<p>First of all, privates that meet need w/o big loans often require BOTH parents income info. </p>
<p>What you’ve described about your co-worker really only works in public states like Calif, NY, etc, which don’t use NCP info and have generous state aid to supplement fed aid. Other publics in many other states would likely gap the heck out of them.</p>
<p>If your co-workers’ D goes to a NY public, yes, she’ll probably get a lot of aid. But, if she were to go to - say - Columbia, she would not, because it would ask for both parents income info . </p>
<p>And, if she were to go to a private that only asks for FAFSA, she’d likely be widely gapped.</p>
<p>I am 27, my wife is 39. Her son, 22, was raised with her grandparents his whole life, and he lives there most of the time. They also have always claimed him on their tax return. I married her when her son was 18, largely not wanting to be on the hook for the child if things did not work out (have to think about these things…). However, I was told that MY income is expected to be used for calculation of his financial aid. I make good money, but have not had years to aquire any significant wealth (after all i graduated only 5 years ago, when I was his age).</p>
<p>She does not make much and I am thinking I probably should not have married when I did, and just waited 10 years) because I may be on the hook for his college education.</p>
<p>I have always said I would gladly help with education if he gets the degree, and lives on his own (independance, seems a loooonng way away); after all, we will save lots of $$ on the electric bill :-).</p>
<p>My case is unusual - I would love to know if anyone has a somewhat similiar situation. It’s odd because if he wants to have any hope to a college education someone who is still paying his own student loans, a mortgage, and bills (insurance, car, wifes car, etc) is now responsible for more. You do a good thing (bring more stability into a young mans life) and the government basically says, thanks for bringing US more financial stability, sucks for you…</p>
<p>I am thinking about buying a lot of physical gold and burying it somewhere so the government doesn’t end up screwing me again.</p>
<p>stepparent, as you probably know, no one can force any parent or step to pay for college…so you actually aren’t on the hook at all. Yes, FAFSA will require your income and your wife’s to be used until the year that the young man turns 24. But he can either choose to delay his education, borrow, or work/get scholarships to cover the EFC. Is he just starting college now?</p>