help!! How should I answer this question?

I would need a little more info to give you a complete answer, but I will assume you have or will fill out a FAFSA.

You can’t get a dime of Uncle Sam’s money unless you fill out a FAFSA, which you can do for free online. It’s a form designed to assess your need and EFC (expected family contribution, or personal contribution if you are an independant student with no help from mom/dad).

IF YOU LIE ON THE FAFSA, AND THE FORM IS AUDITED, YOU WON’T BE GETTING ANY AID, perhaps ever, and I’m not sure, but there are probably other unpleasant things that can happen.

What I would do is fill out the FAFSA, tell the truth about your assets (the one’s that appear on paper and can be traced, like in a bank). Then shift your assets around so that by next year you don’t have any money showing and can give a more accurate picture of your financial circumstance, one way to shift your assets is the old fashion way, spend your money on things you need, must have–a car, a computer–by the things you will need for your college career now if you are indeed commited to going all the way).

If you are like the average struggling student, you’ve done without and saved for years to go to school only to be punished for it when it comes time for the Gov’t to help.

Don’t put zero–not for any BS ethical reason, but because it will probably wind up hurting you more than anything else; too risky. Keep in mind, I am dirt poor, told the perfect truth on my FAFSA down to the penny, and I got audited. It can happen to you (funny how it’s low income students who suffer these audits more than anyone).

Do what you can to save money, but be smart: school’s are businesses and they will screw you just as quick as they’d look at you–they will screw you by throwing you in classes with adjuncts, by artificially inflating their student/teacher ratios by claiming librarians as instructors, and worst of all, they’ll invariably screw you by putting you next to the dumbest people you will ever meet–people you are supposed to “learn with.” But they will also screw you by giving you the least amount of institutional aid they can, and by filling you up with as much federal debt as they can (because they can’t lose, it’s garanteed). AS a general rule, DON’T TAKE THEIR FIRST FINANCIAL AID AWARD, appeal for more unless you are totally happy with what they offer the first time, and don’t worry, you won’t be.

Oh, by the way, getting a job is great, but on average (I shouldn’t say average, but for many people), every dollar you make that gets reported on your income tax or winds up as an asset will cost you 33 cents in aid money in both federal and institutional considerations. Keep that in mind when considering which crappy, low-pay summer job to take.

Apply for as many scholarships as possible, and make sure you Financial aid man knows your name and how dedicated you are to academics–ask him if there are any scholarships he thinks you would qualify for.

Maybe you should get a job or another one if you all ready have one, you could also ask a friend for help or have a friend lone you the money so you could pay it back when you had more money, I am sure somebody can help you out.

Hope this helps.

I reply first, and if the answering makes me suppose or makes my day, then I’ll famous person. I recognize…it is choosy of me, sorry. o.o But this fashion I grow to be pointing my lovers and contacts to the *well stuff* you realize? ^__^ Or no less than I attempt to. But have a celebrity besides only for being sufferer and information. ^_^

they are probably expecting you to answer a big amount, like if you have equity, and collateral…

I’d put a small – minute amount… Not the total amount you have…

yes put zero

No, put in the correct amount.