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Related Discussions
FAFSA issue? Parent Info
So I'm 26 and living on my own. My parents are divorced and don't financially support me anymore since I have a good job. I saw that some schools require parent info even if you are already 26. To top it off, FAFSA asks for information for only one parent. Anyone in a similar boat or know which parent to choose? I'm very confused
Comments
To complicate matters, my father is not a US citizen but my mom is. I called FAFSA and they said I shouldn't put a parent in, even though the FAFSA app states that if you're going to law school, it's recommended that you put a parent in. Then they said "who ever supports you the most" even when I said "neither of them financially support me at all"
I would put the parent that makes the least $ to make you a more viable candidate for fin aid?
Most schools will require you to provide parents financial info. Those requirements are separate from what FAFSA asks for. FAFSA considers (I believe) anyone in graduate school as financially independent but law schools don't function that way. A lot of law schools have exceptions for students who are over 30, and sometimes also if you are either married and/or have a child. Anyone under 30 and single without children likely needs to provide parent financial info. I know, I've been totally financially independent since I was 22 or 23 myself, but unfortunately that's how the schools work. You will need to check each school's requirements because they vary. (Also I have no idea how it works for non-US citizen parents, you may have to call a school or 2 and ask how to approach it.)
@"Leah M B"
Maybe you can help with this...
What are we supposed to do if we were raised by another family member and/or don't know our biological parents? Is there a way to still use FAFSA?
Is the person raising you formally your legal guardian or adoptive parent?
Neither, which is why I'm concerned. I hope there's a way to still receive FAFSA.
@Alex I don't think it will be a problem with FAFSA, since they technically consider every graduate student independent. With law school, it seems to all depend on the individual school policies. It's the school's that require parent information, not the federal aid people. So of course it will be a pain, but I think you'd have to contact each school to find out what their policy is and if they need any proof of that situation. Maybe just start with one school and see how they approach it?
@Alex To be clear, I think this only affects need-based aid directly from the schools. Federal loans are determined by the FAFSA folks and they don't require parent information for the loans. But if you want need-based aid from a school, that's where the issue would be. Before I found out that there is an exception for us old farts over 30, I had a mini panic attack because there was no way I was asking my parents to fill out financial aid info. But after doing some reading, I realized the only thing it would make me ineligible for is need-based aid from whatever school required that info. So if I didn't get that waiver for being over 30, I was going to just ignore the parent info and sacrifice the additional need-aid. You should still be able to get the full amount of federal loans and any merit aid from schools, at the very least.
Thank you @"Leah M B" !
So for FAFSA, you're going to be fine since you're already independent. You don't have to include your parents information.
Individual schools might request additional forms like the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE. For that, I have no idea what you'll have to do.
My nieces are finally in college. My parents/ their grandparents are their guardians, and neither bio parent is responsible for them financially. They were actually able to file paperwork or an affidavit to say that their parents were not supporting them at all, and so they got aid without needing them. I think though, they had to claim abandonment or something akin to that. That may not work in your situation. But anyway... ask some questions. There are dependency overrides, although rare.
I just looked back and you said you were 26? According to FAFSA, you're independent. section 480(d) of the Higher Education Act says:
(d) INDEPENDENT
STUDENT. —The term ‘‘independent’’, when
used with respect to a student, means any individual who—
(1) is 24 years of age or older by December 31 of the award
year;
(2) is an orphan or ward of the court or was a ward of the
court until the individual reached the age of 18;
(3) is a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States
(as defined in subsection (c)(1));
(4) is a graduate or professional student;
(5) is a married individual;
(6) has legal dependents other than a spouse; or
(7) is a student for whom a financial aid administrator
makes a documented determination of independence by reason
of other unusual circumstances.
No idea on the law school part, tho. They have their own rules.
Do you know if uci law requires us to put our parents info? I haven't received any word from them that I had to. On my FAFSA , I didn't indicate information about how much my parents made.
Alex there's a box of you're a ward of the state or if your parents have passed for FAFSA.
Haven't looked at them specifically, but just found it on their website:
"Students must provide parents' information on the FAFSA application unless they fall in one of the following categories:
Student is 30 years of age or older at the beginning of the academic year for which he/she is applying.
Student can provide documentation that parents did not claim him/her on their tax returns for the last seven years.
Student has a dependent other than a spouse.
Student is a veteran.
Student was considered as an independent by his/her undergraduate institution through dependency override, however, not based on age or marital status. Documentation required.
Students who do not fit the above criteria and do not provide parents' information will not be considered for a need-based grant award."
http://www.law.uci.edu/admission/tuition-aid/types-of-aid.html
@Alex See my post above! That's specific for UCI, but I've seen similar policies on a few other schools' sites. So if you did the work for undergrad to exempt you for parental income, you might be able to re-use that same documentation.
Cool! Thank you very much.
Hopefully I can re-use the same documentation from undergrad. I feel a lot better knowing there's at least ways to handle this and I won't end up screwed.