Financial Aid for a dependent student without parents? (URGENT)

Paying for College
1

<p>Hi. I'm a high school senior applying to colleges for the 2013-2014 school year.</p>

<p>For the past year, I have been living with relatives. My mother is technically my guardian, but she has not provided for me since September 2012 (We both moved to Washington from VA. I stayed with my grandparents, she stayed with my sister.) Earlier this year she divorced my stepfather and moved across the country (again) to live with some guy she never met before. She's unemployed with no income, relying on the guy (I assume) for housing and other expenses.</p>

<p>I am in contact with my dad and can use his information for non-custodial parent forms, but I can't use my mother's. I can't even begin the CSS/Financial Aid Profile or FAFSA online without identifying my custodial parent. I don't have one. So I have no idea what to do.</p>

<p>I never applied to be an emancipated minor despite wanting to because my grandma thought it was pointless and consistently told me not to. This would be a lot easier if I had... :(</p>

<p>I have all these financial materials due by November 4 (post-mark date, I'm hoping,) in addition to a supplemental application in order to qualify for QuestBridge's National College Match. I already have my essays completed, the SAT scores and my transcripts sent, and I will have all the forms for the 2012 tax year (obtained from my step dad) by tomorrow. But I can't fulfill their other requirements. I was going to send a statement with a cover sheet signed by my grandparents explaining the situation. </p>

<p>Is this fruitless? How am I supposed to apply to college if I can't get financial aid?</p>

<p>Thanks for reading...</p>

2

<p>*2014-2015</p>

3

<p>If need-based aid is unavailable, see if you qualify for any large merit scholarships:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-20.html#post16451378[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-20.html#post16451378&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1461983-competitive-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-4.html#post16224918[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1461983-competitive-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships-4.html#post16224918&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation-56.html#post16465904[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation-56.html#post16465904&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

4

<p>Your custodial parent for financial aid purposes is not the same as your custodial parent for legal purposes. If you have spent one day more with your father in the past 12 months than you have with your mom, or if you spent the same amount of time with both of them but he provided one cent more for your expenses than she did, then he is your custodial parent for financial aid purposes.</p>

<p>Pick up the phone. Call your dad. Talk this over with him. If he can be your custodial parent for financial aid purposes, then your mom becomes the NCP and life just might turn out to be much easier for you.</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>