Fed Financial

Does having a joba affect the FAFSA & financial aid application process? Will I get less aid if I have a job?

I am thinking of getting a job, and will do so due to my family's current financial situation. If I get a job (even a part-time job), will this affect me in a negative way when applying for FAFSA aid? Will I get less aid from the universites I am planning to attend? (I will apply to Ivy League universities, specfically Harvard; this will be my first choice). Will I be able to get scholarships to pay off my tuition, even though I may have a job in the future? Please help me. Thank you for your answers.

Public Comments

1. If you have a job that takes out taxes from your paycheck, then your answer is yes. The FAFSA people count that income when determining how much income your family has. The higher the income, the less aid you qualify for. If you get a job that pays "under the table" (babysitting, odd jobs for neighbors, mowing lawns, etc) then FAFSA has no proof of any income and will not count it against you. Be aware that any savings account in your name will be counted as income as well. Your best option is to get a job that pays "under the table" and keep the money at home in a lock box. Once the money is accounted for on paper, it counts against you.
2. if its cash job, no one knows, but by check and city jobs, u need to submit income tax
3. The answer is yes. When my girls went to college we took everything out of their name and put it in ours.