<p>I am going to be a senior in high school next year and going to be applying for college, my question is when applying for financial aid I am not sure what to do. I live with my dad and my stepmom. My dad and mom barely make any money, my mom is back at community college at the moment, and my dad is a mechanic whose business is drastically struggling. My stepmom however makes around 110 thousand a year. My question is how does this come into play i dont want to put a huge burden of college when she is not my mom that wouldn't be fair, even though we are close. So how would i fill out the FAFSA form</p>
<p>You fill out FAFSA using the financial information of the parent with whom you live with most, along with that parent’s spouse if he/she is remarried. Since you live with your father, you’d use his information plus that of your stepmother. It doesn’t matter for FAFSA who makes more or less money in your case. What matters is who you’ve lived with most in 2011.</p>
<p>Since colleges consider your step mom’s income for financial aid purposes, you might be better off seeking large merit scholarships over need based financial aid.</p>
<p>*I live with my dad and my stepmom. *</p>
<p>So, the family income (dad and stepmom) is what is put on FAFSA. Your dad benefits from his wife’s income…that’s why it counts. Your dad isn’t paying the rent by himself, he’s not buying the groceries by himself, etc. </p>
<p>Since with your SM and dad’s incomes you won’t qualify for much/any aid, you need to look at schools where your stats will give you merit scholarships.</p>
<p>What are your stats?</p>
<p>BTW…don’t be too upset at all of this. Fed aid from FAFSA isn’t a lot of money and is for low income people. Your dad’s income alone may have been too high for free fed aid anyway. And, most schools don’t meet need either.</p>
<p>If your mom lives near you, is there any chance you spend more time with her such that you spend more than half the time with her? To get up to 183 days at her house? </p>
<p>btw, you are not putting any burden on your SM. All the forms do is determine how much federal aid you get – no parent or stepparent is obligated to pay for your education (absent a court order, unlikely in your sitch, and that would only apply to parents.). </p>
<p>Federal aid many not be much, but my guess is mom would qualify Some states also have aid for low income kids.</p>
<p>O Ok thank you, yeah i figured i may have to take more of the merit based root which hopefully i will qualify for. I live primarily with my dad dont spend 183 total days with my mom. My stats are 4.69 weighted 4.44 indexed. 3.95 indexed and 2130 SAT.</p>