<p>I am 18 years old and when I first turned 18 last June my parents kicked me out for not having the same beliefs as the,. Now that I go to get financial aid and fill out the fasfa, it seems to be increasingly difficult. I put on my fasfa that I am homeless or at risk for being homeless because I cannot support myself (I only work part time) and I do not have a place of my own. I currently live with my boyfriend (and although I doubt it, our relationship could end at any point in time and I would be homeless) and since June I have moved around quite frequently. My issue is proving that I am an independent and/or proving that I am homeless or at risk of being homeless. My fasfa cannot be completed till I have proof that all the above is true and I don't know how to prove it. Any help would be great! Thanks. </p>
<p>If you are still in high school, your guidance counselor can help you with the paperwork for a homeless status. You might also qualify for free lunch, and that helps on your FAFSA too.</p>
<p>If you have graduated, I think you are just like a lot of other 18 year olds - just poor.</p>
<p>I understand that as an 18 year old I am gunna be the poorest person on the face of the planet. But how do I prove I am independent. Since your parents are technically supposed to pay for you education until a certain age</p>
<p>For FAFSA purposes, you aren’t independent until you are 24, married, in the military, have a child to support (and do support that child). Are you any of those things? Having your parents throw you out doesn’t mean anything to FAFSA.</p>
<p>If you are still in high school, one of the ways to also be independent (or at least considered in a different way) is to be homeless. Being homeless as an adult (out of high school) doesn’t help.</p>
<p>The way one can verify homelessness is moving into a shelter, going regularly to the soup kitchen and other hang outs where the homeless go, being on the homeless rolls. It’s not easy to be homeless, walking that walk is a tough one, full of risks. You are not homeless right now. You have a place to live. If your boyfriend asks you to leave and you have no friends or family to take you in, and you start looking for the shelter system your area, you’d know who would verify that you are homeless–those who run those systems know who has been in their shelters.</p>
<p>It’s a tough and unfair way this system works IMO and I wish there would be someone who would sue the Financial aid gurus for this definition of independence. When you are 18, your parents are not a bit responsible for you. They do not have to provide a roof over your head, food on your plate, nothing. Don’t have to pay for your education either or even provide their financial info so you can get any financial aid Yet you are still dependent by the college and financial aid system right up to the federal government, and need parental info to get consideration for aid. Ridiculous, but that’s the way it works.</p>
<p>I suggest you find out how the homeless, soup kitchen network operates in your area. Do some volunteer work there, and get to know the people, let them know your situation, as you become involved. In time, you can let them know how close you are to being homeless. In time as they get to know you, they may be wiling to attest that you are. Right now saying that you are in danger of being homeless when you don’t know a soul in that system or what’s out there, not part of that community, is going to be a tough sell. </p>
<p>Well this just sucks. I’m never gunna go to college.</p>
<p>If you have a home, you are not homeless. Move into a homeless shelter. </p>
<p>There’s a specific criterion for being considered “at risk” of being homeless which is this:</p>
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<p>If you think you’re truly at risk, you need to meet with someone who is qualified to make that official determination for you. You don’t need to actually move into a homeless shelter for this determination to be made.</p>
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The OP turned 18 prior to July 1, 2013 and therefore is not a “youth.” Unfortunately for the OP, the unaccompanied youth criterion does not apply.</p>
<p>Correction - it appears the “youth” designation applies through age 21. Perhaps the OP should visit a center and inquire.</p>
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<p>Actually, youth in this context means under 21.</p>
<p>* Youth means you are 21 years of age or younger or you are still enrolled in high school as of the day you sign this application.*</p>
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<p>There are a lot of different definitions of homeless, and simply having a place to stay doesn’t mean that someone isn’t homeless. If the OP is long-term living with her boyfriend then she’s not homeless, nor necessarily at risk for being homeless. But if the OP is temporarily staying with her boyfriend, she could be considered homeless.</p>
<p>Here’s how the FAFSA defines homeless:</p>
<p>Homeless means lacking fixed, regular and adequate housing. You may be homeless if you are living in shelters, parks, motels or cars, or temporarily living with other people because you have nowhere else to go. Also, if you are living in any of these situations and fleeing an abusive parent you may be considered homeless even if your parent would provide support and a place to live.</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“https://fafsa.ed.gov/fotw1415/help/fotw91f.htm]Here[/url”>https://fafsa.ed.gov/fotw1415/help/fotw91f.htm]Here[/url</a>] is the relevant question on the FAFSA. OP might very well be considered at risk for being homeless, but she would have to get a director of a youth center to verify.</p>
<p>You should talk with your parents to see if they will file the FAFSA. It doesn’t obligate them to pay anything. It will just give you access to any Pell you may be entitled to or student loan. It might help you to start at some inexpensive or community college. </p>
<p>If someone were to talk to your parents, would the parents say you are welcome to move back home? If so, this could be viewed as a choice by you to move out. </p>
<p>“I wish there would be someone who would sue the Financial aid gurus for this definition of independence.” The “financial aid gurus” are Congress. Good luck.</p>
<p>Aid officers do have the authority to do a dependency override if the situation warrants it. If this does not fit the allowable conditions for override — dictated by Congressional rule making — the aid officer cannot do the override. </p>
<p>I agree that situations like OP’s are unfortunate; however, I suspect the number negatively impacted is less than the number who were able to declare themselves independent & get Pell prior to tightening the dependency rules. The truth is, there are a number of situations in the way financial aid works that are unfortunate (or seem unfair) — but that is what happens when you have a huge program that needs lots of rules & regulations. It just can’t be fair for everyone. That is not to say that I am unsympathetic … just that I’m not sure what the solution would be.</p>
<p>Yes, I’d love to see some upturn of the definition of “independence” right up to the Supreme Court . Wish I were young and energetic enough to do this. </p>
<p>The problem with getting an override is that it differs widely from school to school, fin aid offcer to officer as to how they view these things. Some schools get inundated with such appeals, I would gather. The definition of “abuse” in terms of parental can vary. Proof? Unless there are police reports of abuse and evidence, hard to ascertain. I’ve known many, many kids who would consider their parents abusive. But few that can be so proven. </p>
<p>Kelsmom, I know you once worked with UG fin aid. Would someone in this case, living with boyfriend, little or no contact with parents who will likely refuse to have anything to do with supporting the child, would this be a good case for independence at, say, your old school? I’ve known some kids in the midwest who got indepenent standing , it seemed, quite easily. Here, not so easy, I am told.</p>
<p>I would not consider this, as presented, to be within the parameters of what is allowed for a dependency override. There is often more to the story than what is on the surface, though, and that is what I would explore with the student. Circumstances that led to the rift with the parents are important, and students don’t always share the “real” story without some prompting. We required students to “lay it bare,” and that sometimes led to more info than we heard to start with. The “not having the same beliefs” thing is something that should be explored with the aid officer. Sometimes this is a really big deal (other times not).</p>