<p>I've been doing FAFSAs for 8 years, so I'm not a rookie, but I must have done something wrong. The main difference is that daughter is an independent student with an undergrad degree going back for an undergrad teaching cert, so the numbers are hers. Any idea what I might have done wrong? Is the calculation different for a 5th year/Undergrad? Should I not have included parental information? (Our income is only 58K, but did they consider that in the calculation? I know I can send a corrected FAFSA, but I thought I'd do a little research first.</p>
<p>How old is your daughter? If she’s under 24, she will still be considered a dependent since she is not pursuing a master’s degree.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>I’m not sure that’s true. I think that once she has a BA degree, she’s independent regardless of whether she’s pursuing a masters.</p>
<p>Any idea what I might have done wrong? Is the calculation different for a 5th year/Undergrad? Should I not have included parental information?</p>
<p>I don’t think she is a “5th year undergrad”…if she has a BA. She’s graduated and getting a certificate. </p>
<p>Why did you include parent info if she filed as an independent???</p>
<p>What was her income?</p>
<p>A chunk of her income will be expected to go towards college. Only a small amount of her income is protected as an independent student. I think about $7k or so.</p>
<p>No, she is NOT independent. Post bach students are not independent unless they meet the other criteria (not grad - this is not a grad program). At most schools, post bach aid is limited to undergrad loans, and the amount is dependent on the program. The federal guidelines limit post bach program aid to 12 months (cannot be split up if a student skips a term - it’s 12 months in a row), and the amount varies depending on program ($8600-$12,500). Undergrad agg limits apply ($23000 sub/$31000 combined sub & unsub).</p>
<p>If you included your income but checked the “grad” box or otherwise indicated a grad or professional program on the FAFSA, it ignored your income. Go back to the FAFSA and update - you should be asked for a parent PIN. If you are not asked, that means that something has not been properly updated.</p>
<p>Kelsmom…</p>
<p>So, if a student gets a BA degree, works for a year, then goes back to school for a teaching cert (and is under 24), the student is still dependent?</p>
<p>Wierd!</p>
<p>So, parent income still counts? </p>
<p>I wonder if this student has decent income/assets?</p>
<p>the subject line suggests that the student has an income of $32k…is that right? The post suggests that the parents income is around $60k.</p>
<p>If the student’s income is that high, that’s going to cause a higher EFC.</p>
<p>What if the student goes back for a second BA degree? Still dependent?</p>
<p>Yup, still dependent. And no grants at most schools once a first bach is completed. The loans are not limited in the way the post bach loans are limited, though … although they are still limited to year in school and to undergrad dependent combined limits.</p>
<p>So, if this student has an income of $32 and the parents have an income of $58k, then the EFC will be highish, right?</p>
<p>Yes, it will be pretty high. How that affects the student, though, depends on the cost of attendance. Since at the most, the only need based aid is going to be $5500 in sub loan, a highish EFC might not matter. The student will get the full amount of loans regardless, even if all is unsub.</p>
<p>Her income is 32K. She won’t be able to work that much when she goes back to school, though. </p>
<p>She’ll be 24 in May. FAFSA said she was independent as I filled out the form. If I remember correctly, the degree makes the difference. Parental info wasn’t required; I probably shouldn’t have sent it, but my son’s post-grad school requires it, so I sent it just in case. </p>
<p>EFC calculator said her EFC should be about 2700, which sounds about right. The school she applied to said the only aid in her situation would be federal loans, unless she earned a scholarship with her audition. (Voice teacher, not a grad program; not “degree-seeking” as they put it.)</p>
<p>kelsmom - I didn’t know the post bach loans are limited. Do you have a link to the federal guidelines on that? (I almost chose kelsmom for MY member name!)</p>
<p>I don’t think they asked for a parental PIN. Seems like I just used hers.</p>
<p>There’s definitely some mistake. As an independent, there’s no way they could expect her to pay 9K of a 32K income.</p>
<p>Yes, that would be a ballpark EFC for her income. The student has a certain income protection & then the rest is expected to go toward schooling. </p>
<p>The degree information was incorrectly answered. It’s not a professonal or grad program. If you update that, you will be asked for the parent PIN.</p>
<p>See page 3-108 for certification program info: <a href=“http://ifap.ed.gov/fsahandbook/attachments/1011FSAHbkVol3Ch6.pdf[/url]”>http://ifap.ed.gov/fsahandbook/attachments/1011FSAHbkVol3Ch6.pdf</a></p>
<p>I am doing a FAFSA for my son, and the first question is “born before January 1, 1988” (and he is, so this year my info is not required).</p>
<p>If you can answer No to all of the following questions, you are considered a dependent student on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) -(or if you answer YES to ANY of them, you are independent):</p>
<p>Were you born before January 1, 1988?
As of today are you married?
At the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, will you be working on a master’s or doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, or graduate certificate, etc.)?
Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training?
Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?
Do you have children who will receive more than half of their support from you between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012?
Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30, 2012?
At any time since you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care or were you a dependent or ward of the court?
As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you an emancipated minor?
As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you in legal guardianship?
At any time on or after July 1, 2010, did your high school or school district homeless liaison determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless?
At any time on or after July 1, 2010, did the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless?
At any time on or after July 1, 2010, did the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?</p>
<p>I read through the FAFSA information from the link - thanks for posting that. Daughter is definitely independent - born in 1987. She has a BM in Vocal Performance. For Q29, student’s grade level, I entered 5th yr undergrad. Should I have entered 1st year graduate/professional? </p>
<p>For Q30, type of degree, I entered Teaching Credential Program (Nondegree Program) That’s what the school says it is.</p>
<p>In her situation, is 12,500 the max she can receive in federal loans? There’s no other financial aid available unless she gets a scholarship through her audition and I think that would be small. The COA is approx 30K and there’s no way she can afford that. And we aren’t able to help.</p>
<p>Do you think I should pull the parental information from the corrected FAFSA before I submit it? I don’t think it’s being considered, but I just can’t figure out how her EFC came out so high.</p>
<p>Actually, I can’t enter 1st year graduate/professional if she’s applying to get non-degree teaching credentials. I’m given an error message. The more I dig, the more confused I get.</p>
<p>Hey…if she’s going to be 24 in May, then does she still have to file as “dependent”? I didn’t think you needed to if you turn 24 before the school year (or during that school year) or something like that.</p>
<p>How much has she borrowed so far with undergrad fed loans? If she hasn’t borrowed much, I wonder if she can borrow the max for an independent student…around $11k or so.</p>
<p>Does she have to wait until after May to file as an independent? I didn’t think she had to.</p>
<p>She’s definitely an independent student. There’s no question about that. But, thanks.</p>
<p>*but I just can’t figure out how her EFC came out so high. *</p>
<p>If only her income is being considered…a small part of her income is “exempt”…however, after that, about half of her income is considered “for school purposes”. That’s why her EFC is high. </p>
<p>It’s expected that a single person with no dependents can dedicate a large chunk of their earnings towards their own education since all their money is for themselves.</p>
<p>However, for her purposes, it may be neither here nor there. Whether her EFC is $9k or whether it’s $3k, what difference will it make?</p>
<p>It might not matter. In fact, school may not be possible at all unless she qualifies for enough loans and that’s not looking good. Tuition is 30K, 12K federal loan eligibility according to FAFSA, leaving 18K for her to pay. If she managed to earn 30K, that would leave her 12K to live on in Chicago. I don’t think she could manage that. </p>
<p>(She left Michigan for school in Illinois and stayed there. Does that have any bearing on aid? She’s lived there on her own since Sept '09)</p>
<p>I might do some research of my own on programs at other, less expensive schools. Daughter told me that most don’t have this particular program - maybe because it’s music - but she might have something, I suppose.</p>
<p>I’d love to help her out. I think she’d be a wonderful teacher, but unless we win the lottery or something, we aren’t able to.</p>
<p>Maybe the teacher education department of the college she will attend could give you an idea of what to put down on FAFSA as for year and undergrad or grad.</p>
<p>Thanks, but I already tried that. They told me to enter 1st year graduate, but FAFSA won’t take that if she’s applying to a non-degree teaching certification program. I plan to call their office again.</p>