<p>I'm going to De Anza community college in the fall, and I'm looking at how I'm going to pay, because my Uncle and Grandmother (whose house I live in) want an explanation when they get back from vacation.</p>
<p>My mom and stepdad aren't giving me anything, because they're too poor to meet their and my brother's needs. The most they could do is let me live there, but I live and will attend school in California, and they live in Colorado.</p>
<p>I live with family in California, but this is temporary and I am expected to be gone by next summer. They will not assist with college, as they do not consider it their responsibility. When I leave the house I will likely live with my father, who makes just enough to get by.</p>
<p>I can't get my financial aid offer from the college yet, because the college needs a document from my mom and stepdad explaining how they can get by on such low income. My mom says she'll get to it when she has time, but it is not a priority. My stepdad finds the questions insulting and invasive, which may explain the lack of emphasis on filling it out.</p>
<p>Sans an actual offer, I do have some information. I san a Montana resident, but out of state tuition has been waived under AB540. FAFSA says I'm eligible for the max Pell Grant, and the state of California says I will get a Board of Governors fee waiver class C, which waives enrolment fees but not materiel or general fees.</p>
<p>With these two pieces of aid, will I be able to get by without loans? I expect to need them when I transfer into a university, but I want to wait until then to start borrowing to minimize how much debt I take on.</p>
<p>? </p>
<p>Do I understand this correctly - you will be living rent-free with your grandparents for this academic year and then moving in with your father next summer?</p>
<p>If so, with a BOG waiver you will be paying for books and personal expenses only (other fees at a community college are minimal). With a $5,500 Pell plus earnings from a part-time job you should be able to cover your books and personal expenses easily. What would you need loans for?</p>
<p>Note: If it turns out that your mom has additional support, that may reduce your Pell eligibility. If your parents choose not to fill out the requested forms, you may get nothing.</p>
<p>For the moment I live rent free with my grandmother and uncle. I’ll have a similar situation with my Dad when I move in, but I will have a part time job, and, while I won’t pay rent, I will be partially responsible for food and utilities, because his salary doesn’t go far enough to fully cover everything for two of us. In fact, he’s currently pulling the full Pell Grant to pay for his own education.</p>
<p>My mom and stepdad did get workman’s comp and unemployment, but the financial situation is bad enough that I don’t worry about my Pell Grant getting reduced. It’s a 25000 a year income, even with aid. I think they’ll fill out the forms eventually, but unhappily and as far in the future as possible.</p>
<p>I just want to make sure that my own perception of things is correct so far as loans go. I can’t see a need myself based on my understanding of what my offer will look like, but my perceptions are often wrong.</p>
<p>The main thing I’m having trouble with is understanding exactly what the BOG covers, what Class C BOG means as apposed to other classes of BOG, and what I can spend the Pell grant money on. I don’t have a formal financial aid package until my mom does that paperwork, but with the family finances the way they are the Pell is a given, and my account on the college website says I got approved for a class C BOG waiver. My lack of residence also isn’t a worry, because the college approved my AB540 waiver, which gave me in state tuition and eligibility for state aid (which is how I got the BOG).</p>
<p>The designation A, B or C indicates how you qualified for the BOG waiver and does not affect the fees covered [De</a> Anza College :: Financial Aid :: Fee Waivers](<a href=“http://www.deanza.edu/financialaid/feewaivr.html]De”>http://www.deanza.edu/financialaid/feewaivr.html) . “C” simply means you filed the FAFSA and demonstrated need. There is no difference in terms of what is covered.</p>
<p>The BOG covers your enrollment fee, which according to this link [De</a> Anza College :: Cashier’s Office :: Tuition and Basic Fees at-a-Glance](<a href=“http://www.deanza.edu/registration/cashier/fees.html]De”>http://www.deanza.edu/registration/cashier/fees.html) is $31 per unit. So if you took 45 units in a year (it appears De Anza is on quarters) the BOG would cover 45 X $31 = $1,395. You would use the Pell to pay for other fees, your books, transportation and living expenses. The other fees listed by De Anza are:
</p>
<p>Well, this is getting more fun by the minute. It was workman’s comp the family had, not insurance. It was paid out in 2011, was used to help out in 2012, and is gone now. The fun part is that there is a confidentiality agreement attached to the settlement, so if the college wants to know how much there was, we are legally barred from telling them. I get the feeling that when they get the form, they will look at this workman’s comp (which is the only thing on the form), and decide to call my parents in to further explain their financial situation. They live in Colorado, so they cannot come in.</p>
<p>My stepdad is thoroughly convinced that this will get me denied my Pell and BPG, and I can’t say I’m not worried.</p>
<p>All they need to say is that they received worker’s comp, lived off of that during 2011 and part of 2012, and it has now run out. That’s not remarkable, and shouldn’t raise any red flags.</p>
<p>If they’re now receiving public assistance, they should say that also.</p>
<p>Honestly, I don’t think you’ll have any problem.</p>
<p>Their verification form was unclear to the school, and they do want somebody to come in and discuss it with them. I can do it without them, since they live out of state, but I have to bring a copy of their tax returns, which they will not provide. They’ve decided that there has been too much trouble with college, and that this goes too far, and they won’t stand for it. I guess I’ll have to just wait for next year.</p>
<p>Do a search of the thread titles in this forum for the word “verification.” You’ll find a lot of threads - it’s a common topic. And the reality is that no one likes being verified and having to submit their tax returns. Doesn’t matter if the parents are rich or poor . . . everyone finds it intrusive.</p>
<p>Perhaps you already know this . . . but your parents likely don’t. They feel like they, personally, have been selected to have their finances scrutinized, and they’re understandably ticked off about it. What they need to understand is that it’s not personal, not at all . . . it happens to families from every possible socio-economic background.</p>
<p>What you can tell them is that there are some families that don’t even submit tax returns . . . and their kids are screwed. They can’t get financial aid. Period. No matter what. So you’re lucky that your parents are honest, and have filed their annual tax returns, and now you have the opportunity to receive financial aid. Ask them to please help you out, and not leave you in the same position as the kids whose parents don’t even bother to file. Rich or poor, they’ve filed their returns honestly, and they have nothing to be embarrassed about.</p>
<p>Talk to them. Best of luck!</p>
<p>If I know one thing about my stepdad, it’s that he isn’t going to budge on this one. There is some helpful news, at least. Since they don’t claim me on their taxes and we live in different states, the State of California considers me an independent student for the purposes of state financial aid. So, I’ll probably not get the Pell grant, but I get to keep my BOG waiver. This leaves textbooks and registration fees, a topic that belongs in another thread.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the advice.</p>
<p>Spaceship, </p>
<p>I would go into that office and explain the situation as fully as possible again through the tears. You are not the first student to have a difficult family situation where no one wants to take responsibility. You are exactly the type of student the Community Colleges hope to reach and help succeed in life. Do not take no for an answer. Have all your ducks in a row and explain things as clearly as possible, leaving out any unnecessary info. Be very clear with just the facts they need. Perhaps talking with the right person the signature you need will be given. Ask if there are exceptions and who do you talk to about that. And, De Anza is one of the best CC’s in CA. I was just there last week. With the Pell Grant, fee waiver - and a part time job - you can do it. Do not give up. You can change your family legacy forever with this. Don’t let your any of your relative’s negativity affect you.</p>
<p>Is there some other grant for independent students, other than the Pell? There has to be.</p>
<p>And, I would tell your Grandmother when she returns from vacation that you have the waiver and can pay for tuition. Be grateful you have a place to stay this school year. Don’t worry about next year yet. This afternoon, I would fill out an application for the local Starbucks , Jamba Juice, etc. - anything - and work 20 hours a week. At Starbucks you would get health benefits at 20 hours and bring home $500/mo - enough to get by. Many people have put themselves through school working at Starbucks.</p>
<p>My sister and I went into the office today. Turns out that asking for the tax returns is just a standardized recommendation for any meeting over an income certification. I didn’t get them, but in my specific case they weren’t necessary. The whole thing was hilariously overblown. The school made it look like they were freaking out about the confidential financial data and wanted it disclosed, but that wasn’t it. Their issue was when my mother said my stepdad had workman’s comp. I listed my parents as divorced and provided Mom’s information, and never mentioned my stepdad. Didn’t know I had to. So, the college didn’t know there was a stepdad. So, when she used the words “my husband” on the income certification, they couldn’t figure out who she was talking about. Now that it’s cleared up, there hopefully won’t be any more issues.</p>
<p>Are you living with your mother and step dad, or had you been at all in 2012? FAFSA only requires the income of the custodial parent, and if you even slept one night more at your dad’s place than your mother’s, in a calender year, he would be custodial parent for federal fin aid purposes, not your mother and step. Would your father’s income be favorable for future years?</p>
<p>My father wasn’t in the picture at all in 2012. At that point, I hadn’t seen him in 9 years. As for as this current FAFSA is concerned, he is irrelevant, as we didn’t establish contact until 2013. His income will be favorable for financial aid purposes. He gets a full Pell grant for his own education. If he qualifies, I qualify when living with him.</p>
<p>I lived with my mom and stepdad two months in 2012.</p>
<p>I just checked my account on the college website. My information has been processed, and I will recieve the maximum Pell grant. I have also been offered loans and work study. I think I’ll attempt to find a work study job, but I don’t see any financial need for the loans at this point in time. The combination of AB540 waiver, BOG waiver, and Pell grant covers my costs.</p>