Michigan Legal Help??

Please help with my financial aid situation? I live in Michigan. (fafsa help, please?!)?

• I'm a senior in high school. I have applied to colleges and I've been accepted to the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Dearborn, and Wayne State University. I am not planning on going to U of M Ann Arbor because it is too expensive. My plan was to attend the University of Michigan Dearborn and do my pre-pharmacy curriculum there and then transfer after 2 years. University of Michigan Dearborn has given me an $8,000 scholarship for four years. I plan on attending for only 2. I am a female. I'm an only child. Since the FAFSA wanted my parents W2 information from 2009. I was at a disadvantage. Both my parents used to have a full time job. My mom got laid off permanently in March of 2009. My dad got laid off in January of 2010. FAFSA wanted our current tax information so I could not lie in the form of course. I put down that both my parents used to work. Based on that, it said my EFC is around 8,000 something. So I'm not eligible for any grants. This is making me worry because as of right now, my parents do not work. I need all the grants I can get but I am not receiving any because my parents had a full time job. Our income has changed. I'm worried about how I'm going to afford going to University of Michigan Dearborn. Is there any other method I can do to receive some money from FAFSA? Thank you!

• Answer:

  You need to contact the schools fin aid office and tell them both of your parents have been laid off from their job. For most students a good indication of a family's finanical strength is from last years income. However, for SOME people (such as yourself) this is not a good guide so the school can opt to use the current years income rather than last years income. This is usually called "unusual circumstances" or some schools just call it asking for an income adjustment. The school will require you to turn in additional information about your parents CURRENT income and earnings. They will both likely also have to produce their lay off letters from their old employers. Not always will applying for unusual circumstances make you eligible for additional money, but it certainly can't hurt to try. Your school will let you know exactly what you need to turn in. Good luck.