How long does Fafsa pay for education?

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) help?

• I'm 19 years old and I'm living with my friend and his parents, not mine. I'm working right now and I pay them rent, I pay for my own clothes, I pay for everything myself except the food they feed me. However, even though I don't depend on my parents or a legal guardian and no one is paying for my college education, I'm still considered dependent. I don't understand this as I basically support myself financially, but I still need to put my parents info on my FAFSA application. I know I won't get any money because my dad makes 130k a year and I didn't get anything last year. I really want to go to college but I don't have the money for it and I don't know what to do about FAFSA. Please help me. Thanks for your help in advance. Kyle: I didn't run away from home, it's not always just the kids who can't get along. And either way, my parents were never gonna pay for my college anyway. Yeah, I'm trying to "crash" a student loan because I'm not making enough to be able to pay for college on top of the rent, clothes, gas, insurance, etc. I already pay for, but what the hell else am I supposed to do?

• Answer:

  That is just how the FAFSA program is set up. You should still apply for FAFSA because you could be offered federal loans which you may be able to go community college. Ideally your parents who seem to make a lot of money would have saved for your education or if they did not prepare then will pay now or take a loan out for you to go. Like I said that is ideally, but more than often not the case. Unless you can answer yes to one of these questions you will need your parent info. If you can answer No to all of the following questions, you are considered a dependent student on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): Were you born before January 1, 1989? As of today are you married? At the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year, will you be working on a master's or doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, or graduate certificate, etc.)? Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training? Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces? Do you have children who will receive more than half of their support from you between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013? Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30, 2013? At any time since you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care or were you a dependent or ward of the court? As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you an emancipated minor? As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you in legal guardianship? At any time on or after July 1, 2011, did your high school or school district homeless liaison determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless? At any time on or after July 1, 2011, did the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless? At any time on or after July 1, 2011, did the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless? If you are considered a dependent student, your parents must answer the parental questions on the FAFSA. If you can answer Yes to any of the questions above, you are considered an independent student and information about your parents is not required on the FAFSA . Note: Health profession students may be required to provide parental information regardless of their dependency status. If you have a special circumstance that prevents you from providing parental information you may be able to submit your FAFSA. However, your FAFSA will be incomplete. You must contact the financial office at your college and provide them with documentation to verify your situation. Also I will say those special circumstances they talk about are if your parents are in jail, if you are adopted or if you were removed from home from documented abuse, situations like that.