Mandatory parent info?

Leah M B

I was cruising through some applications today filling out the odds and ends, and saw at least 1 app that said it required you to submit parental financial information with the FAFSA. Yikes... is this common?

As a 33 year old non-traditional student, this seems patently absurd. I really don't want to involve my parents in this process. And as a very grown, very independent person, it seems crazy that they would want my parents' info. And also extremely unfair if they want to consider my parents' finances into this whole thing. (FWIW, they're definitely not wealthy, but also can a school really expect a 33 year old to have their parents be responsible for school funding?)

I have no idea what to do. I really don't want to write this school off, but I really don't feel like including my parents' info on the FAFSA is reasonable or honestly something I could even get them to do. Thoughts? Commiseration? Sigh.

not2lindsay

You should be able to follow FAFSA's guidelines which are listed here: https://fafsa.ed.gov/fotw1718/help/fftoc02k.htm

Alex

Commiseration: I was raised by my grandparents and the entire parents with FASFA thing has been a big pain in the butt for me from undergrad until now. It’s annoying to say the least.

stepharizona

Yep a handful of schools require this and they also have additional programs you have to use. A few schools used to use a system that allowed parents to log in separately but it's still pretty evasive, especially when you're 30+

If you don't participate you may lose school grants/scholarships but still eligible for federal aid.

Leah M B

Ugh, I might make a few phone calls to specific schools to double check that there aren't any exceptions. It looks like a number of schools have an exception for being over age 30, but UCLA in particular just says it is mandatory. If it's just 1 school out of the whole bunch and there's no way to get around it, I might just not apply. That sucks but I'm not sure my parents would even be willing to do it.

And @"Alex Divine", ugh that is awful. I kept thinking that too. I know a number of people who don't have relationships with their parents, this seems really discriminatory. Particularly for grad/professional school since it makes even less sense to have parents involved in the process. Sorry you have to deal with that, man!

Alex

@"Leah M B" said:
Ugh, I might make a few phone calls to specific schools to double check that there aren't any exceptions. It looks like a number of schools have an exception for being over age 30, but UCLA in particular just says it is mandatory. If it's just 1 school out of the whole bunch and there's no way to get around it, I might just not apply. That sucks but I'm not sure my parents would even be willing to do it.

And @"Alex Divine", ugh that is awful. I kept thinking that too. I know a number of people who don't have relationships with their parents, this seems really discriminatory. Particularly for grad/professional school since it makes even less sense to have parents involved in the process. Sorry you have to deal with that, man!

I feel for you too. I know there's got to be some work around but it's something that's just one more thing added to the already extremely stressful process. We'll get through it, though. I believe there's some kind of appeal process or something someone else in a situation similar to ours was telling me about.

Cant Get Right

Yeah, 32 here and that's awful. What do my parents' finances have ANYTHING to do with how I'm going to be paying for law school??

tringo335

Ummmm what the heck lol I'm 30 will be 31 when I apply and had no idea my parents financial situation mattered at all. Would this count for or against you in any way? My mother lives overseas and makes relatively good money for the average American household but that's only because she lives overseas where it's MUCH more expensive. In reality she's not well off and definitely has no funds to contribute to my schooling. How would her salary affect any scholarship chances?

Cant Get Right

@tringo335 said:
How would her salary affect any scholarship chances?

For need based scholarships, the effect would be poor. I think most schools exempt 30+ from this, but definitely make sure.

tringo335

@"Cant Get Right" said:

@tringo335 said:
How would her salary affect any scholarship chances?

For need based scholarships, the effect would be poor. I think most schools exempt 30+ from this, but definitely make sure.

Thanks! Gosh everyday something new to consider about his whole process #overwhelmed

Leah M B

Yeah I did some researching and it looks like the majority of schools have exceptions if you're 30+ and sometimes if you're married, but at least on UCLA's site and application it looks like there's no exception. It just says this:

"UCLA School of Law requires that both the student’s and parents’ information be provided on the FAFSA."

I'm going to call next week and ask specifically. I did some digging on TLS also and some people mentioned that you can also sometimes opt out of need-based aid if you don't want to provide parental info. Not ideal, but maybe that at least would be an option.

tringo335

@"Leah M B" said:
Yeah I did some researching and it looks like the majority of schools have exceptions if you're 30+ and sometimes if you're married, but at least on UCLA's site and application it looks like there's no exception. It just says this:

"UCLA School of Law requires that both the student’s and parents’ information be provided on the FAFSA."

I'm going to call next week and ask specifically. I did some digging on TLS also and some people mentioned that you can also sometimes opt out of need-based aid if you don't want to provide parental info. Not ideal, but maybe that at least would be an option.

Good info thanks!

_oshun1_

This is strange. I’m in my 20s but my parents have made it very clear they don’t want their names attached to anything to do with law school bc they don’t want to be under any obligation to pay it off. UCLA was a top choice for me..

Mitchell-1

Yeah, this is stupid. I'm in my late 20s and my parents and I aren't exactly estranged but nearly. I've been financially independent for awhile and can't even imagine trying to get them to fill out anything money related for any reason.

nicole.brooklyn

It’s true that you have to report your parents’ information, but when you look at HYS’s need-based aid, there’s some sort of rebalancing that goes on if you’re 25-29... you yourself become responsible for an increasing percentage of tuition, fin-aid-wise. If you’re in your 30s or beyond, I don’t think you need to report your parents’ income. Watch the ‘application overview’ video here: http://hls.harvard.edu/dept/sfs/video-library/

...KBrown

Does anyone know how a step-parent might affect the financial aid process? My mom recently remarried and my father is deceased. He doesn't lend any kind of direct financial support to me (not that I would expect him to), so it seems unfair if they consider his finances in the aid process. He's willing to submit his financial information if they need it, but will that affect the kind federal loans, grants, and scholarships I might qualify for otherwise?

sillllyxo

that's strange - i just did the fafsa and submitted as an independent student .. it had an option to select and not add in parent info

Trust But Verify

@sillllyxo said:
that's strange - i just did the fafsa and submitted as an independent student .. it had an option to select and not add in parent info

Yes. I was just about to say this. I thought there is an option like N/A? I could be wrong. FASFA/Schools would be wrong to assume folks have 2 parents/parents at all.

Mitchell-1

@"Trust But Verify" said:

@sillllyxo said:
that's strange - i just did the fafsa and submitted as an independent student .. it had an option to select and not add in parent info

Yes. I was just about to say this. I thought there is an option like N/A? I could be wrong. FASFA/Schools would be wrong to assume folks have 2 parents/parents at all.

It's likely that the form itself makes it seem optional but if the school receives the form with it marked as such, they will not consider you for need-based aid. That would be my assumption.

speedwagon

I have been in this with several schools. I'm in my mid-30s and also haven't had a financial relationship with my parents since my late teens - we're still working on a relationship at all and are only minimally in touch. This makes me so mad - there are so many familial structures and I understand wanting to consider family $ for equity purposes but it is never easy. Having to talk to all these generic email addresses about how my parents and I have had such a hard time is terrible.

I've mostly been writing for need-based or other fee waivers (I don't qualify for an LSAC waiver because I have saved myself a little 401k and emergency fund over the years, but I don't make that much $); financial aid applications will, I'm sure, be round two. So this report back focuses on those and we'll see about the rest, but I'm expecting something similar.

So far, of my stretch schools:
1) Georgetown says submit a letter from someone who knows the situation for the financial aid as a whole. I'm going to do this along with a description of the relationship. For various reasons, this is also part of my application, and so hopefully that will help make my case.

2) For a need-based fee waiver at least, Cornell insisted, and I wrote back saying I have no idea how I would get that information. Which is true. They haven't gotten back to me yet from this round. I assume financial aid will go around again.

3) I haven't yet written Berkeley because they sound so strict and I'm tired of talking about my parents.

4) I am waiting to get the Yale form and we'll see what it's like. Anybody know?

Most of the other schools I am applying to have given me waivers for the asking.

I respect why these rules are there (it really is about an economic equity that I appreciate), but I would definitely write and ask and don't be afraid to push back. Within an application process that is geared to people just a few years out from school at most, this is one of my least favorite parts.