<p>Ok, so I completed a FAFSA and my EFC was 1100. I'm planning on going to a University of California, I used their estimator and it ended up being that my parents will have to fork out $20,000 from loans or from saving or what not. That after $7,000 in work and loans already that I have to contribute. Basically here is the layout:</p>
<p>That leaves ~$21,000 unresponded for? What do I do. Am I seriously going to have to rely on my parents that much? Also take into consideration that my parents earn a mere ~$33,000-$34,000 a year and due to the current economic crises that number will drop to about $25,000 dollars. What do I do? I'm really scared I wont be able to get my college education. Also, my parents are leaving to their country so I will be stuck here and forced to move to California if I wish to remain studying here. I leave in January to California and will be attending a Community College until I transfer to finish my degree. Is the same going to happen for Community College?</p>
<p>UC at 45k… so you’re an out of state student.</p>
<p>I hate to tell you this, but as an out of stater, you can’t expect much help out of the UC system. First… your out of state. The UC system is going to favor in state students with their primarily instate tax dollars. Second… Cali is in the midst of a serious financial meltdown and there just isn’t money available.</p>
<p>I highly recommend you take a step back and form another plan. If you can, delay another semester and plan on transferring fall of next year. Start a new college search right now and focus on non UC/Cal-State schools. Privates in CA would be a better bet as well.</p>
<p>You’ve got a very beneficial EFC, you just need to find schools that are going to help you with it. CA publics are not the place to go.</p>
<p>Hmmmm, that’s what I’ve heard, but I really don’t have an alternative. My parents are leaving to Mexico and I basically have to move with my aunt if I want to have any chance of staying afloat. I guess I could try and become a California resident first, attending Community College for one year, get a job (part-time to full-time), become independent for 2 years (not get claimed on 2011, or 2012 taxes by my parents), get a drivers license, register my car, pay for taxes and file for tax return come 2011, pay bills, get insurance, pay rent, etc. I don’t know if it will work but I will talk to UC admission offices and see what help I can get. There is really no other alternative. Since my parents are moving out of the country I will be stuck paying OOS here in my home state. I don’t what to do.</p>
<p>I can support myself through Community College.</p>
<p>I also need some advice:</p>
<p>If my parents still file me on their taxes (Mainly because I’m still 17 years old) can I get FinAID for the 2010/2011 school year without it affecting my become a permanent California resident? I guess I could call admissions offices at UC’s and explain to them in detail.</p>
<p>You will not have to pay OOS tuition in your home state, in most cases, if you begin school before your parents leave the state. That is probably your best bet.</p>
<p>Where are you coming up with $17K in grants and scholarships? That doesn’t seem right for an OOS student. You’d just get the Federal Pell if you qualify, maximum about $5K.</p>
Not necessarily true. Most states if you are a resident when you start school there you maintain that status if your parents move. I don’t know about all 50 states of course, so check your State rules, but I would be surprised if you would suddenly become OOS. Financially you are probably much better off staying in your home state. It is quite possible to support yourself through community college in your home state - much more so than as an OOS student in another state.</p>
<p>Your parents are not required to claim you as a dependent on their tax returns at all. No one is required to claim anyone as a dependent on a tax return. It may be beneficial to them taxwise to do so but they are not required to. You cannot claim yourself on a tax return as you do not provide enough of your support. But they do not have to claim you or anyone else if they do not choose to. Of course this may cause their taxes to increase. From looking at the CA rules their claiming you as a dependent could affect your applying for CA residency. But as you are not self supporting in 2009 anyway probably not.</p>
<p>Yes you can apply for aid for the 2009-2010 school year. It does not matter whether your parents claim you on their taxes or not. We have not claimed our son on our taxes for years as he was earning too much. When he returned to school he was and is still our dependent as far as FAFSA is concerned (until next year when he turns 24). Dependent for tax and dependent for financial aid are 2 separate things with different rules.</p>
<p>Would it be a good idea to contact the people in charged of FAFSA? This is really becoming a mess. We’ll see what comes up. I guess I will have to stop going to school for a year so I can earn enough money and become financially independent. If I go to school part time would that affect it, or just by working 40hrs/wk will be enough to constitute financial independence?</p>
Why? None of this has anything to do with FAFSA. FAFSA is just a form you complete to get the EFC. All this other stuff - residency etc - has absolutely no affect on your FAFSA EFC. The EFC will be the same wherever you go to school. The financial aid using the EFC is awarded to you by the school, not FAFSA.</p>
<p>No don’t call FAFSA about this. It would be a complete waste of your time and theirs.</p>
<p>You also have a bit of a catch 22 situation here. If you work full time to prove self sufficiency then you will have your own income to report on your FAFSA as well as your parents. So your EFC may go up, reducing your aid.</p>
<p>It really is not that much of a mess. You just need to realize that going to a CA school is not really a viable option for you financially any more than it is for my 2 kids, who are not CA residents (though one is thinking of going there for grad school).</p>
<p>The calculation does not sound right, as an OOS student all you would get in grants is the Pell if you qualify. They have, in the past, given some very top OOS students a few thousand dollars, but word is they will stop doing that this year due to the budget crisis.</p>
<p>Swimcatsmom gave good advice, it does not sound like a CA school is doable for you.</p>
<p>Staying here is not doable as well. If I stay here in my state of residency then I will probably not be able to sustain myself. Paying full rent by myself, bills, no assistance at all from anyone. I have to move to California its the only way I can at least have someone to help me out if I need it. My aunt(s). By the way, do I really have to include my parents on my FAFSA even if I want to claim myself as independent and they will provide no support for me? That doesn’t sound right? Why would I include my parents information if they wont be able to supply any money for me. They will be in Mexico and they will sustain themselves financially in Meixico. It’s not feasible for them to send money FROM Mexico over here, exchange rates are crazy and all I would be getting is maybe a few dollars. Even if I have to cut school for 1 year, its really the only option I have. I don’t have any support from my parents here where I live anymore. They are leaving because work here has gone down the DRAIN. they used to make nearly $50,000/year my dad alone but now he only makes/or is going make $25,000/year. He isn’t able to sustain himself and my mom anymore and has to leave.</p>
Yes you do. For financial aid purposes you are considered a dependent of your parents unless you can answer yes to one of the dependency questions (24 years old, married, a veteran, have a dependent of your own you provide >50% support for etc). Where your parents live and whether they support you financially is irrelevant. My son returned to school after dropping out and fully supporting himself for 2 1/2 years. For FAFSA he still had to report our financial information because he did not meet any of the criteria to be considered an independent student.</p>
<p>These are the same rules that apply to everyone seeking financial aid.</p>
<p>Why don’t you call an admissions counselor at whatever community college in California you wish to attend and ask them what it all means. I’d do the same for whichever CC is near your aunt. Go through the details with admissions and ask them how it will shake out. It’s also not clear to me whether you are finished with high school or will be finishing high school in California. I think your first issue is to determine if you will qualify for residency and resident rates. I fear if you start at any school as a non-resident you may not be able to change your residency mid-stream. You are asking questions about what aid you might qualify for at the same time you are asking questions about residency, you won’t know what your costs are until you determine whether you can gain residency or not. You can also consult a financial aid counselor at the CC and ask about how to report parental income for parents who are outside the US on your FAFSA. I just skimmed the messages but I don’t see whether your parents were US citizens or aliens so be prepared to answer that question if the college asks. Take a moment and compose your situation sincinctly and in first person e.g. I will be moving to California in such and such a month to live with my aunt and I am 17 years old. My parents are living in Mexico and do not contribute to my welfare. I will graduate or have graduated from high school in such and such state (you haven’t mentioned whether you are still in high school). Will I be considered a resident of California on such and such a date as I wish to attend your college. If I am not considered a resident what will I have to do to qualify for residency? Something like that. I suspect if you are going to be a senior you should finish your senior year in California, but again, ask admissions. You may have to postpone CC until you establish residency.</p>
<p>Well, okay yeah that sounds reasonable, but will that delay my purpose into become FULLY independent and becoming a California resident or is that irrelevant to become a resident of California? </p>
<p>Thanks swimcatsmom, you are being a huge help.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Here you go, LOL I made this a few minutes ago, its as if you read my mind. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>By the way, I will be turning 18 in November. If you needed that information</p>
<p>I don’t think you will be considered “fully independent” until you are 24, however, you might be able to become a resident. How your parent’s income in whatever country it is derived is unknown at this point. These again are two separate issues - how your financial aid is calculated and if you are a resident or not. Don’t confuse the two is my advice. Discuss the resident vs. OSS with admissions. Discuss the income issues with finaid. Two separate departments. Two separate questions/issues. I would not assume your number 7 until you talk to an admissions counselor regarding residency and make sure that if you pay OSS tuition at the CC you can actually pay in-state tuition when you transfer it would be ashame to start paying OSS tuition at the CC only to find out that therefore you pay OSS tuition at the UC.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’ll check with the Financial Aid department at the schools and see if I would get charged out of state tuition just because I paid it at a CC.</p>