<p>You’ll be a 0 EFC whether you are a dependent or independent student. You just have to answer the questions as asked. Unfortunately, the 2014 FAFSA is based on 2013 income for your father, his 2013 taxes. If he doesn’t have anyone to prepare his 2013 taxes, he’ll have to get a court appointed conservator. If he has a social worker at his nursing home, perhaps that person can help you with setting that up.</p>
<p>The 2014 FAFSA will be based on the 2013 earnings of the OP’s father if the student is dependent AND would then have to go into an over ride professional judgement situation by the financial aid director iif the father did have income in 2013. and currently has assets, Until someone actually does file the taxes, the paperwork can be stalled since this is a whole new school for the OP so the taxe return or verification would have to be done before aid can be given out, most likely. So those are some reasons why it would be preferable for the OP to be able to file as independent. </p>
<p>The other reason is that even if all the paperwork is done all quickly and the EFC is zero with no hitch, as an independent student the OP can get more Direct Student loans in her own name, as independent students have a higher ceiling.</p>
<p>Please forgive me for being very crude here, but I want to cut to the chase. The fact that your father is very ill, may be on Medicaid, has little in the way of asset and may actually be expected to die soon, also means that if he can take out PLUS (Direct Parent Loans) for you and your sister as dependents still, if he passes away or is unable to pay those loans, they would have no effect on you since you don’t have to sign. This is a very crass thing for me to say, but a pragmatic thing. I know two young women, my oldest son’s peers, whose father borrowed every cent of their very expensive education at a top LAC, because he was an older dad and had a cancer diagnosis that was terminal, rapidly so, he was told. And he did die a couple of years after his younger daughter graduated. Over $400k in PLUS were forgiven because those loans are parent based only, not co-signed. This is all legitimate, and no job, salary is taken into consideration. There can be no outstanding bills on the credit report that is used that are over 60(?) or 90 (?), I dont know for sure listed–you can find out what credit report is used. No score is used, just if there are any outstanding balances on that report. </p>
<p>So this is something to digest and discuss. Again, my apologies for going into some “out there” area, but this is a viable, legitimate possibility to consider. </p>
<p>My father does not qualify for Parent PLUS. He has serious debt owed to the government even though he worked for them as a drug counselor in federal prisons for over 30 years. I don’t know how much he owes but I do know that he was denied a parent plus loan because of this. </p>
<p>Then, in your case, the simplest way to go, is as an independent if you can so qualify. That way you don’t have to be tied up waiting until his tax returns are filed and you automatically qualify for an extra $5K of Student Direct loans without having you father apply and get turned down for PLUS which is what dependent students have to have a parent do. </p>
<p>You do not become independent even when your father is no longer supporting you or is unable to support. There are specific requirements to be deemed independent, and that is that. Being at risk for being homeless is one such criterion. </p>