Mark Kantrowitz

College financial aid is not like negotiating with a car dealership, where bluff and bluster will get you a bigger, better deal. Appealing for more financial aid depends on presenting the college financial aid office with adequate documentation of special circumstances that affect the family's ability to pay for college. This book provides a guide for students and their families on how to appeal for more financial aid for college and how to improve the likelihood of a successful appeal. This book also discusses techniques for increasing eligibility for need-based financial aid and merit aid. The topics covered by this book include corrections, updates, special circumstances, writing an effective financial aid appeal letter, adequate documentation, professional judgment adjustments, unusual circumstances, dependency overrides and the differences between the FAFSA and CSS Profile forms.

Laddergrams are a type of puzzle invested by Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutdwidge Dodgson), the English author of the books "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass." The goal of a laddergram is to transform the word on the top rung into the word on the bottom rung in the least number of steps. During each step, you must replace one letter in the previous word so that a new word is formed, but without changing the positions of the other letters. For example, we can achieve the alchemist's dream of changing LEAD into GOLD in just three steps: LEAD, LOAD, GOAD, GOLD. Match wits with the Puzzlemaster on more than 100 challenging laddergrams.

Every year, more than 20 million students and parents file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the gateway to federal, state and college financial aid. Families often worry about making costly mistakes, but this step-by-step guide provides expert advice and insights to: Increase eligibility for student aid Avoid common errors Complete the form quickly, easily and accurately Praise for Filing the FAFSA I found Filing the FAFSA to be an up-to-the-minute, accessible and readable resource for those with a keen interest in the current federal application for student financial aid. -Nancy Coolidge, Office of the President, University of California Families need a guide that breaks down the application form into logical sections. Filing the FAFSA is an important tool in removing some of the mystery surrounding the financial aid process. -Verna Hazen, Assistant Vice President and Director, Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, Rochester Institute of Technology With the plethora of information on the subject of completing college financial applications, it's reassuring to find a guide that students, parents and even guidance counselors can look to for useful and accurate information. -Carlos Adrian, Associate Director, Financial Aid Compliance, Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Programs, Syracuse University As a long-time financial aid professional, I am always looking for helpful tools to assist families in understanding the sometimes overwhelming process of applying for student financial aid for college. Filing the FAFSA is a tool that successfully combines the presentation of detailed information with easy to follow flow charts and summary boxes to guide families through the application process. It is filled with helpful hints and is a valuable resource for families navigating the complicated world of financial aid. -Diane Stemper, Executive Director, Office of Enrollment Services, Student Financial Aid, Ohio State University This book -- Filing the FAFSA -- provides a significant contribution in assisting students in completing the form so that their financial aid eligibility can be determined and they can go on to take advantage of a college education. A MUST READ. -Leo Kornfield, Former Assistant Secretary of Education, U. S. Department of Education