Paying for College: Financial Aid Forms - FAFSA & PROFILE

 by Katherine O'Brien, Certified College Planning Specialist

1.    FAFSA – the Free Application for Federal Student Aid

This form is the key that opens federal aid, including Pell grants (which have recently expanded to many more students!), SEOG grants, and federal student and parent loan programs. Many states also use the FAFSA to determine eligibility for their aid programs. Additionally, the vast majority of colleges use this form to allocate their need-based aid programs.

 

Who is your Parent for the FAFSA?

 

A key question – for the FAFSA, who is considered your parent when you are an unmarried undergraduate student

-If your biological or adoptive parents and you live together, whether they are married or not, then they are your FAFSA parents

-if you live with only one parent because the other is deceased, that parent (and his or her spouse) is/are your FAFSA parent(s)

-if your biological or adoptive parents do not live together, the parent who provides more of your financial support (and his or her spouse) is/are your parent(s) for the FAFSA

-If you don’t live with either of your parents and have not been adopted or set under a guardian, you still need to include the information for your parent(s) on your FAFSA.

 

Parent & Student must CREATE an FSA ID to electronically sign the form

 

You and ONE of your parents need to create FSA IDs. This is a code you will use to electronically sign your FAFSA form, as well as any federal loan forms. You can set one up here: https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch

 

File the FAFSA online:

 

The FAFSA is available here: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

File it in October of senior year for freshman year. It will need to be filed again annually in advance of each year of college. Be sure to CHOOSE the FAFSA form for the CORRECT SCHOOL YEAR – for a HS senior in the Class of 2025, choose 25/26 FAFSA, since that is your freshman year in college.

 

The FAFSA will pull tax information for both parent and student, for the calendar year two years before the school year starts. For the 25/26 school year, the 2023 tax information is used (2025-2=2023). Current asset information will be entered in by parents and the student.

 

Avoid Common FAFSA Mistakes

 

Say YES to Work/Study. It is program through which you can earn money toward your college costs.

 

File for the correct school year.

 

Only include the correct assets (see below)

 

Indicate your parents’ education level correctly. If neither parent has a bachelor’s degree, you are considered a first generation student and there’s more aid available. Be sure to indicate high school as their highest school completed.

 

List in-state public universities first in the college section. Search by college name, not abbreviations. Verify that you have listed the correct colleges. Unless you are sure you’ll be living at home or off campus, list on campus as your housing plan, even if you aren’t sure.

 

Be sure the student questions get student answers. When Mom sees “marital status?” she is thinking of her own, not the student’s, but the question is about the student’s marital status.

 

Look at the help (?) to determine the number of people in your household. While this number is no longer used in the federal formula, states and colleges get this information and can take it into account.

 

Watch your email after you file the FAFSA. The student will receive an email indicating the FAFSA has been filed. Also, if the student is required to “verify” their FAFSA, an email will let them know. So, KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR EMAIL. If you don’t check it regularly, set a reminder to check it every couple of weeks from when you file until the time you get financial aid awards. If a verification email comes in, deal with it right away.

 

The FAFSA MUST BE FILED for EVERY YEAR YOU ARE IN COLLEGE AND WANT AID.

 

What is an Asset for FAFSA?

 

Assets are your savings, investments, your liquid assets. NOT the house in which you live, car(s), or other possessions. NOT your retirement savings or life insurance. YES your second home, YES your stocks and bonds and 529 accounts (for the student), YES your business are assets.

 

What happens next??

 

Once you file the FAFSA form, and both parent and student have submitted it, the student will receive an email. If that doesn’t happen, the FAFSA didn’t get filed.

 

What is verification?

 

About 1/3 of FAFSA filers are selected for verification. If you are selected, you’ll need to do what is asked of you.

 

You’ll get your SAI, (formerly called the EFC), the Student Aid Index. It can be -1500 to 999,999. The lower the number, the more aid you are eligible to receive.

 

2. CSS PROFILE

 

About 250 colleges and universities require the CSS PROFILE form in addition to the FAFSA form. The PROFILE form is used to disperse the college's own funds. File the form in the fall of senior year. Full information and deadlines is available through each college's website.

 

The list of the colleges that require the PROFILE form is here. 

The PROFILE form requires significantly more information than the FAFSA. Income for two years before the college school year starts (just like the FAFSA, for 25/26 it would be the 2023 year), the year before the college year starts (for 25/26, it would be 2024, which might not be finished yet when the form is filed), and an estimate of the next year's income (2025).

Assets for the PROFILE form: Nothing is excluded. In addition to the many questions on the PROFILE form, some colleges include additional questions, which will be shown at the end of the form.

IDOC - the Institutional Documentation Service

IDOC is used by some of the PROFILE schools as the secure platform to upload various financial documents.

 

 

Paying for College, Part Two: Building an Affordable List

 by Katherine O'Brien, ThD Candidate, Certified College Planning Specialist

 

A college list, ideally, is a list of 6-10 colleges that have the academic major(s) and/or program(s) your teen is looking for, that will prepare him or her for the kind of work s/he is interested in and have determined is a good academic, social, and spiritual fit for him or her. Another key factor is financial fit. Here are guidelines to help you include colleges and universities that will be affordable, and keep those with too high a net cost off your list.

 

First, some definitions:

 

Net price: the price you will actually pay, based on your grades, scores, major, and financial resources.

 

Sticker price (also known as the COA or Cost of Attendance): the official price for a year of college, including tuition, fees, room, board, books, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses.

 

Public in state universities: Public colleges and universities located in the same state as the student. If the student’s parents are divorced and live in different states, s/he might be considered an in-state student in both states. Check with the states for their residency requirements as they differ from state to state.

 

Public colleges and universities receive funding from their state government. Therefore, they have TWO prices for tuition: for in-state students and for out-of-state students. The out of state tuition rate is typically MUCH, MUCH higher than in state tuition. Typically, in state public colleges have lower sticker prices (COAs) than private colleges. For out of state students, however, some private colleges will have lower prices while others have higher prices.

 

Because their in-state prices are already fairly low, public colleges don’t tend to offer as many, or as generous, scholarships. Residency is nearly always determined by where you life. Do a quick internet search to learn your state’s residency requirements. Residency will impact your tuition at public colleges and universities as well as eligibility for state aid programs. (Use the NASFAA website to check your state’s aid programs.)

 

 

Public out of state universities: Public colleges and universities  located in a state that the student does not live in.

 

Private colleges and universities: Colleges and universities not run by state governments.

 

Private colleges are FAR more likely to offer tuition discounts and scholarships. Some offer ALL students a scholarship. For students who are high academic achievers in their student body, generous scholarships tend to be available. Keep in mind, private colleges charge the same tuition, no matter where you live.

 

 

Two year/Community Colleges Typically these are public colleges. This can be a good place to study, especially if you will only need an associate’s degree or a certificate for your chosen profession. As a step into a four year college, the chances of spending two years at community college and finishing in two more at a four year are low. (Most take 3-4 years at the 4-year to finish their degree.) DO keep that in mind if this is a path to a four year degree you want to seriously consider.

 

International Universities Colleges and universities located in a different country from the student’s home country. Bachelor’s degrees in non-American universities typically take 3 years. Germany, Iceland, and Norway offer tuition free college. Tuition in Austria, France, Luxembourg, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Malaysia is very low. If you speak Spanish or Portuguese, Argentina and Brazil offer very low tuition rates.

 

Vocational Schools These post-secondary schools train students in various vocations, from hair dressing to auto mechanics to chefs to dental assistants. The length of the program varies.

 

Service Academies These four year colleges are free for everyone who gets in, but extraordinarily selective and require military service of their graduates.

 

For Profit Colleges Most of these private colleges result in students with significant debt and poor outcomes. Many have extremely low graduation rates.. I can’t encourage families to consider them.

 

ONE WAY TO PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF AFFORDABLE COLLEGES

 

You can get a general idea of the kind of college best to focus on in this way:

(affluent here indicates ineligible for need based aid, or having an SAI above $30,000 (SAI is the amount you can afford, per the FAFSA form.)

 

Top students from non-affluent families typically find good financial affordability at:

1.        Private colleges, especially those with generous merit scholarships. Less selective colleges tend to give out more scholarships. You may also be able to get in state grants or scholarships for private colleges in your state of residence. Highly selective (accept <25%) often offer significant need based aid. Some meet full need without asking you to take any loans.

2.        Public in state universities

3.        Two year colleges

4.        Public out of state colleges when they are in the top 10% of the student body and win an elite scholarship or the college participates in an undergraduate exchange tuition reduction program with your state

5.        If your parent works at a college, or a college with an agreement with your parent’s college.

6.        If your parent is a veteran, there may be institutional scholarships and the Yellow Ribbon program available to match or supplement the GI Bill benefits.

 

Public out of state colleges and international colleges tend to be least affordable to these students.

 

Top students from affluent families

 

Scholarships and low sticker priced schools are your best financial fit.

 

1.        Private colleges are the most likely to reward your talents

2.        Public in state colleges are the most likely to be affordable. Look for honors colleges and programs.

3.        International colleges – because a bachelor’s degree only takes 3 years to complete.

4.        Two year college, if you aren’t seeking a four year degree

 

Not a top student AND not from a wealthy family? Here are your best financial fit college categories:

 

There are still some great options.

 

1.        Public in state universities

2.        Two year colleges

3.        Private colleges, maybe

4.        Public out of state colleges, if your state and the school’s state participate in an undergraduate exchange program that offers lower tuition rates.

 

Not a top student yet from a wealthy family – best financial fits:

 

1.        Public in state universities

2.        Two year colleges – having the opportunity to further mature as a person, clarify your life and college goals, and hone your study skills might be very helpful

3.        Private colleges

 

For a private college financial consultation, please schedule with Katherine by email: KOB@CelticCollegeConsultants.

Paying for College, Part One: Scholarships

 by Katherine O'Brien, Certified College Planning Specialist

Confusing. Stressful. Complicated. That's how most people feel about the whole topic of paying for college.

Parents are afraid. Students are clueless, not having any concept of the meaning of money, of the real cost of anything.

 

Parents are afraid, unsure what is real – there is SO much conflicting and confusing information out there! In part, this is the case because the rules keep changing and there are variations from college to college and, even, alarmingly!, from year to year.

Scholarships Basics

Some Recent Stats

$46B scholarship dollars awarded in 2023, per the DOE. Scholarships and grants typically cover around 29% of college costs. Of that 46B, $8.2B was private scholarship dollars. Therefore 17% of scholarship dollars in 2023 were awarded by private organizations. The other 83% came from the colleges themselves.

 

Scholarships often enable students to afford a more expensive college than they could have attended without receiving the scholarships.

A greater percentage of scholarship recipients were attending very or moderately selective colleges than those who don’t receive scholarships (85% v. 75%). Students who enroll at very selective colleges are twice as likely to have won scholarships than  students at open admission colleges (17.7% v. 8.5%).[1]

 

Students with GPA over 3.5 is more likely to win scholarships. Also, students who file the FAFSA are more likely to have won scholarships than those who do not file the FAFSA (17% v. 9%). 85% of students who receive scholarships file the FAFSA v. 72% of students who do not receive scholarships. Also, students at private colleges are more likely to have won scholarships than those at public universities (19% v. 14%). Lastly, while more students majoring in STEM fields win scholarships than those with other majors, it’s not a significant difference (16.6% v. 14.6%)

 

About 1/7^th of students receiving scholarships receive them from private organizations. The total number of private scholarships has increased (20% from 2015/16 to 2019/20, per the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study). The total amount of private scholarships has also increased. The average private scholarship amount in 19/20 was just over $4,900 amongst students in bachelor’s degree programs.

 

Want a Full Ride?

 

Be aware that only 1.4% of undergrad receive gift aid covering their full cost of attendance (COA). Gift aid includes all types of grants and scholarships. 3% have enough gift aid to cover 90% of the COA.

Financial Aid impact

 

Simply speaking, this is how need based financial aid eligibility is determined:

 

COA – SAI – Resources = Need

 

Scholarships affect need based eligibility dollar for dollar. COA is the complete cost of attending a particular college for a particular year. It is an official number determined by the college. It might vary from major to major or college to college within a university, but not student to student. The COA includes tuition, fees, room, board, as well as a school determined amount for transportation, books, equipment, supplies, and miscellaneous expenses. SAI is the Student Aid Index, which is determined by the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) formula. The SAI is determinative for federal aid and most state aid; many colleges also use it to allocate their own need-based aid funds. Resources include monies paid by “outside sources.” This includes grandparents and other people as well as scholarships not directly granted by the college.

 

Because scholarships directly impact need-based aid eligibility, it is ESSENTIAL that you know whether you will be eligible for need based aid at colleges your child might attend. We’ll discuss this further in part two of this series.

 

Some scholarships are awarded for four years, while others are for one year only. Four year scholarships typically have requirements which must continue to be met in order to continue to receive them. Most important among these are the requirements of how many credits per term must be taken and the minimum GPA the student must achieve. Together these are called Satisfactory Academic Performance (SAP).

 

---

[1]  https://thecollegeinvestor.com/44670/odds-of-winning-a-scholarship-increasing

 

College Prep Milestones

by Katherine O'Brien, Certified College Planning Specialist, Founder of Celtic College Consultants

 Like any long journey, the journey to college has a number of stages. Knowing where you are on the journey is essential to attaining the desired outcome - acceptances into great colleges with strong programs in a desired field at a manageable cost. The Three Pillars of College Success are:

 Excellent Student Prep

Savvy College Selection

Abundant Funding

 

 

Here are some major milestones on the journey to college:

Juniors Your college list is nearly finalized. Some application essays are already in process.

Sophomores Your criteria and budget for colleges getting on your list is set. You have an idea of your desired major and program.

Freshman Goals for personal development, explorations of possible fields of study and careers are well underway. College budget is estimated.

For the full timeline, with milestones from grade 5 to grade 12, email Katherine: KOB@CelticCollegeConsultants.com   Let her know whether you'd like the standard timeline or the timeline for Catholic families.

Over the past decade, my College Success Program students have each been offered, on average nearly $250,000 in merit scholarships! Get on track for College Success. Meet with me, get your questions answered, and join the program today! Email to schedule your family's private college prep meeting with Katherine: KOB@CelticCollegeConsultants.com

Post It Flags Can Change your Life

 by Katherine O'Brien, Certified College Planning Specialist, Senior College Consultant, Celtic College Consultants

A friend recently shared:

About a year ago, I decided that before I read the words of anyone else, I wanted to first hear what my Father had to say to me.

I'd been reading the daily Mass readings for a while, but decided I'd shift to reading them first thing in the morning.

There was a problem though.

I got the readings emailed to me, which meant that they were sitting in my inbox each morning...

...along with a whole bunch of emails from other people that had come in overnight. 

I'd try to force myself to read the readings first...but invariably there'd be another "really important" email I had to read so I "didn't forget"...and I'd end up reading other people's words first.

(And 9 times out of 10, they did not inspire me like God's word would.)

I was about to give up on the idea that I could even do something like this when it suddenly came to me:

Why didn't I just mark the readings in my Bible the night before and eliminate my phone from the process altogether?

I bought these little Post-It flags, and now each night, I mark off the readings for the next morning in my Bible.

 

Now, instead of reaching for my phone "to read the readings," I grab my Bible and truly do have God's word be the first thing I read.

(It's made it so that most mornings, I don't even need to look at my phone until after I've been up for at least an hour. )

The solution to my distraction problem was really simple — $5 Post-It flags — but it took me months to figure it out.

Because I was trying to make a system — emailed readings — work for me that just. plain. wasn't.

 -snip-

 

** Breaking down a problem and really noticing what’s not working is key to achieving your goals more effectively. **

 

Have you tried figuring out the way that works for you to help your teen (and your wallet) prep for college? That matches your goals?

 

If your teen is in 9th, 10th, or 11th grade it’s time for us to chat. Time to check in, clarify your college goals, and discuss what's working and what isn't. It's time for you to get your questions answered, fears allayed, and start to develop a strategy to effectively accomplish your goals

 

 

Doing college prep by yourself seems like it’s better, easier, cheaper, but it’s not. I save my families time, money, stress, and help them get better results.

 

I’ve helped countless teens find their voice, build their confidence, try something new, dive into what they love without fear of “what admissions will think,” craft powerful essays and effective applications, and get into colleges where they thrive, not just graduate.

 

Over the past decade, year after year, my College Success Program students have been offered nearly $250k each in merit scholarships, on average.

 

Let's explore the difference it would make to bring me onto your team to help guide your teen during these crucial years. Email kob@CelticCollegeConsultants.com, mention this blog article, and receive $100 off your personal college prep consultation with Katherine.

 

(Pro tip: Having a seasoned guide makes the journey to college a joy, not a burden.)

What to Do After Your Applications are Submitted

by Katherine O'Brien, Certified College Planning Specialist 

Founder, Senior Private College Consultant, Celtic College Consultants

 

 1. Mark the Accomplishment! 

Keep a pdf of each application, for your records, and to document the accomplishment. It took a lot of time and effort to craft that application. Mark that. You also might want to look at it later, as you decide which college to attend. 

 2. Check your email! 

Colleges send announcements, links to their portal, messages about missing materials, invitations to apply and compete for top scholarships, to apply to their honors program or college, etc. Check DAILY. You never know when a significant, potentially life changing email will come in!  

3. Check your portals

Many colleges have a portal that they use to communicate and to take you through the next steps of choosing housing, getting your aid package, etc. Be sure to set up your portal right away and check it regularly. Keep track of your login information. This takes effort – there can be many new logins to keep track of!  

4. Take time to reconsider your top college priorities

What are the key opportunities you are looking for at college? How do the colleges you’ve applied for stack up, now that you’ve learned more about them through the application process? Are there additional colleges you want to apply to? There are colleges with later deadlines; it’s not too late to add a college! 

 5. Apply for Scholarships, 

both at your schools and private. Have you combed through their private database yet? Have you paid attention to scholarship emails your high school counselor has sent? What about at your church, bank, parent’s workplaces, clubs, etc.? Have you taken the time to explore using online search engines? Look at groups related to your ethnicity, career interests, personal traits, etc.  

6. Midyear Grade Reports 

Verify that your midyear grades have been sent to your schools, no matter whether you’ve applied early action or regular decision.  

7. Update admissions 

with any important additional accomplishments, awards, leadership roles, improved test scores, or competitive (especially prestigious) scholarships you’ve won. Email to the admissions office AND to your regional admissions representative. Be sure to include your applicant or college ID (if they’ve assigned one to you) in your email. This is particularly important if you have been deferred or waitlisted. Your letter of continued interest is vital in those situations.  

8. Evaluate your colleges more deeply 

As you are admitted, attending those colleges become real possibilities. Re-examine them, look more deeply at student life, campus ministry, clubs, academic offerings, paying particular attention to your “must haves”. Follow their social media, attend events in your area, read the online version of the student newspaper, etc. Keep up to date on your colleges as part of your deep evaluation of them. 

 9. Withdraw or decline any offers of admission that you want to reject

Doing so frees up a spot for another student and releases any scholarship money you’ve been offered. This is courteous and respectful. Just send a polite email to the admissions office, again including your applicant or student ID. 

 10. Thank those who helped you prepare your application

Give thoughtful handwritten thank you notes to your recommenders and counselor as well as anyone else who helped you along the way. Thank those people who have been invaluable in helping you become the person you are today. And take time to savor the experiences of this final semester of high school. Enjoy those last games and dances and classes….  

11. Finish well

Stay in the present. While the prospect of going to a beloved college is exciting, today is still today; today is the day you have been given. Live it well. Pay attention in class, do well on exams, projects, and papers. What you learn this semester continues to build the foundation for your future. If you change your courses this term, you need to let the colleges (both those that have admitted you and those still evaluating your application) know, which could negatively impact your situation. Finish strong, continue to build effective study skills. Prep for your AP exams as they can still turn into college credits, but only if you do well. 

For help with the college process, from 8th - 12th grades, from leadership skill development, career exploration, college funding planning, college budgeting, to scholarships, college selection, applications, essays, visit CelticCollegeConsultants.com or email Katherine: KOB@CelticCollegeConsultants.com

Catholic Training joined to Trade School?!

In recent years, four trade schools have opened. Combining training in various trades, each of these schools offers courses in Catholic liberal arts. The focus of each is to form young people to be strong, well formed and well informed Catholics who are skilled in a trade.

Harmel Academy of the Trades, Grand Rapids, MI offers men a "path to form the whole person: mind, body, and soul. Harmel students live together, creating a community of workmen that supports one another in all things. Additionally, mentoring and networking with experienced tradesmen and business owners is part of life at Harmel. Harmel requires all of its students to work 20-30 hours per week while they are students. Information about tuition and scholarships can be found here.

 

They offer three programs. The "Foundations of Skilled Stewardship" program is project based and required of all first year students. Training men in the "fundamentals of skilled work and spiritual maturity," this program can serve as a gap year between high school and college or as the preface for training in the trades. Its purpose is to help young men become "intentional, mature, and self-reliant." Additionally, the program introduces students to these trades: auto repair and maintenance, carpentry, construction, electrical work, home maintenance, HVAC, machining, plumbing, and welding.

 

The Machine & Systems Technology program is a one year apprenticeship based program designed to train young men to work on full systems within manufacturing and machining environments. Students will learn manufacturing theory while gaining deep, practical experience.

Lastly, Harmel's "God and Man at Work" Humanities program is a four semester (two year) cycle of humanities classes. Apprentices take all four semesters while gap year students only take the first two. Topics such as living in a post-Christian world, conforming one's life to Christ, the vocations of husband and father, co-creator/laborers with God, and servants of the larger community, practical wisdom, prayer, and the call to intimacy with God are deeply addressed through this cycle of courses.

Scholarships are available. See https://www.harmelacademy.org/ for complete information.

 

The College of St. Joseph the Worker, located in Steubenville, OH offers a six year program to both men and women. Students will receive training in carpentry, electrical work, HVAC, or plumbing as well as earn a bachelor's degree  (BA) in Catholic Studies. The first three years are completed onsite in Steubenville while the final three years are completed in the student's home state or other chosen qualified area. The program's focus is on the three dimensions of the lay vocation: work, family, and the temporal order. The first year includes broad training in the building trades. The NCCER program results in a nationally recognized certification in Ohio. (The College will help students obtain certification in other states as well.) The second and third years' focus is on the classroom/shop training in the student's chosen trade. The following three years are spent doing on the job training and completing the liberal arts courses online. Information about tuition and fees can be found here. For complete information, go to: https://www.collegeofstjoseph.com/

Santiago Trade School in Silverado, CA accepts fifteen new men to become students each semester into their two year program. Students gain experience on jobsites, are mentored in spiritual wisdom, and form manly friendships, ultimately leading work projects and being train in a specific trade. Friendship between students is a key pillar of the program, forming manly relationships through which the men build each other up. Students learn the trade skills needed to build their own home someday. Their practical training includes work on the actual on-site efforts to increase the capacity of the Santiago Retreat Center which sits on 800 acres in the Orange County foothills. The men are developed in a two year formation program which includes daily prayer and Mass as well as bi-weekly formation courses. For complete information, please see: https://www.santiagotradeschool.com/

 

San Damiano College for the Trades, in Springfield, IL is run by the Norbertines from St. Michael's Abbey in Orange County, CA. They hope to open Fall 2025 with 75 men. During the first year, students are introduced to arborist, carpentry, multi-disciplinary church restoration, HVAC, masonry, roofing, and welding. These students will work 24 hours per week during the first year. Apprenticeship in one's chosen trade will begin the second year and run for two years. Apprentices work 40 hours during the summer and 24 hours per week during the school year during their first year. During the second year of apprenticeship (their third at San Damiano), students will work 40 hours per week. During apprenticeship, students' work is expected to cover most or all of the fees. They will learn a trade as well as earn an AA degree in liberal arts. SDCOT also offers a non-degree program in their House of Formation. Men in this program will be formed in the moral, intellectual, and theological virtues as they learn a trade. It is expected that students will complete their program with no debt. Complete information is available on their website: https://www.sandamianotrades.org/.

Catholic human formation you seek is being offered at these schools in conjunction with the training in the trades.

 

For more information about college prep services, especially for Catholics, and our highly effective College Success Program, please visit our website, Celtic College Consultants. We do serve teens and families from all backgrounds.

by Katherine O'Brien, ThD Cand., Certified College Planning Specialist