I am 23, and for the last 4 years when filling out fafsa for federal aid, I have needed to include my parents information. I do not live with my parents and have not for the last 4 years. Someone told me that it is a federal guideline that lists you as a dependent until 24 unless you have a child or are married, if so what is the name of that law or guideline and where can I find it? It is a shame my parent's could have thrown me out at 18 and because they earn too much money, I am without a college education for the next 6 years.... any help with with why this is ? or how I can change it or fight it? First of all handsome chuck, you have no idea what you are talking about. To the financial aid department it doesn't matter what you put on your tax papers. If you attend college your financial aid is determined by your parents income until you either get married, have a child or turn 24.
xeliphias I know what you are going through. I am 19 years old, but my parents kicked me out last year and refuse to help pay for college. Because I am not married and under the age of 24 my financial aid is determined by my parents income. What I did was I went to my financial aid office and filled out a dependency override form. This form pretty much says that it could be potentially harmfull to you to have contact with your parents. If you fill this out and the college accepts it you do not have to claim your parents income. My application was denied, but maybe you will have better luck than I did. If that doesn't work and you want to attend college you might think about a student loan. I have a student loan through Chase bank right now and I love them. I pay nothing until after I graduate college or stop attending at least part time. Good Luck to you!!! If you're parents pay less than 1/2 your expenses, including tuition, and you rent or own your residence under your own name, then you can choose to be counted as independent. You're parents also can't claim you as a dependent on their taxes.
You should speak with a financial aide counselor at your college of choice, any school worth attending has them as a matter of course. It's a fairly routine bit of paperwork, they should have you sorted out and set-up with minimal effort on your part. I don't think so. Doesn't matter who you live with, or even how much money you make. You're only a dependent if the tax man considers you one because your parents claim you as one. If you file your taxes independently, you are independent. If you can answer yes to any of these questions you are considered independent. If you answer no for them all you are considered dependent, even if you don't live with your parents or receive any support from them. Normally, you can't fight this decision. I don't agree with the way it works, but you have to wait out those few years until you can get aid without parental information.
Were you born before January 1, 1984?
At the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year, will you be working on a master鈥檚 or doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, or graduate certificate, etc.)?
As of today, are you married? (Answer 鈥淵es鈥?if you are separated but not divorced.)
Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you?
Do you have dependents other than your children/spouse who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30, 2008?
Are (a) both of your parents deceased, or (b) are you (or were you until age 18) a ward/dependent of the court?
Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training?
If you answered 鈥淵ES鈥?to ANY of the previous questions, you do not have to provide parental information.
If you answered 鈥淣O鈥?to ALL of the previous questions, then you must provide parental information.
This information can be found on the FAFSA form. Unfortunately you are only considered a dependent when it comes to schooling. You have all the other rights of an adult once you reach 18.
The main reason the government decided to make that law regarding financial aide dependent on the income of the parents until the student is 23 is the problem you are complaining about, parents choosing not to help with the student's expenses. If they didn't make the age 23 then parents would claim that their children were living on their own and therefore entitled to the money. If they made the law stating that you were NOT a dependent of both your parents regardless of whether or not they had contributed to your upbringing or financial support in the past, then they would need to have a much larger reserve of money from which to draw out funds. Does that suck for you? You bet. But the fact that you have not lived with your parents for four years is not really a positive especially if you attended a school which was a distance from where they live. You could, afterall, be living in the new area while you are attending school, not uncommon at all really.
However, there are a couple of rays of hope here. I am not sure why you say you are without a college education for the next six years? One ray of light is that you ARE 23. Which means next year (you are a dependent until the day of your 24th birthday), you are considered a "non-traditional"/ independent student. As such, neither of your parents incomes affect your financial contribution to college. What's more your income decides how much financial aide you can receive. (Not a good time for grandma to decide to give you a gift of money and open a bank account for you...cash please gram or pay for the books.)
Don't make the mistake that a lot of people do and kill yourself working too much (again it is going to look at how much YOU are making). The financial aide package has a limit but it is usually enough to cover tution, books, and some living expenses (a dorm room or a shared housing situation for example.) If this isn't enough, you may have to file an amendment and show documentation of the rent and utilty expenses to have them give you any more. The FAFSA contributions cover the costs at most state colleges and universities as well as community colleges.
Another ray, financial aide is based on the cost of the school you want to attend as well. The more expensive the school the more they will give you. Of course, the cheaper (such as community colleges for the first two) the less you have to borrow and later repay. Be careful though, borrow only what you think you will need because even at the low interest rate you will be repaying the loan at (I think it's around 6.5% right now for 5, 10, or 15 years depending on how much you have borrowed), this payment can be daunting when you get out on your own with car loans, mortgages and other stuff to pay.
By the way, you can have bad credit and still get your student loans. But don't default on these...that's a BIG NO NO!
Did you know that you can also file an amendment to pay for (one time only) a computer, printer and monitor? Ask at your financial aide office.
Don't forget to apply for scholarships. A lot of scholarships require a 500-1000 word essay as to why you should be given the money. Focus on the intent of the scholarship (financial hardships, first in your family to go to college, ethic background, religious background, groups you might belong to, the major you are pursuing, etc.. Big tip: if they ask for 500 words stay under but close to that number of words. They will eliminate you if you go over, especially by a lot but others by one word.
Some scholarships simply have an application form for you to fill out. Remember that money earned through applying for scholarships will come back to you as money to live on (Ramen noodles only go so far...lol!) so apply early and often. Watch for deadlines on them though. Many have Jan, Feb deadlines and need references from teachers to accompany them. Start cultivating this information now. As soon as you get to school stop by and speak to the teacher after class. Let them know YOU. In a room full of 200 students you want to stand out. Also, write a sample version of one of these essays that you can tweak in January while your busy with all of your classes. Participate in class, keep your grades up (some scholarships are available if you have a 3.0 average or better), and many scholarships are renewable if you have been doing well. Some are automatic, others need you to ask again. Don't lose out on one because you didn't do that.
Good Luck! people are confusing independence for taxes with independence for financial aid and THEY ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!!! one has nothing, but nothing, to do with the other. read the fafsa rules for independence. If all you needed was to be 18, the taxpayers would be paying for every single college students education BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL 18. I am not sure if this is tied to the Higher Education Act but it is part of Federal regs that a dependent student has to include their parents income. This is way for the govt. to say that parents are responsible for part of their childs education. There are certain ways that you could be considered independent but just cuz you do not live with them does not eliminate the obligation of a parent to help fund their childs education. In most cases if the parents apply for PLUS loan and are denied you could be considered independent for the purpose of awarding additional Stafford loan up to the limit based on your grade level. |
