FAFSA Question Relating to Number of College Students in Household

Paying for College
1

<p>I'm asking a question for my mom who is filling out my sister's FAFSA.</p>

<p>Regarding this FAFSA question:
How many people in your parents' household will be college students between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2011?</p>

<p>My sister is a full-time student...so that would obviously be 1.</p>

<p>I am a part-time high school student (junior), but attend a community college half- to full-time. Would I count too? If it matters, some of the credits I earn are dual-enrollment credits, but most are not and will be trasferred to my state university if I choose to attend.</p>

<p>Thank you.</p>

2

<p>I don’t believe you would count as a college student if you are still in HS. Even though you are taking college classes you are still considered a HS students and generally a HS student taking CC classes is not considered a degree seeking student and therefore is not a college student for FAFSA. If you are not eligible to complete a FAFSA for yourself then you are not eligible to be considered a college student on your sibling’s FAFSA.</p>

3

<p>No, you don’t count. It’s only your sister.</p>

4

<p>Thank you, scm and juliette.</p>

<p>I am working on my AA degree, and will have it finished during my senior year, so would I not be considered a “degree-seeking student?”</p>

<p>This is from the FAFSA site:
Do include:
Yourself, even if you will attend college less than half-time in 2010-2011.
Other people in your parents’ household only if they will attend college, at least half-time, in a program that leads to a college degree or certificate in 2010-2011. </p>

<p>I think you are both correct, in the “spirit” of what FAFSA is trying to determine, but we are now truly wondering about the working used.</p>

5

<p>For you to be eligible for federal financial aid you would have to have a HS diploma or a GED. I am assuming you do not have either as you are a HS student. As you are not eligible for FAFSA then I don’t believe you can be included on your sister’s FAFSA.</p>

<p>It might be an idea for your mom to ask an FA officer at your sister’s school. In the end they will be the one that makes the final determination. They are usually quite helpful (the ones I have dealt with anyway).</p>

6

<p>Not having a diploma and not even being able to file for FAFSA…that makes perfect sense.</p>

<p>My mom is smiling because she now can move on with the application.
She says thank you!!</p>

7

<p>I have a qn on these lines. I am doing part time MBA . My son is a senior and will be in college on Fall 2010. Can I count myself also a college student? I am taking 12 credit hrs in 2010.</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

8

<p>No. A parent cannot count themselves as one in college on their student’s FAFSA. FAFSA specifically says this. If you do FAFSA for yourself you can include your son as one in college on your FAFSA. But you cannot be on his.</p>

9

<p>From the FAFSA Instructions:
<a href=“http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/siteresources/CompletingtheFAFSA10-11.pdf[/url]”>http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/attachments/siteresources/CompletingtheFAFSA10-11.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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</p>

<p>I am not aware of any requirement that someone needs to have a hs diploma or GED in order to receive Federal Financial Aid.</p>

<p>It would be prudent to ask the financial aid counselor at the college. I believe that there is some restriction on dual enrollment credits - but that is just off the top of my head.</p>

10

<p>[FAFSA</a> - Free Application for Federal Student Aid](<a href=“http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/faq003.htm]FAFSA”>http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/faq003.htm)</p>

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<p>I don’t think you can be included. But I agree you should ask the FA officer to be 100% sure. As I said above, they are generally very helpful.</p>

11

<p>The high school student definitely cannot be included. The mom also cannot be included in kid’s financial aid # in college … but the kid can be included in mom’s # in college. :)</p>

12

<p>gotcha - my memory is probably very faulty but I dont recall there being a question on the FAFSA about having a diploma or GED.
Is this is why homeschooled kids take the GED?
I think what threw me is that she said not all her credit were dual enrollment.</p>

13

<p>There is a question on the FAFSA asking you to select one of three options: High school diploma, GED, or homeschooled.</p>

<p>Homeschooled students (mine were both homeschooled, now in college) used to sometimes be told by colleges they had to take the GED. It was not then, and is not now, true. Before “homeschooled” was one of the options (along with diploma and GED) they also had the option of taking something like the COMPASS test --this is a short placement exam that a lot of community colleges use-- or they could check “diploma” if they completed a course of secondary ed in a homeschool setting that was in accordance with any homeschooling laws in their state of residence. Some states have stringent requirements, some none, so you can imagine how irregular that all got.</p>

<p>It was all a little confusing (college FA offices would tell you a myriad of different things if you asked), but since they added the “homeschooled” option to the list it’s much simpler now.</p>

<p>But no, homeschoolers do not need to take the GED unless they are applying for some program that requires it. Some apprenticeship programs in the building trades do, for example. But for college admissions more generally, no, it’s not a requirement, nor is it a requirement for filing the FAFSA.</p>

<p>This has nothing really to do with the OP’s question, just a tangent based on Justamom’s post. ;)</p>