FINANCIAL AID PROBLEM, PLEASE HELP?

How do you become legally independent? Financial aid help too?

• I'm going to be a senior for college in California. For my college, the maximum income a family can have to receive financial aid is $45k a year. Both my parents work, and they make just right above the maximum so I couldn't get financial aid but i get loans which i used as work study. My parents had been pulling money out of their own pockets to pay for my tuition. For the upcoming Fall semester, my parents said they won't have enough to pay for my tuition and for the past 2 years, I have been getting working at school under work study but I don't make enough to pay for my tuition. What I plan on doing is claiming myself as independent so financial aid can help me pay for tuition as well as probably pay for rent. But the problem is, I don't know how to become INDEPENDENT LEGALLY. Please help, How do I claim myself as independent? I don't want my parents to rely on loans to pay for my tuition and I'm currently trying to find a 3rd job to help but having financial aid will definitely help. My plan when I am independent is move out and live on my own and do not rely on my parents. I plan on living somewhere near campus so transportation won't be a problem. What I'm hoping is though is for financial aid to see that I am independent and will give me enough money to move out to pay for rent, as well as pay for my tuition. In what ways can I get my school's financial aid to recognize me as independent and will give me financial support. Please help! Also, how do I become independent?

• Answer:

  Unfortunately, financial aid does not look at whether you may be living on your own and paying your own bills. There is no "legal independent" status for an adult. Some states have emancipation laws, but that is strictly related to minors who go to court because their parents may be abusive, into drugs, etc...and the minor wants to be declared an adult and independent. Financial aid does not view your status of living on your own as being "independent". There are only special circumstances where the federal government will not require your parent's information to be completed on the FAFSA in determining financial aid amounts. "Under Federal law your family is primarily responsible-to the extent they are able-for paying for your college expenses. To determine how much your family can afford to pay towards your college expenses, we must collect your financial information and if you are a dependent student, we must also collect your parents' financial information. Under very limited circumstances, an otherwise dependent student may be able to submit the FAFSA without parental information due to special circumstances. Before you proceed to skip the parental section of your FAFSA, consider the following: Examples of special circumstances where you may be able to submit your FAFSA without providing parental information include: •Your parents are incarcerated; or •You have left home due to an abusive family environment; or •You do not know where your parents are and are unable to contact them (and you have not been adopted). Not all situations are considered a special circumstance. The following are situations that would not be considered a special circumstance: •Your parents do not want to provide their information on your FAFSA; or •Your parents refuse to contribute to your college expenses; or •Your parents do not claim you as a dependent on their income taxes; or •You do not live with your parents." http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/faqs.jsp#Que17 I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but unfortunately your circumstances do not fall within the special circumstances, and until you reach the age requirement......you still will need to include your parent's income and resources on the FAFSA form. When you turn age 24, then you don't have to include your parent's income information. You will just need to look at taking out student loans to get you through the senior year.