Independant or Dependant financial aid
Alright this issue is becomming a huge problem. My Dad worked at Ford and retired almost two years ago and my mom was a stay at home mom. When things we’re good my Dad paid for my brother to go to school at community college, so they never worried about the financial aid route since my brother went on to get a job and never finished school. He is 8 years older then me as well, since then everything has changed alot.
I just finished my first year and half of college (started late in summer last year) and I’m turning 20. I have a semester left before I transfer and it’s looking pretty impossible right now. My Dad has to claim me as a dependant so that I recieve healthcare, however the FAFSA goes by his 70,000 a year and says I qualify for nothing, when actually I only make about 4,000 a year becuase I work part time while in school. I can not get loans from the government and my school has been no help. I am a 4.0 student and have been on the Dean’s List all year long. Everyone says I should qualify for aid, but I can’t get any and my parents and I can not afford to pay for seperate heathcare if they don’t claim me. Has anyone been in a similliar situation? I couldn’t do summer classes like I planned this year becuase I couldn’t come up with any money to do it!
Anyone who files the FAFSA is able to take out the Federal Student Loans ($5550 for Freshmen year, $6500 for Soph, and $7500 for Junior and Senior year each). The school can only prevent you from taking the loans out if:
-The school itself is ineligible to accept federal aid (usually only the case for trade schools)
-You are enrolled less than half-time
-You are on academic probation
-You failed to provide parent info on the FAFSA when it is required
-You failed to complete the entrance counseling and sign the Master Promissory Note (MPN)
Other than that the loans should be available to you. You CANNOT file independent just bc your parents income is preventing you from getting aid or bc they are unable/unwilling to pay. The federal government does not care about credit card debt, mortgages, car loans or anything else your parents may be struggling to pay. All they see is the money they make and what they SHOULD be able to contribute to your education.
Remember the government and the university expect the parent(s) of dependent students to be the main contributors to the student’s education.
read here.
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