<p>Since walking campuses would be an issue for the OP, I think we need to suggest some smaller campuses, including some privates that are OOS that give fabulous aid.</p>
<p>The thought of her having to get around a large campus with 10 minute breaks between classes seems too daunting. </p>
<p>Also consider some of the women’s colleges: Mt Holyoke, Smith, etc.</p>
<p>Fwiw, MSU has 20 minute breaks and a fabulous bus system. I can’t speak to any other campuses.</p>
<p>The problem with privates is that she’ll have to deal with PROFILE. Which may or may not be an issue depending on the NCP. </p>
<p>I do hope the op comes back.</p>
<p>I had no idea there were this many posts on here. No ,I am not in foster care. I am living with my dad at the moment. My mom is claiming me as a dependent on 2013 tax return.</p>
<p>How can I find out which schools use PROFILE? To my understanding there is a substantial gap between my mom and dads income. That kind of puts me in a hard spot because I live with my mom under her income and have been doing so for a long time.</p>
<p>If someone judged my financial situation solely biased on PROFILE they would not be getting the reality of my life and financial issues.</p>
<p>*I had no idea there were this many posts on here. No ,I am not in foster care. I am living with my dad at the moment. My mom is claiming me as a dependent on 2013 tax return.
*</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter who claims you on tax returns. For FAFSA, it matters whose home you spent the most nights. If you spend more than half of your nights with your dad during 2013, then his info will go on FAFSA. </p>
<p>To get a list of CSS Profile schools, go here:
<a href=“CSS Profile – CSS Profile | College Board”>CSS Profile – CSS Profile | College Board;
<p>Many of the schools that give the best need-based aid will use both parents’ incomes. </p>
<p>However, FAFSA-only schools that would give you huge merit, will only use the custodial parent’s info. </p>
<p>When you lived with your mom, did your dad pay child support?</p>
<p>The way it works in terms of dependency for financial aid, your custodial parent, regardless of court designation, Income tax claims, what you put down anywhere, is the parent with whom you lived with the most during the year before the school year. If your mother is in jail and you are living with your father more than with her, for any reason, really, then your father is your custodial parent for financial aid (FAFSA and PROFILE ) purposes for the school year beginning fall of 2014.</p>
<p>So if you lived with your dad more in 2013, he’s your custodial parent regardless. That can change for the next calender year if you live with your mother more than with your dad. FOr most PROFILE schools, you need to report both parents’ financials anyways. That a parent will not contribute is not a factor taken into consideration. Due to your mother’s incarceration, knocking her out of consideration might be possible, but your Dad… if he’s in the picture, and if you are living with him, he is, his income and assets have to be taken into account. </p>
<p>Many students have financial circumstances not accurately reflected by forms. But, “them’s the rules”. Just another unfairness in the way things often work in life. You have to find the best way to make it work around the rules that have been set up. It’s not fair that you are in the situation you are in at all, but that doesn’t make it not be. </p>
<p>Just look up PROFILE colleges. There will be a list. Though most PROFILE schools want NCP info, some do not. But depending how long you have been living with Dad this year, there will be no escaping that he is the custodial parent.</p>
<p>Thanks, your advice has been great. I really did not expect others to be this interested in my situation. The only source of income my mom has is my fathers child support. In her current state holding down a job is nearly impossible and most employers don’t want employees with records. So, as long as I live with my mom the majority of the 2014 year I should be ok with respect to aid. I do not expect to be entitled to anything my relatives would offer and I am trying not to put myself in the middle of a gigantic mess.</p>
<p>I attended a lecture on fasfa and the impression that I got was that the majority of fasfa was depend on who claimed you on your last tax return at least within my state.</p>
<p>Your “state” doesn’t get to make the FAFSA rules. FAFSA is a FEDERAL form. the feds make the rules. The rule is that you have to use the info of the parent that you live MOST with during the previous year. So, when you file FAFSA in 2014, you’ll use the parent’s info that you lived with the most during 2013.</p>
<p>The feds do NOT care which parent claims the student as a deduction in regards to FAFSA.</p>
<p>FAFSA is federal, and the rules are uniform. Look up the form yourself and read what the definition of custodial parent is. IT is NOT who claimed you on your last tax return, I assure you. Your impression is wrong. It’s the parent with whom you lived the most in the calender year before the start of the college school year. </p>
<p>When do you expect to start college? If you are starting the application process this coming school year, that is, if you are entering senior year this fall with the intent of starting college in fall of 2014, the parent with whom you lived with the most in 2013 is your custodial parent. </p>
<p>However, for many of the school using PROFILE, and I do not know if UMich does, or if it wants NPC data if it does, you will have to include your father’s income and assets as well as your mother’s for school financial aid. </p>
<p>If your mother is indeed your custodial parent for 2013–you live with her more than your dad, then her income would be what’s used for FAFSA including the child support she received from your father. If she is under $22K i nincome, you will get an auto zero in EFC which means full PELL of $5600 and up to $5500K in Direct Student Loans with $3500 of it subsidized. That is a minimum if you cost of attendance supports this. You would get that towards any school. But the rest is up to the schools themselves. They can make their own rules as to how they give out money, and even if you do come up with need, most schools simply don’ meet it . They cannot because there is not enough money to give to all who need it. So they gap. Those schools that meet full need, tend to define it themselves and do include both parents’ income and assets.</p>
<p>Maddie, you will be ahead of most kids if you learn how the financial aid system works and what your likely expected contributions will be from the schools on your list. You should look into local options and get them covered as a base, so that you are not left high and dry, and have to scurry for a spot that could have been yours and paid for, had you made that a first string option. So, get those local schools, comm colleges, state schools on your list first, and see what you can expect to get from them. Then start looking at other school and see what you get from them. Some schools may be a better bet than others. But do understand that the only state public that guarantees to meet full need is UMIch and you need to find out what they define is need–do they want both parents’ info. Most FAFSA only school will want only custodial parent’s info. It’s the PROFILE schools that usually want both.</p>
<p>Technically, the custodial parent is the one you lived with the most during the 12 months prior to the day you fill out and submit fafsa. It’s not the 12 months of the prior tax year and not the prior school year. And as others have said it doesn’t vary by state and who claims you as a dependent on taxes is not relevant either.</p>
<p>So, as long as I live with my mom the majority of the 2014 year I should be ok with respect to aid</p>
<p>If you’re going to be a senior in the fall, then it’s where you lived during 2013…not 14. You’ll be submitting FAFSA in early 2014, so you’d have no idea of where you lived the most.</p>
<p>Maddie, U of M is the only public school in Michigan that uses the PROFILE. I do not know about privates- check their websites. FAFSA uses only the person you lived with most during the previous year whereas PROFILE will ask about the other parent, too. If your dad makes a lot of money, that could severely limit your aid at a PROFILE school. </p>
<p>I grew up in poverty in Michigan and had to go at the FA process alone. I know how daunting it can be. I’ve already done a lot of this research and would love to help you find a place you can go for very minimal debt. PM me if you’d like :)</p>
<p>Can someone please give me more background information on fasfa. I have already looked online at their website.</p>
<p>Some questions I have are
How long will I be a dependent?
How can I go about finding accurate info on my moms financial status considering I have gotten some stories that don’t add up?
Where can I go to get a free consult with Tax professional or someone else that might be able to help me with this?</p>
<p>I really appreciate all of your help. You guys are amazing. Thank you again.</p>
<p>Many CC/state Us have programs together. I know in CT, the CCs are all interconnected and interact with the CSUs, as well as UConn to a lesser extent, but there are definitely guaranteed/highly doable tracks to transfer from a CC to the state University in many states. This will DEFINITELY save you lots of money. But if you do this, don’t just pick the nearest CC if you can afford to drive a little further, it can be worth it. Kids in my school tend to go to the local secondary campus of a CC about 20 min away, and there are very few class options and lower teaching standards at the storefront campus. A friend of mine actually drives 45 min each way to another CC in CT. It costs more in gas money but the classes and profs are much better there, and it offers engineering, which he is majoring in.</p>
<p>There are options in CCs just as in 4 years, only on a smaller scale.</p>
<p>Edit: answering your questions</p>
<p>You are a dependent until you are 24, married, or in the military.
You just need to ask her
if she lies to you, she is lying to the government, but you don’t really have any other sources.
CCs often have tax professionals and financial aid/FAFSA resources available. I know the one where my father works (and my close friend attends) has free tax consulting available by appointment for students. Right now, you may want to check what your HS has to offer (mine was no good), or just do research on your own for someone who could help.</p>
<p>Maddie, for how much of 2013 will you be living with your Dad? Because unless your mother is released so that most of your time is with her, he will be your custodial parent for the school year starting in Fall of 2014. The FAFSA has to match the IRS return for the year in terms of income and the list of assets are as of the day the FAFSA is actually completed. If your mother does not have to file taxes for 2013 at all, or is eligible to file a short form, and makes $22k or less this year, you will automatically have a zero EFC. </p>
<p>The tax info has to match, because there is a matching/verification process that is done at times, and maybe even most of the time, and if the info does not match, it will be flagged, and you could have delays in getting any aid. </p>
<p>You can call the local IRS office and ask for help and information.</p>
<p>I would look into getting deferred admission where you want to go and working a year instead of community college. I would say get the best education you possibly can for all four years while you can. Plus it may be harder to get into some schools with a cc transcript and they may not credit you for all the courses you took.</p>