I am a senior in high school and I currently live with my mother and stepfather. They make around 110,000 a year and so our EFC is around 20,000. They are not willing to pay anything for my education.
I’m exploring other options, but one option has been to find a way to be able to use my father’s income on the FAFSA. He makes around 35,000 a year, so at FAFSA-only in-state schools, I would be eligible for a lot more aid. I’m wondering what possible ways there are to be able to use him on the FAFSA.
I understand I wouldn’t be able to live with my mom, but would I have to live with him? He lives in a rural area five hours from my mom, and there isn’t even a decent community college near him. Could I live on my own, and provided he gave me more financial support than my mom, would I be eligible to use him on the FAFSA?
You keep a record of it in a day planner/calendar, and you use your dad’s address as your permanent address for bank accounts, tax return, tuition bill, etc. Because you live there for most of the time when not living at school.
Don’t start asking about things that sound like you are considering fraud.
You would be able to live with your mother. Just not half time or more. You set up housekeeping at your father’s place and make it your primary residence.
The thing is, if he lives so far away, it may come up for verification, how you are commuting to school, getting to work, when you supposedly are spending more nights five hours away from all of the things that are documented as part of your life. It’s a bit easier to do, if the parents live within an easy drivable distance from each other.
You can’t live at some third location and “say” that you are living with your dad more than half the time. You actually need to do so.
If it were me, I would change my mailing address, drivers license, voter registration records, and the like to dad’s address, and plan to be there the bulk of the time when you are not at college.
Also, you will most definitely be selected for verification if you do this because your need based financial aid gain could be significant. Colleges WILL want documentation that this is not a pretend residency for financial aid gain…which is fraud.
I understand that I would actually need to stay with him more than my mother, and I understand that I will likely be selected for verification if I choose this route. It’s just an option, and I’m just trying to see what procedures would need to be taken.
I agree with thumper1. Before you uproot your life, make sure that all of this hassle is actually worth it. If you need close to a full ride to attend college, it might not be; most state universities pretty much only dole out state and federal need-based aid – they don’t have a lot of cash of their own to give out so even if your EFC was 0 or close to it you wouldn’t necessarily get help with the full cost of attendance. I would research the specific schools to see what aid is available using only your father’s income now, bearing in mind that 1) most schools that only use FAFSA don’t promise to meet full need and 2) most schools that do provide generous aid packages have the CSS Profile or some other supplemental forms.
I checked the net price with the two schools I would considering going to should I take this route - University of Washington and Western Washington University - and it is less than 5,000 a year. It is essentially my contribution based on my assets, which I can certainly afford.
Still weighing options obviously. I just called Grinnell today and explained other circumstances and they are reviewing my award and should get back to me within a week.
Is your Dad paying child support? If so, you need to have a very calm but firm talk with mom and stepdad. You’ll discover that many people remarry for the benefits that attach but don’t want to “man up” to the associated responsibility.
Otherwise, you’re just stuck. Mom and stepdad provided the lifestyle you’ve become accustomed to living. It is what it is.
Do talk to your mother and stepfather about the American Opportunity Tax Credit and see if they will give some consideration for that. They can get that tax credit for amounts paid towards college cost. It’s found money. Read up on it, try to understand it, and discuss it.