Reply To: Fafsa

OK, I found 2019 law. It indeed lists factors that should be used to compute the new “student index” and number of family members in college is not one of them. Did members of Congress understand that this is a change?

At the same time, when listing items in the FAFSA, the form asks for that number. Also, in a part I do not fully understand, it says that financial officers can take into account “special circumstances” –
section 479A
A financial aid administrator shall have the authority to, on the basis of documentation, make adjustments on a case-by-case basis to the cost of attendance or the values of the data used to calculate the student aid index or Federal Pell Grant award (or both) for an individual eligible applicant with special circumstances

and that includes
(I) tuition expenses at an elementary school or secondary school;
“(VI) the number of family members enrolled in a degree, certificate, or other program leading to a recognized educational credential

So, it sounds like the general policy does not count siblings, but one can beg. Whom? College? Feds? Maybe lawyers and parents here can explain.