Confused about my legal options in terms of financial aid.

Paying for College
1

<p>Hello : D</p>

<p>I live with my Grandpa and had lived with him for 8 years now(ever since i moved to the U.S.).</p>

<p>BUT! officially my Dad is my parent and i SHOULD live with him. The thing is i had never actually lived with him and i don't even talk to him much.</p>

<p>I am in Brooklyn College now and i had never even filled out FAFSA because i always assumed i would not get any aid. (he makes ~120, 000). And my mom is in Ukraine so she doesn't count.</p>

<p>Right now i am sick of this crappy college and i want to go to something better like Stony Brook or Buffalo because i will probably not afford private schools. I would love to go to Columbia though! </p>

<p>But then it hit me. Do i really need to put him on my application? I mean i am part of the cuny system as a New York resident and he is in Connecticut. </p>

<p>My Grandpa makes 0 income (he lives on aid from the government) so if i only put him i will probably get all the aid i need. </p>

<p>Anyways, my question is - should i try to apply to private colleges/fill out Fafsa and try to hide him? What can i do in my situation? He will not pay anything for my education! And i really want to go to a private university. </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>You would have to speak with a financial aid counselor about your situation. Legally your father and mother is responsible for paying for your schooling NOT your grandparents.</p>

3

<p>Unless your grandfather has adopted you legally, you must put the information about your father on FAFSA. There is no other alternative. To lie or try to "hide" him or your mother (regardless of the fact that she's out of the country; she's still your mother) is a federal offense. </p>

<p>However, some schools are willing to consider extenuating circumstances such as yours and exercise their own judgment in awarding their own (non-federal) funds. You should speak to the financial aid office of any school to which you want to apply, such as Columbia, and discuss your situation in detail with them.</p>

<p>Good luck to you!</p>

4

<p>FAFSA does not accept Grandparent information unless the Grandparent has adopted you. Where parents are divorced you usually put the parent you live with the most. If you live with neither more than the other you put the parent who financially supports you most. It sounds like you will have to put your father's information. Do not try and 'hide him' as this is fraud and could lead to large legal penalties (fines and/or imprisonment). It may be possible for you to ask the school for a dependency override, which would mean you would be considered independent for FAFSA. They are quite hard to come by but it is worth asking. But you have to file FAFSA first then talk to the school. Only they can do the override.</p>

<p>One thing to be cautious of - for many States your residency for in-state tuition usually depends on your parent's State of residence. For instance, recently a poster to CC discovered that he was not considered in-state for Florida because his parents were not Florida residents. He had lived with his sibling and gone to high school there so thought he would be in-state for tuition. You may want to check the rules for NY.</p>

<p>Many private schools require CSS/profile in addition to FAFSA. They will require your father's financial information (and spouse if there is one) and your mothers financial information (and spouse if there is one). Her being in Ukraine does not mean she does not count for CSS/profile. Again you can ask about an override for the requirement for parent information. </p>

<p>A parent's unwillingness to pay is not regarded as sufficient reason for an override. Your other family circumstances may or may not be considered sufficient. You will not know until you ask.</p>

5

<p>You didn't really say whether either parent contributed to your financial support or not.</p>

<p>Do you have contact with your mom and does she support you financially in any way?</p>

<p>You say you rarely talk to your dad. Does HE support you financially in any way?</p>

<p>If neither supports you financially then I think you should definitely talk to some financial aid counselors about getting a dependancy override. I am not an expert and have no experience with that sort of thing, but from what I've read, if you can get documentation somehow stating that you are estranged from your parents you might have a shot at being declared an independent student. Definitely worth looking in to. But absolutely speak with someone in financial aid at the college you're currently attending or one of the ones you'd like to attend.</p>

6

<p>I do not understand what are you confused about.</p>

<p>In a previous post, you wrote:</p>

<p>
[quote]
My father is making about 120 000 a year and that means i am not getting any financial aid. And he refuses to pay more then 4000 a year for my college.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Somewhere along the line you knew that if your dad made $120k that your chances of getting FA were nil and since your dad stated that he would only pay 4k applying for FA was a non-issue.</p>

<p>unless your dad is going to pay the full freight at SUNY (making 120k a year not only are you going to pay full freight, but you are also going to be considered OOS). </p>

<p>
[quote]
Eligibility Basics
At SUNY’s State-operated campuses (University Centers, University Colleges, and Technology Colleges), students are generally considered New York State residents if they have established their domicile in New York State for at least twelve months prior to the last day of the registration period of a particular term.</p>

<p>Generally, individuals who have maintained their domicile in New York for a period of fewer than twelve months prior to the end of registration are presumed to be out-of-state residents and are not eligible for the resident tuition rate. </p>

<p>*Individuals who are financially dependent and whose custodial parent(s) lives in a state other than New York are generally not eligible for the resident tuition rate. However, students of divorced or legally separated parents may acquire a New York State domicile if the custodial parent is a New York State resident or if the student resides with a non-custodial parent who is a New York State resident and the student intends to continue to reside with that parent throughout their attendance at SUNY. *</p>

<p>Individuals do not meet the twelve-month residency requirement if domiciled in New York State primarily to attend college. </p>

<p>

[/quote]
</p>

<p>You will not be considered an in-state resident, because your parents do not live in-state. </p>

<p>As others have stated, if you apply to private schools that use the CSS profile, you will need to submit income/asset information form both your parents, regardless of where they live and spouses (if applicable).</p>