My grandmother, 81, has been my legal guardian since I was two. She only receives social security and is not required to pay taxes or fill out a tax return to the IRS (her gross income equals $0 since she only lives off SS). My biological parents do not provide any form of child support. To my understanding I have to fill out as an independent on the FASFA. Does this mean I will have a less likely chance of receiving any aid because they don’t know the financial situation or income of my home? I’m confused on how to go about this. Also, when it ask if I want to fill out information about my parents, do I need to because I can’t answer all the questions like what’s their social security number or email address. I don’t even know my mothers address and my dads in jail. Thanks for helping!
No, you don’t have the right understanding at all. It is usually a huge advantage to be able to file as independent. I will write more… open this again in a few minutes.
When you are qualified to file as an Independent student it means you do not list parents or guardian information. This all has nothing to do with them claiming you as a dependent or providing support. When you fill out the FAFSA you will answer YES to this question and it will skip asking parent questions:
–Does someone other than your parent or stepparent have legal guardianship of you, as determined by a court in your state of legal residence?
Now this does not at all mean you will have less likely chance of aid. This just means you are eligible to get more aid. But not all colleges give more aid. At the minimum, it sounds like you will get federal aid of
–5.775 Pell Grant
–5,500 Student Loan
Any other aid has to come from State or College aid.
Are you a SR? or JR?
@BrownParent Thanks so much for replying! I’m a senior in highschool and I have already been accepted to the college I plan to attend. What am I suppose to put down for my income? I have a part-time job and I only work weekends.
OK, well since you are an independent student (you answer YES to this–Does someone other than your parent or stepparent have legal guardianship of you, as determined by a court in your state of legal residence?) then for your income you put your own income. You get a pay stub, yes? then you would see your total income for the year on that stub.
- How much did you make in 2015?
- What is the college you plan to go to? I need to see if they will give you much money
- How do you plan to pay for this college? Many colleges cannot give you enough aid if you don't pay most/all
Plan to file taxes for 2015. This way you will get a refund and you will get a reliable record of your income for schools.
ps I will have to go to bed soon and I am gone for a day. Other people here will help you. You can always Private Message me too and I will be glad to help.
Have you tried the Net Price Calculator for the school you plan to attend? Can you commute to it from home?
Univ of North Alabama - Boarding
Estimated tuition and fees: $9,974
Estimated room and board: $8,000
Estimated books and supplies: $1,300
Estimated other expenses: $2,800 (Personal expenses, transportation, etc.)
Estimated total price of attendance: $22,074
Estimated grant aid: $5,775
Estimated net price: $16,299
Plus they will give a bit of scholarship money, I don’t know the student’s stats but say 3,000 for 3.3 plus ACT 24 Hopefully student can commute from home.
Also Cecil, of the costs you only pay the school directly the tuition and/or the room and board. The rest are estimates of what you need in your pocket to purchase stuff.
So if you commute from home, you just pay 9974 - 5775 = 4,200 or 2,100 each semester. Plus you would need books of about 650 each semester and you can save on that by buying used or renting them. Maybe end up spending a few hundred. Your school has a payment plan where you can spread payments out monthly, but it costs $60.
Before we jump the gun, seeking clarification:
Are you in U.S. court ordered legal guardianship or did your parent(s) appoint their parent as your legal guardian to enroll you in school, make medical decisions for you etc?
Unless you were in court ordered legal guardianship (and you will have to present the court papers to the college), you will not be considered in legal guardianship. If this is the case, then you will have to provide the income assets of your parent (s) on the FAFSA.
@sybbie719 it was a court ordered legal guardianship
OK. make sure that you have copies of your court papers because you will have to send a copy to each school.