FAFSA - undergrad and grad student in family

Paying for College
1

<p>son one is graduating college in May and has applications in for graduate school. He is 22 and filing the FAFSA as an independent student.
son two is graduating high school. he has two acceptances and awaits a few more in April -all small liberal arts colleges.</p>

<p>I called the two accepted schools and they said that son one should be counted on the FAFSA as both a family member (on our taxes) and a college student.</p>

<p>Can son one file his own information for graduate school funds - basically has zero income and zero in the bank, at the same time I list him as a family member and in college? </p>

<p>Any know or know who I can call to ask?</p>

2

<p>Unless he meets the requirements of FAFSA to be an independent student (over 24, married, veteran, parent, etc.), he cannot file on his own, regardless of whether you claim him as a dependent on your taxes or not. He is not an independent student, and I believe that for FAFSA purposes is considered a "college student" just as if he were an undergraduate (with appropriate edits for year attending, degrees earned, and such).</p>

3

<p>Actually one of the dependency questions is </p>

<p>
[quote]
At the beginning of the 2007-08 school year, will you be working on a master's or doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, Ph.D., EdD, or graduate certificate, etc.)?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>and if the answer is yes then the students is considered independant for their own FAFSA. For the siblings FAFSA the independant student can (I think) still be considered as part of the total family number so long as parents are paying half of his support. Number in parents household includes:</p>

<p>
[quote]
Your parents' other children, if your parents will provide more than half of their support from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008 or if the other children could answer "No" to every question in Questions 48-55

[/quote]
</p>

<p>
[quote]
Support includes money, gifts, loans, housing, food, clothes, car payments or expenses, medical and dental care, and payment of college costs.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>as for whether you can include the independant son as a college student on the dependant son's FAFSA.</p>

<p>
[quote]
67. Number of college students in parents' household. This question asks about the number of household members who, in 2007-08, are or will be enrolled in a postsecondary school. Count yourself as a college student. Include others only ** if they will be attending at least half time in an approved program during 2007-08 that leads to a degree or certificate at a postsecondary school eligible to participate in any of the federal student aid programs.**

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Is the graduate program eligible for federal aid programs? I am not at that stage yet so don't know. I know it is not eligible for pell etc but maybe is for some of the loan programs? If so my interpretation would be that you can include him - but I am not an expert. Can you check with younger son's schools? I personally would assume yes - the school will soon tell you if it is no when you provide proof of son's enrollment.</p>

4

<p>As with everything else individual mileage may vary. While the fafsa will consider your son to be an independent student because he has completed his bachelors, the school may not (especially if he is looking to attending law /medical school which have different dependency age requirements).</p>

<p>Graduate students are eligible for federal aid in the form of subsidized and unsubsidized loans as the loan max for grad school increases considerably to ~20k/yr. (in NYS they are eligible for tap if they have not used all their allocation time).</p>

5

<p>Hmm, I have learned that whether or not a grad student can count in financial aid is dependent on the fin aid dept of your UG student's school. So, that is easy, just ask them.</p>

<p>The other question is if the grad school student is independent- by definition, as filing for grad school = independent, then can he/she still be one of your dependents on the UG fafsa?? I don't know.</p>

<p>I would think, logically, if your grad student kid MUST be independent, by definition, for grad school FAFSA, yet they are still a dependent on your tax return, then maybe they could be a dependent on the UG kid's form???? Hopefully some one more informed will come along to answer us ;)</p>

6

<p>But being claimed as a dependant on your tax return is not necessary for dependancy on FAFSA. My son for instance earned to much last year for us to claim him as a dependant for taxes. However he meets all the criteria to be a dependant on FAFSA. Confused yet ;) I would agree with somemom - ask the school.</p>