<p>In fear that my parents will (very likely) cut me off from all contact with them after the fall semester beings what precautions should I take at financing my education? I so far have settled that I will be attending a large public whose costs are about $25,000 per year.</p>
<p>With my parents' income being grotesquely low, I'm wondering if their decision to never speak to me again will even affect my financial aid. Our EFC is 0 and will continue to be zero unless my father somehow wins the lottery (unlikely as he doesn't even play).</p>
<p>Pell Grant (5350)</p>
<p>Cal Grant-- I'm not sure how much this is since A and B are different and I don't know for which I will qualify yet (if I do).</p>
<p>UC Grant (10,000)</p>
<p>This will not be enough for the COA, and I was wondering if I would qualify for loans or if I would need my parents' assistance to do so. I'm not really familiar with loans. And would my financial aid change even if I have the information necessary to fill out the FAFSA on my parents' behalf as I've been doing for the past two years already?</p>
<p>Will my parents' refusal to speak to me again affect my financial aid?</p>
<p>As a freshman, you’ll qualify for $5500 of Stafford loans (likely $3500 subsidized, $2K unsub). With a 0 EFC, the school may also give you additional subsidized loans like the Perkins - amount depends on the school since they have only a fixed pool of this money to work with every year. If you ask get your parents to apply for a PLUS loan (they don’t have to actually accept it) and, if they are denied, you’ll qualify for an additional $4K in Stafford unsubsidized loans. That’s probably it for loans you can get without a cosigner.</p>
<p>It will be tough for you if your parents are serious about cutting you out of their lives. I’m so sorry this is happening to you. Are you at risk of becoming homeless? If so, please look carefully at the requirements on this document for being declared an independent student (bottom of page 3). It wouldn’t have an effect on your EFC as it’s already 0, but might remove the problem of how to file FAFSA in future years. Note that FAA’s can exercise professional judgement in this area, so do speak to your college if this becomes an issue in the future. Good luck!</p>
<p><a href=“http://ifap.ed.gov/efcformulaguide/attachments/111408EFCFormulaGuide0910.pdf[/url]”>http://ifap.ed.gov/efcformulaguide/attachments/111408EFCFormulaGuide0910.pdf</a></p>
<p>Yes, you will have a big problem if your parents cut you off. Without their financial information, how will the FAFSA be completed? Without the FAFSA you are not entitled to any of the government aid you are getting and the same goes for most all financial aid.</p>
<p>stressed - how are you doing?</p>