e*u
2 楼
老大还有5年就有上大学了。准备学牙医,天价的学费吓死人了。一年7万。7年49万。
这学费不可能让孩子全出。我们付70%,也就34万。现在该如何准备?
全家收入13万。有两个投资房。现金流持平。存款1万。529有三个账号,老大7千,老
二5千。
401我现在存满了?RothIRA是否存满?两个人就1万1。529多存还是少存?
是否再买投资房,等孩子要钱时refinance?
中部地区房子不贵。目前没打算换工作,怎么开源?
这学费不可能让孩子全出。我们付70%,也就34万。现在该如何准备?
全家收入13万。有两个投资房。现金流持平。存款1万。529有三个账号,老大7千,老
二5千。
401我现在存满了?RothIRA是否存满?两个人就1万1。529多存还是少存?
是否再买投资房,等孩子要钱时refinance?
中部地区房子不贵。目前没打算换工作,怎么开源?
l*g
3 楼
暴量涨还不进...稀土这可能是近期最后一波了,会在某日早上高开然后跳水,没跟上
就不要买了...
就不要买了...
c*o
4 楼
student弄
包子
包子
e*u
10 楼
就算供孩子4年本科加吃住也得30多万。
l*w
14 楼
孩子自己不贷款没压力,我有个朋友孩子学兽医,父母出80%,孩子上完说为了你们拿
个学位,不考执照不工作说要休息,现在还家里蹲。
个学位,不考执照不工作说要休息,现在还家里蹲。
e*u
19 楼
怎么没人回答是再投入投资房还是多投529?
C*e
23 楼
看你如何跟孩子商量/许诺了。我当时告诉她,我只供大学,研究生/医学院啥的自己想
办法。后来她自己也不愿意背债务,自己考取MD/PhD了,不用贷款了,不过上学时间加
长了。还有如果529多,你孩子一准拿不到多少Needbased scholarship。如果存款少,
孩子的Scholarship会不错,家长在他们大学负担的主要是孩子的生活费。供你参考。
办法。后来她自己也不愿意背债务,自己考取MD/PhD了,不用贷款了,不过上学时间加
长了。还有如果529多,你孩子一准拿不到多少Needbased scholarship。如果存款少,
孩子的Scholarship会不错,家长在他们大学负担的主要是孩子的生活费。供你参考。
N*s
25 楼
头两年community college, 后两年local public college。 自己贷款读graudate
school.
【在 e*****u 的大作中提到】
: 老大还有5年就有上大学了。准备学牙医,天价的学费吓死人了。一年7万。7年49万。
: 这学费不可能让孩子全出。我们付70%,也就34万。现在该如何准备?
: 全家收入13万。有两个投资房。现金流持平。存款1万。529有三个账号,老大7千,老
: 二5千。
: 401我现在存满了?RothIRA是否存满?两个人就1万1。529多存还是少存?
: 是否再买投资房,等孩子要钱时refinance?
: 中部地区房子不贵。目前没打算换工作,怎么开源?
school.
【在 e*****u 的大作中提到】
: 老大还有5年就有上大学了。准备学牙医,天价的学费吓死人了。一年7万。7年49万。
: 这学费不可能让孩子全出。我们付70%,也就34万。现在该如何准备?
: 全家收入13万。有两个投资房。现金流持平。存款1万。529有三个账号,老大7千,老
: 二5千。
: 401我现在存满了?RothIRA是否存满?两个人就1万1。529多存还是少存?
: 是否再买投资房,等孩子要钱时refinance?
: 中部地区房子不贵。目前没打算换工作,怎么开源?
B*e
27 楼
给孩子学费当投资,以后他的诊所有你的股份,做父母的在家躺着收红利。
s*a
30 楼
加州牙医都找不到工作的,读那个干嘛
C*e
31 楼
看你孩子上那个学校了。州立的奖学金比较少。私立的可能。我当时没钱。我家一分
529也没有。
529也没有。
C*e
33 楼
看你孩子上那个学校了。州立的奖学金比较少。私立的可能。我当时没钱。我家一分
529也没有。
529也没有。
s*a
34 楼
你们好好攒钱,我和欢欢每年都去夏威夷小住一个月
q*a
35 楼
让小孩上州立大学,最后有奖学金,你的条件是典型的中产,够不上助学金。这样大学
四年可以节省些,另外也让小孩先上社区大学两年,然后转州立。
在高中期间,让小孩上AP HISTORY, AP LIT, AP CALCULUS 等,没有必要上AP
CHEMISTRY ,AP PHYSIC ,因为这些SCIENCE COURSES 是PRE-MED的必修课。我的意思是
上大学时候是可以免修这些的。
四年可以节省些,另外也让小孩先上社区大学两年,然后转州立。
在高中期间,让小孩上AP HISTORY, AP LIT, AP CALCULUS 等,没有必要上AP
CHEMISTRY ,AP PHYSIC ,因为这些SCIENCE COURSES 是PRE-MED的必修课。我的意思是
上大学时候是可以免修这些的。
C*e
36 楼
s*8
38 楼
s*a
41 楼
孩子能进啥学校,你们就等着交钱吧,孩子能进长常春藤,父母割肉也愿意啊
现在知道杨养孩子没那么好玩了吧,孩子都是白眼狼,还不如养着小猫来。
现在知道杨养孩子没那么好玩了吧,孩子都是白眼狼,还不如养着小猫来。
q*a
44 楼
医学院一般要求PRE-MED里面的SICENCE的科目必须在所在的大学完成,高中选的不算数
,所以必须重来一遍,不如先学完一些历史等科目。
,所以必须重来一遍,不如先学完一些历史等科目。
q*a
46 楼
若小孩(在好的公立高中)是TOP 10,并且有很多的ACTIVITY , 包括参加奥数得奖等,
有很大可能
进入藤校,其他即使你2400SAT等,也没用。当然除非LZ是达官贵人出身。
有很大可能
进入藤校,其他即使你2400SAT等,也没用。当然除非LZ是达官贵人出身。
q*a
47 楼
一般小孩在大学都是4年毕业,只不过需要多修其他克,两个学位等,对小孩更好。每
个小孩情况都不一样,但是必须保证在高中秀的AP 都是5分,这也是一个激励。
个小孩情况都不一样,但是必须保证在高中秀的AP 都是5分,这也是一个激励。
q*a
50 楼
我说的是高中整个年纪的TOP 10, 初中不算数,现在考虑的太早,看看孩子的以后发展
如何。主要活动是关于数学、物理化学的。
如何。主要活动是关于数学、物理化学的。
b*c
52 楼
要学牙医为啥还要爬藤?如果自己出钱爬,性价比也太低了吧。
q*i
53 楼
存529吃亏的情况是:
你的孩子学习很好,能上提供 needbased 助学金的私利名校,而你的年收入又不是太
高。这种情况,学校提供的 needbased 助学金要扣除529里的全部数额。
【在 e*****u 的大作中提到】
: 老大还有5年就有上大学了。准备学牙医,天价的学费吓死人了。一年7万。7年49万。
: 这学费不可能让孩子全出。我们付70%,也就34万。现在该如何准备?
: 全家收入13万。有两个投资房。现金流持平。存款1万。529有三个账号,老大7千,老
: 二5千。
: 401我现在存满了?RothIRA是否存满?两个人就1万1。529多存还是少存?
: 是否再买投资房,等孩子要钱时refinance?
: 中部地区房子不贵。目前没打算换工作,怎么开源?
你的孩子学习很好,能上提供 needbased 助学金的私利名校,而你的年收入又不是太
高。这种情况,学校提供的 needbased 助学金要扣除529里的全部数额。
【在 e*****u 的大作中提到】
: 老大还有5年就有上大学了。准备学牙医,天价的学费吓死人了。一年7万。7年49万。
: 这学费不可能让孩子全出。我们付70%,也就34万。现在该如何准备?
: 全家收入13万。有两个投资房。现金流持平。存款1万。529有三个账号,老大7千,老
: 二5千。
: 401我现在存满了?RothIRA是否存满?两个人就1万1。529多存还是少存?
: 是否再买投资房,等孩子要钱时refinance?
: 中部地区房子不贵。目前没打算换工作,怎么开源?
e*u
56 楼
529是否可以在老大申请学校的时候转到老二名下,拿到助学金后再转到老大名下?我
想是不可能,但是万一可以呢?
想是不可能,但是万一可以呢?
w*7
57 楼
国内房子卖一套就行了
s*a
58 楼
你们这些中国来的外来户,不用为孩子设计未来,孩子有孩子的选择
随着年纪由小变大,他们的主意会越来越多,你去给他们设计计划的结果
就是叛逆,爹妈想去春藤,爹妈想去学牙医挣大钱,孩子未必这么想,米国
儿童将的是个人主义,想的都是我喜欢干谁就干啥,我喜欢谁就是谁,跟阿Q
是一个想法的,谁来阻挡就砍谁,爹挡杀爹,佛挡杀佛,在个人幸福主义面前
你们这些父母就是些绊脚石,你们死得越早他们越高兴,继承遗产有钱了就
可以自由地吸毒淫乱了
随着年纪由小变大,他们的主意会越来越多,你去给他们设计计划的结果
就是叛逆,爹妈想去春藤,爹妈想去学牙医挣大钱,孩子未必这么想,米国
儿童将的是个人主义,想的都是我喜欢干谁就干啥,我喜欢谁就是谁,跟阿Q
是一个想法的,谁来阻挡就砍谁,爹挡杀爹,佛挡杀佛,在个人幸福主义面前
你们这些父母就是些绊脚石,你们死得越早他们越高兴,继承遗产有钱了就
可以自由地吸毒淫乱了
k*i
76 楼
才13万的收入, 还供两个孩子, 这要多么多么的节省, 才能有三套房子, 还可以存
满401? 楼主这些年的日子, 怎么过的呢?
满401? 楼主这些年的日子, 怎么过的呢?
G*s
78 楼
这里有几个都是明白人。
但楼主的思路其实并不对。
要有出息,读牙医实在是回本比较慢的,如果读了藤校再去读牙医,真是亏死了。
但楼主的思路其实并不对。
要有出息,读牙医实在是回本比较慢的,如果读了藤校再去读牙医,真是亏死了。
a*0
85 楼
学费一年7万,你们付70%, 还有生活费书费等一年要2万,所以你们付的钱还要加上这
笔$2x7年=14万。这样7年你们帮他付48万。其实父母只要帮到本科4年毕业,研究生阶
段他们应该自己去贷款了,毕业头几年把贷款还掉。
【在 e*****u 的大作中提到】
: 老大还有5年就有上大学了。准备学牙医,天价的学费吓死人了。一年7万。7年49万。
: 这学费不可能让孩子全出。我们付70%,也就34万。现在该如何准备?
: 全家收入13万。有两个投资房。现金流持平。存款1万。529有三个账号,老大7千,老
: 二5千。
: 401我现在存满了?RothIRA是否存满?两个人就1万1。529多存还是少存?
: 是否再买投资房,等孩子要钱时refinance?
: 中部地区房子不贵。目前没打算换工作,怎么开源?
笔$2x7年=14万。这样7年你们帮他付48万。其实父母只要帮到本科4年毕业,研究生阶
段他们应该自己去贷款了,毕业头几年把贷款还掉。
【在 e*****u 的大作中提到】
: 老大还有5年就有上大学了。准备学牙医,天价的学费吓死人了。一年7万。7年49万。
: 这学费不可能让孩子全出。我们付70%,也就34万。现在该如何准备?
: 全家收入13万。有两个投资房。现金流持平。存款1万。529有三个账号,老大7千,老
: 二5千。
: 401我现在存满了?RothIRA是否存满?两个人就1万1。529多存还是少存?
: 是否再买投资房,等孩子要钱时refinance?
: 中部地区房子不贵。目前没打算换工作,怎么开源?
l*5
86 楼
炒股,现在不是很火热吗
e*u
92 楼
刚刚算了下Expected Family Contribution (EFC),有了投资房(假设asset是35万,
conversion rate 表格里给的是12%),这样根本没法申请到助学金。最后EFC将近7万
。这不等于全部自己出吗?
请问对不对?
conversion rate 表格里给的是12%),这样根本没法申请到助学金。最后EFC将近7万
。这不等于全部自己出吗?
请问对不对?
c*0
95 楼
有的人真是心理不正常,人家上来问问题,老在那里扯什么二奶,神经啊
z*a
96 楼
不是所有的学校都一样的。很多学校都用FAFSA或类似的计算方法。
http://www.savingforcollege.com/intro_to_529s/does-a-529-plan-a
A 529 account owned by a parent for a dependent student is reported on the
federal financial aid application (FAFSA) as a parental asset. Parental
assets are assessed at a maximum 5.64% rate in determining the student's
Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
【在 C*******e 的大作中提到】
: 我们有点抬杠了。估计是我们的孩子已经大学毕业了,而你的孩子还没开始上的缘故。
: 等第二年Renew的时候,你就知道二者的不同了。
http://www.savingforcollege.com/intro_to_529s/does-a-529-plan-a
A 529 account owned by a parent for a dependent student is reported on the
federal financial aid application (FAFSA) as a parental asset. Parental
assets are assessed at a maximum 5.64% rate in determining the student's
Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
【在 C*******e 的大作中提到】
: 我们有点抬杠了。估计是我们的孩子已经大学毕业了,而你的孩子还没开始上的缘故。
: 等第二年Renew的时候,你就知道二者的不同了。
J*e
98 楼
不行就把投资房卖掉一个。我就是这么打算的。
e*u
102 楼
这里有教你如何减少Expected Family Contribution的办法。与大家共享。
http://www.finaid.org/fafsa/maximize.phtml
Maximizing Your Aid Eligibility
Believe it or not, there are strategies for maximizing your eligibility for
need-based student financial aid. These strategies are based on loopholes in
the need analysis methodology and are completely legal. We developed these
strategies by analyzing the flaws in the Federal Need Analysis Methodology.
It is quite possible that Congress will eventually eliminate many of these
loopholes. Until this happens, we believe that revealing these flaws yields
a more level playing field and hence a fairer need analysis process.
In the strategies that follow, the term base year refers to the tax year
prior to the award year, where the award year is the academic year for which
aid is requested. For example, if the student who is applying for financial
aid will matriculate in September 2015, the base year is the calendar year
from January 1 through December 31, 2014. The need analysis process uses
financial information from the base year to estimate the expected family
contribution. Many of these strategies are simply methods of minimizing
income during the base year. Likewise, the value of assets are determined at
the time of application and may have no relation to their value during the
award year.
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A Word About Honesty
We have not included any strategies that we consider unethical, dishonest,
or illegal. For example, although we may describe some strategies for
sheltering assets, we do not provide techniques for hiding assets. Likewise,
we strongly discourage any family from providing false information on a
financial aid
Check out top strategies for maximizing aid eligibility. For more detailed
strategies on maximizing your need, click on the topics below.
Basic Principles
There are several basic principles behind the strategies for maximizing
eligibility for financial aid. These principles include:
1.Reducing income during the base years.
2.Reducing "included" assets. Converting included assets into nonincluded
assets will increase eligibility by sheltering them from the need analysis
process. However, most financial planners recommend that parents maintain a
contingency fund equal to six months salary in relatively liquid form for
emergencies and other unforeseeable circumstances.
3.Increasing the number of family members enrolled in college and pursuing a
degree or certificate at the same time. The family contribution is split
among all children who will be enrolled in college.
4.Taking advantage of the differences in the way the need analysis process
assesses the assets and income of the student and his or her parents.
5.Changing the student's status from dependent to independent. This is
generally not very easy to do.
Income
•If you estimate your income on the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA), don't overestimate. Families have a natural tendency to
overstate income, in part by reporting gross income (before deductions for
health insurance premiums) instead of adjusted gross income.
•Be careful when reporting the amount of taxes paid. Many people
confuse the amount of withholding (the figure from the W2s) with the amount
of taxes paid.
•Avoid incurring capital gains during the base year, which are treated
like income. Sell the stocks and bonds during the sophomore year in high
school. If you must sell while your child is in college, wait until April of
their junior year after the financial aid application has been filed.
•Do not take money out of your retirement fund to pay for educational
expenses, which are sheltered from the need analysis process. If you
withdraw too much money from your pension, or withdraw them before the
financial aid application is filed, you will have converted them into an
included asset.
•In certain circumstances, a slight decrease in the parents' income
may yield a significant increase in eligibility for Federal financial aid.
If both of the following are true: the parents' adjusted gross income is
under $50,000 and all family members are eligible to file an IRS Form 1040A
or IRS Form 1040EZ income tax return or aren't required to file.
So if the family has a substantial amount of assets and the parents' income
is close to $50,000, the parents should consider taking steps to reduce
their income below the $50,000 threshold.
Some methods of reducing the parents' income include:
•Taking an unpaid leave of absence.
•Incurring a capital loss by selling off bad investments.
•Postponing any bonuses until after the base year.
•If the family runs its own business, they can reduce the salaries of
family members during the base year. The income retained by the corporation
will still be considered as a business or investment asset, but assets are
treated more favorably than income.
•Making a larger contribution to retirement funds.
•If both members of a married couple have earned income, but one falls
below the income threshold for filing an income tax return and the other
falls above the threshold, it may be beneficial for the member with income
above the threshold to file as married filing separate. This will allow the
other member to not file a return. This yields a lower AGI.
Assets
As a general rule, unless the family is completely certain that the child
will not qualify for need-based aid, money should be saved in the parents'
name, not the child's name. Putting assets in the child's name has one major
benefit and two major risks. The benefit is the tax savings due to the
child's lower tax bracket. The risks, however, often outweigh the benefits.
Such a transfer of assets will result in a reduction in eligibility for
financial aid, and the child is not obligated to spend the money on
educational expenses.
After the child reaches age 18, a family can take advantage of tax savings
by placing assets in the child's name, because the income from the assets
will be taxed at the child's tax bracket. But the need analysis formulas
assume that the child contributes a much greater portion of his or her
assets (and income) than the parents, with the result that such tax-
sheltering strategies often significantly reduce eligibility for financial
aid. Parents should carefully consider the financial aid implications before
transferring money into their child's name. If parents want to transfer
their child's assets to back to their name, they should do so before the
base year.
The College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 changed the treatment of
custodial versions of qualified tuition accounts, like 529 college savings
plans, prepaid tuition plans and Coverdell education savings accounts. When
they are owned by a dependent student, these plans are reported as parent
assets on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Specifically, for a custodial account to be counted as a parent asset
instead of a student asset, all of the following must be true:
•The account must be a custodial account, meaning that the student is
both the account owner and beneficiary.
•Only 529 College Savings Plans, Prepaid Tuition Plans and Coverdell
Education Savings Accounts qualify.
•The student must be a dependent student.
This provides an additional way for a parent who saved in the child's name
undo the damage. Before filing the FAFSA, the parent should convert the
asset (by liquidating it, as contributions must be in cash) into the
custodial version of a 529 college savings plan, prepaid tuition plan, or
Coverdell ESA. The money will then be treated as a parent asset on the FAFSA
even though it is still owned by the student.
So before you spend much effort trying to optimize the parents' assets, use
FinAid's EFC calculator in detailed mode and see whether there is any
contribution from parent assets.
Sheltering Assets
1.If your children have any hope of being eligible for financial aid, do not
put any assets in your children's names, regardless of the tax savings.
Likewise, don't pay your children a salary as part of the family business.
On the other hand, if you are absolutely certain that your children will not
qualify for financial aid, take advantage of all the tax breaks you can get
.
2.Spend the student's assets before you touch any of the parent's assets.
3.The assets of other children are not considered by the need analysis
formula. So putting parent assets in the name of a younger (or older)
sibling can help shelter them from the need analysis. On the other hand,
many schools now ask for the assets owned by the student's siblings, so this
strategy may affect the awarding of institutional funds.
4.Certain types of property, such as automobiles, computers, boats,
furniture, appliances, books, clothing and school supplies, do not count as
assets. If you will need to make certain major purchases, such as buying a
new car, do it by the base year so that your liquid assets are reduced.
5.If grandparents want to give money to the children to help them pay for
their education, ask them to wait until the child graduates and then pay off
the child's student loans. If they can't wait, have them give the money to
the parents, not the children, so that the money is assessed at the parent's
rate in the needs analysis process.
6.Trust funds are generally ineffective at sheltering assets because they
are assessed as a student asset. Moreover, if the fund is set up to prevent
the trustees from spending the principal, it can harm the student's
eligibility for financial aid.
7.Retirement funds, pensions, tax-deferred annuities and life insurance
policies are generally not considered assets by both the Federal Methodology
and the Institutional Methodology need analysis formulas. You can shelter a
considerable portion of your assets by making the maximum contributions to
these funds in the years before the base year.
8.Small businesses that are owned and controlled by the family are excluded
as assets on the FAFSA.
9.Real estate is normally treated as an investment asset, not a business
asset, unless it is part of a formally recognized business that provides
services beyond utilities and trash collection, such as maid service.
10.For institutional need analysis, do not overestimate the fair market
value of your home. If you have a recently assessed valuation or appraisal
or use the Federal Housing Index Calculator to get a very conservative
estimate of the current market value.
Loans
1.Avoid consumer debt, such as high credit card balances and car loans.
Consumer debt isn't counted in the need analysis formula, so there's no
benefit to having a credit card balance. Paying off your credit card
balances and auto loans will reduce your available cash, thereby increasing
your eligibility for financial aid.
2.The Federal need analysis methodology does not consider the equity in the
family's primary residence. So to maximize your eligibility for Federal aid,
you could use your cash and other included assets to prepay part of your
mortgage. Many private colleges and universities, however, do count your
home as an asset when allocating institutional funds. If so, it may be
worthwhile to get a home equity loan to provide funds for your children's
education. Not only are the interest payments tax deductible, but the loan
reduces your assets.
3.If you decide to get a home equity loan to help pay for your college
expenses, get a home equity line of credit, not a loan. When you get a loan
and don't spend all of the money before you file the next financial aid form
, you'll have created an asset that shows up in the need analysis and you're
also paying interest on the full amount of the loan. With a line of credit,
you borrow only the portion you actually use.
4.In most cases, the interest rate on educational loans is better than the
interest rate on home equity loans. On the other hand, the interest payments
on your mortgage are tax deductible. Only a limited portion of the interest
payments on student loans is deductible, and the deduction is subject to
income phaseouts. All things considered, however, educational loans are
usually the financially superior choice.
Number of Family Members in College
Many need analysis formulas divide the parent contribution among all
children in college. A family which doesn't qualify for financial aid when
one student is in school may suddenly qualify when two or more children are
enrolled at the same time.
For example, suppose the need analysis formula calculates a parent
contribution of $17,000 when one student is in school and a student
contribution of $2,000. With college expenses of $19,000 a year, the student
will have a financial need of $2,000 and will probably not be eligible for
much financial aid. But next year, when the student's sibling is also
enrolled, the parent contribution is split in half. Even though the parent
contribution has increased a little, to $18,000, each student is expected to
receive $9,000 from their parents. With college expenses of $21,000 and a
student contribution of $2,000, each student now has a financial need of $10
,000 ($21,000 less an EFC of $11,000), and both will be eligible for some
financial aid.
If you are a parent who is legitimately going back to school to finish your
education or pick up an additional degree, provide documentation of this to
the school's financial aid administrator and ask for a professional judgment
review. The school has the authority to deduct the parent's actual
education expenses from income or compensate in other ways. Since there has
been a history of fraud in this area, you will have to convince the
financial aid administrator that you are genuine.
Number of People in Household
A person counts as a member of the household if they get more than half
their support from the student's parents. The student is also counted,
regardless of where the student gets his or her support.
1.If the student's parents are divorced or separated, the custodial parent
is responsible for filling out the financial aid form. The custodial parent
is the parent with whom the student lived the most during the past year.
This is not necessarily the same as the parent who provided more than half
the student's support or who claimed the student as a dependent on their tax
return. It does not even have to be the parent who has legal custody of the
child. www.fastweb.com
2.Unlike most questions on the financial aid application, which focus on the
base year, the questions about the number of people in the household and
the number of family members in college are concerned with the award year.
So if the mother is pregnant the unborn child counts toward the household
size, but does not count toward an independent student status determination.
Dependency Status
The requirements for a student to be considered independent are rather
strict. Only two are reasonably under the student's control and those are
•getting married before submitting the FAFSA
•delaying college until age 24
Either of these will qualify the student as independent for the awarding of
federal funds. For the awarding of institutional funds, many schools adopt a
stricter stance and require evidence that the student is strictly self-
supporting. A student who lives at home with his or her parents (even if he
or she pays rent) and doesn't earn a modest income probably won't qualify.
If a student gets married after filing the FAFSA, it will have no effect on
the current year's need analysis. You can't change your dependency status
mid-year by getting married. A mid-year change in marital status will affect
dependency status only in subsequent years.
Independent student status does not always lead to an increase in
eligibility for financial aid. Although it does mean that the parents'
finances are not considered by the need analysis process, a student who gets
married will have to include the financial information for his or her
spouse.
Financing College Costs
1.Ask whether the school has a tuition installment plan that allows you to
spread the tuition payments over a 12-month period. Some schools do not
charge any interest for their tuition installment plans and the up-front
fees are usually low, so it may be worth participating.
2.Save for college. Even though the need analysis formula takes a bite out
of any assets, the more you save for college the better off you'll be. The
more money you have, the more options you'll have on how to pay for college.
If you start early enough, saving a reasonable amount of money regularly
can grow to a substantial college fund by the time your children reach
college.
3.Apply for private sector scholarships.
4.Pursue college-controlled merit scholarships
http://www.finaid.org/fafsa/maximize.phtml
Maximizing Your Aid Eligibility
Believe it or not, there are strategies for maximizing your eligibility for
need-based student financial aid. These strategies are based on loopholes in
the need analysis methodology and are completely legal. We developed these
strategies by analyzing the flaws in the Federal Need Analysis Methodology.
It is quite possible that Congress will eventually eliminate many of these
loopholes. Until this happens, we believe that revealing these flaws yields
a more level playing field and hence a fairer need analysis process.
In the strategies that follow, the term base year refers to the tax year
prior to the award year, where the award year is the academic year for which
aid is requested. For example, if the student who is applying for financial
aid will matriculate in September 2015, the base year is the calendar year
from January 1 through December 31, 2014. The need analysis process uses
financial information from the base year to estimate the expected family
contribution. Many of these strategies are simply methods of minimizing
income during the base year. Likewise, the value of assets are determined at
the time of application and may have no relation to their value during the
award year.
Advertisement
A Word About Honesty
We have not included any strategies that we consider unethical, dishonest,
or illegal. For example, although we may describe some strategies for
sheltering assets, we do not provide techniques for hiding assets. Likewise,
we strongly discourage any family from providing false information on a
financial aid
Check out top strategies for maximizing aid eligibility. For more detailed
strategies on maximizing your need, click on the topics below.
Basic Principles
There are several basic principles behind the strategies for maximizing
eligibility for financial aid. These principles include:
1.Reducing income during the base years.
2.Reducing "included" assets. Converting included assets into nonincluded
assets will increase eligibility by sheltering them from the need analysis
process. However, most financial planners recommend that parents maintain a
contingency fund equal to six months salary in relatively liquid form for
emergencies and other unforeseeable circumstances.
3.Increasing the number of family members enrolled in college and pursuing a
degree or certificate at the same time. The family contribution is split
among all children who will be enrolled in college.
4.Taking advantage of the differences in the way the need analysis process
assesses the assets and income of the student and his or her parents.
5.Changing the student's status from dependent to independent. This is
generally not very easy to do.
Income
•If you estimate your income on the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA), don't overestimate. Families have a natural tendency to
overstate income, in part by reporting gross income (before deductions for
health insurance premiums) instead of adjusted gross income.
•Be careful when reporting the amount of taxes paid. Many people
confuse the amount of withholding (the figure from the W2s) with the amount
of taxes paid.
•Avoid incurring capital gains during the base year, which are treated
like income. Sell the stocks and bonds during the sophomore year in high
school. If you must sell while your child is in college, wait until April of
their junior year after the financial aid application has been filed.
•Do not take money out of your retirement fund to pay for educational
expenses, which are sheltered from the need analysis process. If you
withdraw too much money from your pension, or withdraw them before the
financial aid application is filed, you will have converted them into an
included asset.
•In certain circumstances, a slight decrease in the parents' income
may yield a significant increase in eligibility for Federal financial aid.
If both of the following are true: the parents' adjusted gross income is
under $50,000 and all family members are eligible to file an IRS Form 1040A
or IRS Form 1040EZ income tax return or aren't required to file.
So if the family has a substantial amount of assets and the parents' income
is close to $50,000, the parents should consider taking steps to reduce
their income below the $50,000 threshold.
Some methods of reducing the parents' income include:
•Taking an unpaid leave of absence.
•Incurring a capital loss by selling off bad investments.
•Postponing any bonuses until after the base year.
•If the family runs its own business, they can reduce the salaries of
family members during the base year. The income retained by the corporation
will still be considered as a business or investment asset, but assets are
treated more favorably than income.
•Making a larger contribution to retirement funds.
•If both members of a married couple have earned income, but one falls
below the income threshold for filing an income tax return and the other
falls above the threshold, it may be beneficial for the member with income
above the threshold to file as married filing separate. This will allow the
other member to not file a return. This yields a lower AGI.
Assets
As a general rule, unless the family is completely certain that the child
will not qualify for need-based aid, money should be saved in the parents'
name, not the child's name. Putting assets in the child's name has one major
benefit and two major risks. The benefit is the tax savings due to the
child's lower tax bracket. The risks, however, often outweigh the benefits.
Such a transfer of assets will result in a reduction in eligibility for
financial aid, and the child is not obligated to spend the money on
educational expenses.
After the child reaches age 18, a family can take advantage of tax savings
by placing assets in the child's name, because the income from the assets
will be taxed at the child's tax bracket. But the need analysis formulas
assume that the child contributes a much greater portion of his or her
assets (and income) than the parents, with the result that such tax-
sheltering strategies often significantly reduce eligibility for financial
aid. Parents should carefully consider the financial aid implications before
transferring money into their child's name. If parents want to transfer
their child's assets to back to their name, they should do so before the
base year.
The College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 changed the treatment of
custodial versions of qualified tuition accounts, like 529 college savings
plans, prepaid tuition plans and Coverdell education savings accounts. When
they are owned by a dependent student, these plans are reported as parent
assets on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Specifically, for a custodial account to be counted as a parent asset
instead of a student asset, all of the following must be true:
•The account must be a custodial account, meaning that the student is
both the account owner and beneficiary.
•Only 529 College Savings Plans, Prepaid Tuition Plans and Coverdell
Education Savings Accounts qualify.
•The student must be a dependent student.
This provides an additional way for a parent who saved in the child's name
undo the damage. Before filing the FAFSA, the parent should convert the
asset (by liquidating it, as contributions must be in cash) into the
custodial version of a 529 college savings plan, prepaid tuition plan, or
Coverdell ESA. The money will then be treated as a parent asset on the FAFSA
even though it is still owned by the student.
So before you spend much effort trying to optimize the parents' assets, use
FinAid's EFC calculator in detailed mode and see whether there is any
contribution from parent assets.
Sheltering Assets
1.If your children have any hope of being eligible for financial aid, do not
put any assets in your children's names, regardless of the tax savings.
Likewise, don't pay your children a salary as part of the family business.
On the other hand, if you are absolutely certain that your children will not
qualify for financial aid, take advantage of all the tax breaks you can get
.
2.Spend the student's assets before you touch any of the parent's assets.
3.The assets of other children are not considered by the need analysis
formula. So putting parent assets in the name of a younger (or older)
sibling can help shelter them from the need analysis. On the other hand,
many schools now ask for the assets owned by the student's siblings, so this
strategy may affect the awarding of institutional funds.
4.Certain types of property, such as automobiles, computers, boats,
furniture, appliances, books, clothing and school supplies, do not count as
assets. If you will need to make certain major purchases, such as buying a
new car, do it by the base year so that your liquid assets are reduced.
5.If grandparents want to give money to the children to help them pay for
their education, ask them to wait until the child graduates and then pay off
the child's student loans. If they can't wait, have them give the money to
the parents, not the children, so that the money is assessed at the parent's
rate in the needs analysis process.
6.Trust funds are generally ineffective at sheltering assets because they
are assessed as a student asset. Moreover, if the fund is set up to prevent
the trustees from spending the principal, it can harm the student's
eligibility for financial aid.
7.Retirement funds, pensions, tax-deferred annuities and life insurance
policies are generally not considered assets by both the Federal Methodology
and the Institutional Methodology need analysis formulas. You can shelter a
considerable portion of your assets by making the maximum contributions to
these funds in the years before the base year.
8.Small businesses that are owned and controlled by the family are excluded
as assets on the FAFSA.
9.Real estate is normally treated as an investment asset, not a business
asset, unless it is part of a formally recognized business that provides
services beyond utilities and trash collection, such as maid service.
10.For institutional need analysis, do not overestimate the fair market
value of your home. If you have a recently assessed valuation or appraisal
or use the Federal Housing Index Calculator to get a very conservative
estimate of the current market value.
Loans
1.Avoid consumer debt, such as high credit card balances and car loans.
Consumer debt isn't counted in the need analysis formula, so there's no
benefit to having a credit card balance. Paying off your credit card
balances and auto loans will reduce your available cash, thereby increasing
your eligibility for financial aid.
2.The Federal need analysis methodology does not consider the equity in the
family's primary residence. So to maximize your eligibility for Federal aid,
you could use your cash and other included assets to prepay part of your
mortgage. Many private colleges and universities, however, do count your
home as an asset when allocating institutional funds. If so, it may be
worthwhile to get a home equity loan to provide funds for your children's
education. Not only are the interest payments tax deductible, but the loan
reduces your assets.
3.If you decide to get a home equity loan to help pay for your college
expenses, get a home equity line of credit, not a loan. When you get a loan
and don't spend all of the money before you file the next financial aid form
, you'll have created an asset that shows up in the need analysis and you're
also paying interest on the full amount of the loan. With a line of credit,
you borrow only the portion you actually use.
4.In most cases, the interest rate on educational loans is better than the
interest rate on home equity loans. On the other hand, the interest payments
on your mortgage are tax deductible. Only a limited portion of the interest
payments on student loans is deductible, and the deduction is subject to
income phaseouts. All things considered, however, educational loans are
usually the financially superior choice.
Number of Family Members in College
Many need analysis formulas divide the parent contribution among all
children in college. A family which doesn't qualify for financial aid when
one student is in school may suddenly qualify when two or more children are
enrolled at the same time.
For example, suppose the need analysis formula calculates a parent
contribution of $17,000 when one student is in school and a student
contribution of $2,000. With college expenses of $19,000 a year, the student
will have a financial need of $2,000 and will probably not be eligible for
much financial aid. But next year, when the student's sibling is also
enrolled, the parent contribution is split in half. Even though the parent
contribution has increased a little, to $18,000, each student is expected to
receive $9,000 from their parents. With college expenses of $21,000 and a
student contribution of $2,000, each student now has a financial need of $10
,000 ($21,000 less an EFC of $11,000), and both will be eligible for some
financial aid.
If you are a parent who is legitimately going back to school to finish your
education or pick up an additional degree, provide documentation of this to
the school's financial aid administrator and ask for a professional judgment
review. The school has the authority to deduct the parent's actual
education expenses from income or compensate in other ways. Since there has
been a history of fraud in this area, you will have to convince the
financial aid administrator that you are genuine.
Number of People in Household
A person counts as a member of the household if they get more than half
their support from the student's parents. The student is also counted,
regardless of where the student gets his or her support.
1.If the student's parents are divorced or separated, the custodial parent
is responsible for filling out the financial aid form. The custodial parent
is the parent with whom the student lived the most during the past year.
This is not necessarily the same as the parent who provided more than half
the student's support or who claimed the student as a dependent on their tax
return. It does not even have to be the parent who has legal custody of the
child. www.fastweb.com
2.Unlike most questions on the financial aid application, which focus on the
base year, the questions about the number of people in the household and
the number of family members in college are concerned with the award year.
So if the mother is pregnant the unborn child counts toward the household
size, but does not count toward an independent student status determination.
Dependency Status
The requirements for a student to be considered independent are rather
strict. Only two are reasonably under the student's control and those are
•getting married before submitting the FAFSA
•delaying college until age 24
Either of these will qualify the student as independent for the awarding of
federal funds. For the awarding of institutional funds, many schools adopt a
stricter stance and require evidence that the student is strictly self-
supporting. A student who lives at home with his or her parents (even if he
or she pays rent) and doesn't earn a modest income probably won't qualify.
If a student gets married after filing the FAFSA, it will have no effect on
the current year's need analysis. You can't change your dependency status
mid-year by getting married. A mid-year change in marital status will affect
dependency status only in subsequent years.
Independent student status does not always lead to an increase in
eligibility for financial aid. Although it does mean that the parents'
finances are not considered by the need analysis process, a student who gets
married will have to include the financial information for his or her
spouse.
Financing College Costs
1.Ask whether the school has a tuition installment plan that allows you to
spread the tuition payments over a 12-month period. Some schools do not
charge any interest for their tuition installment plans and the up-front
fees are usually low, so it may be worth participating.
2.Save for college. Even though the need analysis formula takes a bite out
of any assets, the more you save for college the better off you'll be. The
more money you have, the more options you'll have on how to pay for college.
If you start early enough, saving a reasonable amount of money regularly
can grow to a substantial college fund by the time your children reach
college.
3.Apply for private sector scholarships.
4.Pursue college-controlled merit scholarships
t*n
105 楼
和我家比,你们可是富人。
我们的老大上大学年学费约6万多,一半靠助学金,一半贷款,学校住宿和生活费用全
是自己挣的,我们付不起啊,孩子靠每年假期实习挣下生活费。
孩子今年毕业,要还贷约13万,
还好,孩子一直很努力,实习的工作经验较足,很容易找到了比较理想的工作,年薪11
+万。三四年该可以还清贷款了。
我的经验是,让孩子想办法挣,而不是父母包办。
【在 e*****u 的大作中提到】
: 老大还有5年就有上大学了。准备学牙医,天价的学费吓死人了。一年7万。7年49万。
: 这学费不可能让孩子全出。我们付70%,也就34万。现在该如何准备?
: 全家收入13万。有两个投资房。现金流持平。存款1万。529有三个账号,老大7千,老
: 二5千。
: 401我现在存满了?RothIRA是否存满?两个人就1万1。529多存还是少存?
: 是否再买投资房,等孩子要钱时refinance?
: 中部地区房子不贵。目前没打算换工作,怎么开源?
我们的老大上大学年学费约6万多,一半靠助学金,一半贷款,学校住宿和生活费用全
是自己挣的,我们付不起啊,孩子靠每年假期实习挣下生活费。
孩子今年毕业,要还贷约13万,
还好,孩子一直很努力,实习的工作经验较足,很容易找到了比较理想的工作,年薪11
+万。三四年该可以还清贷款了。
我的经验是,让孩子想办法挣,而不是父母包办。
【在 e*****u 的大作中提到】
: 老大还有5年就有上大学了。准备学牙医,天价的学费吓死人了。一年7万。7年49万。
: 这学费不可能让孩子全出。我们付70%,也就34万。现在该如何准备?
: 全家收入13万。有两个投资房。现金流持平。存款1万。529有三个账号,老大7千,老
: 二5千。
: 401我现在存满了?RothIRA是否存满?两个人就1万1。529多存还是少存?
: 是否再买投资房,等孩子要钱时refinance?
: 中部地区房子不贵。目前没打算换工作,怎么开源?
s*1
107 楼
mark, thanks.
for
in
these
.
yields
【在 e*****u 的大作中提到】
: 这里有教你如何减少Expected Family Contribution的办法。与大家共享。
: http://www.finaid.org/fafsa/maximize.phtml
: Maximizing Your Aid Eligibility
: Believe it or not, there are strategies for maximizing your eligibility for
: need-based student financial aid. These strategies are based on loopholes in
: the need analysis methodology and are completely legal. We developed these
: strategies by analyzing the flaws in the Federal Need Analysis Methodology.
: It is quite possible that Congress will eventually eliminate many of these
: loopholes. Until this happens, we believe that revealing these flaws yields
: a more level playing field and hence a fairer need analysis process.
for
in
these
.
yields
【在 e*****u 的大作中提到】
: 这里有教你如何减少Expected Family Contribution的办法。与大家共享。
: http://www.finaid.org/fafsa/maximize.phtml
: Maximizing Your Aid Eligibility
: Believe it or not, there are strategies for maximizing your eligibility for
: need-based student financial aid. These strategies are based on loopholes in
: the need analysis methodology and are completely legal. We developed these
: strategies by analyzing the flaws in the Federal Need Analysis Methodology.
: It is quite possible that Congress will eventually eliminate many of these
: loopholes. Until this happens, we believe that revealing these flaws yields
: a more level playing field and hence a fairer need analysis process.
e*u
110 楼
5年后预计工资加投资房收入涨25%。总共可能到16万5千。这个收入助学金还有戏吗?
公校已不可能,私立大学有可能吗?版上有没有类似的情况下拿到助学金的。
公校已不可能,私立大学有可能吗?版上有没有类似的情况下拿到助学金的。
y*j
112 楼
社区大学其实蛮好的,便宜,而且也不影响日后升学。我老公的兄妹都是先去社区大学
两年,然后transfer去较好的大学,现在工作也很好。
再说说我老公的经历,他高中是top10,高中毕业后他先去的州立(只有associate
degree的小学校),两年,然后transfer去藤校,学费就省了很多,本科期间父母负担
生活费,他也有学校实验室的打工工作和家教工作,假期打三份工攒新学期的生活费。
本科毕业后去medical school,全部学贷,现在总共有大约16万的学生贷款。
还有一个例子,他表弟,现在大一,全美排名靠前的州立大学,学工程,有奖学金,因
为高中期间在全国的射击比赛中拿奖,生活他靠假期打工攒,也是三份工,据说平时早
上四点半就要起床。
还有就是,藤校真的没有什么,我老公好多在藤校的朋友,毕业之后找不到工作或者工
作也不好。尤其是女生,真正在认真工作的真是没有几个。
【在 e*****u 的大作中提到】
: 上社区大学?这是不是太掉价了。我们本来是奔藤校的。真有人这么干的吗?
两年,然后transfer去较好的大学,现在工作也很好。
再说说我老公的经历,他高中是top10,高中毕业后他先去的州立(只有associate
degree的小学校),两年,然后transfer去藤校,学费就省了很多,本科期间父母负担
生活费,他也有学校实验室的打工工作和家教工作,假期打三份工攒新学期的生活费。
本科毕业后去medical school,全部学贷,现在总共有大约16万的学生贷款。
还有一个例子,他表弟,现在大一,全美排名靠前的州立大学,学工程,有奖学金,因
为高中期间在全国的射击比赛中拿奖,生活他靠假期打工攒,也是三份工,据说平时早
上四点半就要起床。
还有就是,藤校真的没有什么,我老公好多在藤校的朋友,毕业之后找不到工作或者工
作也不好。尤其是女生,真正在认真工作的真是没有几个。
【在 e*****u 的大作中提到】
: 上社区大学?这是不是太掉价了。我们本来是奔藤校的。真有人这么干的吗?
s*y
119 楼
re
q*a
129 楼
非常赞103楼,就该这么办,让小孩知道吃苦,终究还需靠自己。
l*8
132 楼
如果你孩子能考上哈佛,以你家的收入,每年只要负担一万左右。也就是说不但不用交
一分钱的学费,还能拿到一万左右的生活费。如果考上其他藤校,可能负担的稍微多一
点,但也绝对不会超过3万一年。现在好大学都是need based的,你529存多了拿的奖学
金就少。所以还是让你孩子现在好好学习更重要。
一分钱的学费,还能拿到一万左右的生活费。如果考上其他藤校,可能负担的稍微多一
点,但也绝对不会超过3万一年。现在好大学都是need based的,你529存多了拿的奖学
金就少。所以还是让你孩子现在好好学习更重要。
q*a
133 楼
我小孩今年毕业,先是被一个老末藤校录取,有2万助学金,还差5万/年,最后选了州
大,给2.5万奖学金,加上5千贷款,基本上COVER了4年费用,然后学医。
大,给2.5万奖学金,加上5千贷款,基本上COVER了4年费用,然后学医。
k*e
137 楼
学习了
for
in
these
.
yields
【在 e*****u 的大作中提到】
: 这里有教你如何减少Expected Family Contribution的办法。与大家共享。
: http://www.finaid.org/fafsa/maximize.phtml
: Maximizing Your Aid Eligibility
: Believe it or not, there are strategies for maximizing your eligibility for
: need-based student financial aid. These strategies are based on loopholes in
: the need analysis methodology and are completely legal. We developed these
: strategies by analyzing the flaws in the Federal Need Analysis Methodology.
: It is quite possible that Congress will eventually eliminate many of these
: loopholes. Until this happens, we believe that revealing these flaws yields
: a more level playing field and hence a fairer need analysis process.
for
in
these
.
yields
【在 e*****u 的大作中提到】
: 这里有教你如何减少Expected Family Contribution的办法。与大家共享。
: http://www.finaid.org/fafsa/maximize.phtml
: Maximizing Your Aid Eligibility
: Believe it or not, there are strategies for maximizing your eligibility for
: need-based student financial aid. These strategies are based on loopholes in
: the need analysis methodology and are completely legal. We developed these
: strategies by analyzing the flaws in the Federal Need Analysis Methodology.
: It is quite possible that Congress will eventually eliminate many of these
: loopholes. Until this happens, we believe that revealing these flaws yields
: a more level playing field and hence a fairer need analysis process.
f*s
138 楼
学习了
E*y
146 楼
既然家里有钱多付点学费也是应该的。也不要什么便宜都想占了吧。学校能保证每个家
庭都付得起就很不错了。学生毕业后基本都没有贷款。
中国人就是有时什么都算的太清楚。
【在 a*****0 的大作中提到】
: 特意去查了下,应该是这样:
: 60%的princeton 学生能拿资助,他们平均一年拿4万,cover 96%的学费。
: 问题是,中国人能挤进这60%的只是少数。年收入在20万以上,家里还有股票基金的
: 能符合financial aid吗?
: 我觉得有投资房的是否也不太容易申请到financial aid吧,因为如果家里有五十万存
: 款,则很难申请到aid, 但如果把这钱拿去买个投资房,难道一下就变得容易申请
: financial aid了?
庭都付得起就很不错了。学生毕业后基本都没有贷款。
中国人就是有时什么都算的太清楚。
【在 a*****0 的大作中提到】
: 特意去查了下,应该是这样:
: 60%的princeton 学生能拿资助,他们平均一年拿4万,cover 96%的学费。
: 问题是,中国人能挤进这60%的只是少数。年收入在20万以上,家里还有股票基金的
: 能符合financial aid吗?
: 我觉得有投资房的是否也不太容易申请到financial aid吧,因为如果家里有五十万存
: 款,则很难申请到aid, 但如果把这钱拿去买个投资房,难道一下就变得容易申请
: financial aid了?
p*5
148 楼
你算来算去,你的钱不是给学校,就是给政府。现在不给学校,以后交给养老院。所以
,及时消费,全部用完。
,及时消费,全部用完。
w*7
150 楼
既然楼主这么能攒钱又投资赚钱,干嘛非要盯着助学金呢,自己攒呗
C*e
151 楼
其实我觉得不用过于计较,过好自己的生活,管好孩子,让孩子上他/她想上的学校就
好了。一般私立学校的Needbased scholarship的计算也是合理的,让你负担得多也说
明你的收入高,负担得起。学校不会针对你一家单独订个政策。
好了。一般私立学校的Needbased scholarship的计算也是合理的,让你负担得多也说
明你的收入高,负担得起。学校不会针对你一家单独订个政策。
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