Help!!

Paying for College
1

<p>Hey, everyone. I'm new here, and I'm not usually one to ask for advice, but I don't know what else to do, or who else to ask. Before I ask, though, let me give you a little background on the situation.</p>

<p>I'm 20 years old and just recently decided to give college a go. My family is in completely support of this, and want me to make the best life for myself as possible. I've filled out the FAFSA, gotten most of my stuff together, found what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, and am incredibly excited to begin school in January.</p>

<p>My girlfriend sees how excited I am for my future to begin, and was recently laid off from her job as a computer tech and has since expressed interest in going back to school. I've managed to get her really excited about her future, and the future we're going to make together. </p>

<p>She filled out her FAFSA today, and though she's been an independent (albeit staying with her parents for the time being because her father's sick), she's listed as a dependent. That's understandable, however, when she asked her parents for their social security numbers to complete her FAFSA, her mother went completely ballistic. To make a very, very, very long story short, her mother has always been incredibly controlling and vindictive, and after my girlfriend told her of her plan to go back to school and get her life together, her mom told her no one would help her, she'd "always be a failure," and refused to give her their SSN's to complete her FAFSA. </p>

<p>Now, my girlfriend is completely at a loss. She doesn't know what to do, and due to that, is losing hope in having an education and a future. Now, because I'm just starting school myself, I don't really know what she should do either.</p>

<p>I beg you now, dear reader, do tell: What can she do about paying for school? She's going to work part time and go to school part time, and pay for what she can herself, but she also knows she's going to need help.</p>

2

<p>According to the 2009-2010 Federal Student Aid Handbook:</p>

<p>Although students whose parents refuse support are not eligible
for a dependency override, the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) granted that such students may receive unsubsidized Stafford loans only.</p>

3

<p>Her first stop should be at the financial aid office, to find out the details of how she can file the FAFSA without her parents’ information, so that she can qualify for the student loan. While she is there, she needs to find out about any scholarships, grants, or other forms of aid that her college/university has for students like her. She should ask specifically whether there is aid other than federal loans for part-time students, and if there are scholarships she could possibly qualify for in the future that would be based on her grades and her major.</p>

<p>Truth be told, most students in the US do it exactly the way she is planning to do it: part time while working. It won’t be as easy, or as quick, as it could be if her parents were willing and able to help her pay for things, but she can indeed finish her degree.</p>

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