is it possible to become financially independent after freshman year of undergrad?

Paying for College
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<p>First…you cannot claim your girlfriend as a dependent.</p>

<p>Second…you cannot just “become an independent student” because you support yourself and your parents don’t pay for your college costs. Sorry…that just doesn’t work.</p>

<p>Third…if you are dependent your FRESHMAN year, it is HIGHLY unlikely that you would be able to establish independent status in subsequent years unless you got married, had a baby that you provided more than half the support for…or became an orphan or ward of the state.</p>

<p>Fourth…“severing” relationships with parents would entail you being able to PROVE why this was necessary. This would include abuse, police reports, parents being incarcerated, etc. </p>

<p>Fifth…I think you KNOW this isn’t likely.</p>

<p>Sixth…if your school doesn’t meet full need, it might not net you a nickel more financial aid to become independent. Remember…YOUR income will need to be such that you CAN support yourself without any assistance (if you somehow were able to prove you were really independent). That income would have NO protection and would be available for your college costs when you do the FAFSA next year.</p>

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<p>I have a feeling that Antonio is seriously considering marrying.</p>

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<p>Antonio, the foundation of financial aid is that the student’s family bears the responsibility of providing for the student’s education. Choosing not to do so is certainly their choice, and it influences your choice of schools (that is, what you will be able to afford). Your choice not to continue your relationship with your parents does not negate the rules. Here’s the deal … unless your situation involves more than you have let on here, I would not grant you a dependency override. I suggest you get serious about figuring out how you will help yourself through school. Maybe you will have to go to a community college part time while you work & save. You wouldn’t be the first.</p>

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<p>Have you considered the Coast Guard or Navy? Several services have programs where they will match what you save for future college costs. See the world, earn a paycheck, play with really big guns (or a big mop)-- please, please don’t hike off and marry some girl because you are furious with your parents. It would not be long before she was furious with you.</p>

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<p>damn is this a mother’s forum or something</p>

<p>anyways i wasnt really thinking about marriage as a way out; i believe in marriage for the right reasons (of which w/e this is not one of)</p>

<p>now before I go all righteous on you guys or, uhh, mothers, I would like to say that I would want to consider my other options</p>

<p>I have thought about loans–I don’t think I would mind burying myself in loans (how very wrong I could turn out to be!!) because
if everything works according to plan, I could easily repay 4 years worth of college debt (figure 200k?) in a couple of years</p>

<p>of course, my thinking could be too quixotic to have a chance of success</p>

<p>so I was thinking, I could bust out a few of those domestic incidence reports on file with the DCJS
however, they are highly confidential and apparently only released to prosecutors and a few other entities that fall under a very limited list of categories</p>

<p>I once tried requesting them through police department for a reason other than proving extraordinary circumstances to colleges, but to no avail</p>

<p>I have also been thinking that since it was suggested in another thread that I fill out my mother’s tax return myself, then mayyybeee, just maybe I could also fill out their 2010 forms, and 2011 forms, and so on</p>

<p>of course I would need some kind of signature
and this is assuming that their financial situation doesnt change drastically over time (which it shouldnt, my parents lives are pretty much set in stone right now, except for, well, unforseen unemployment or in my father’s case, deeper unemployment lol)</p>

<p>on the other hand, Im not sure if this other masterplan of mines is even legal lol</p>

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<p>Somewhat. Some of whom are financial aid officers. </p>

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<p>At 200k, with a 5% interest rate, you’re look at over 2,000 PER MONTH for 10 YEARS. That is over $26000 PER YEAR JUST to loans. Do NOT do it. NO ONE can easily do it. NO ONE, especially people without financial support from their parents.</p>

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<p>Join the military - active duty members of the armed forces are independent students as well. Of course, you may not have time to attend your university of choice, or be in the area to either, but <em>shrugs</em> you’re independent.</p>

<p>And unless you have a CEO position waiting for you when you finish your degree, it’s very unlikely that you could repay $200K in “a couple of years” straight out of undergrad. I don’t think you realize how much money that is, especially for something with no collateral. You likely won’t even be able to borrow that much - federal Stafford loans are capped at a much lower number and no private lender is going to lend to you without a co-signer.</p>

<p>Can’t you agree with your parents that they can at least release their financial records so you can file the FAFSA, even if they don’t want to support you? My parents didn’t pay for my college, but they at least gave me copies of their returns so I could file my own FAFSA. I had more than a few friends who had similar problems with their parents but they were always eventually able to secure the forms in order to file FAFSA.</p>

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<p>Well it shouldn’t be an issue, because no one is going to give him $200K in loans without a co signer.</p>

<p>It does sound like there is a record of abuse. This might be enough to get the OP consideration at some colleges. I would call the departments involved and ask for the records, as you were involved, they should release them to you, especially if you’re 18. This sounds like your best shot.</p>

<p>Whether your parents live in the US or not, any college will require their financial information. What will they be doing with the proceeds from selling their house? If they don’t have a big mortgage and that money gets banked/invested, that could substantially raise your EFC.</p>

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<p>It’s done, but we’re usually talking about community college while working. This may be a good route to consider along with ROTC as suggested above.</p>

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<p>Also look into places that can give substantial scholarships. My parents refused to pay for my education if I didn’t live at home (among other factors) and so I attended a college that provided me with a full scholarship and then got a job to pay for incidentals. A lot of other students “go it alone” this way.</p>

<p>I agree though, that ROTC is an excellent bet - not only will you get your tuition paid and a small stipend every month (and your room and board at certain universities), you will have a guaranteed internship for two summers and a guaranteed job after you graduate, in a management position, and that job will probably pay between $50,000-60,000 a year (a first-year O-1’s salary is a little more than $3,000 a month, and housing allowances in most areas of the country are between $1,000 and $2,000 a month). Even if you decide to leave after 4 years, you have that experience behind you and a lot of companies favor people with military experience. Of course, you have to be willing to be in the military - it’s not a “fallback” - but it certainly can be a great way to start.</p>

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<p>Antonio, I am both a mom and a financial aid officer. I wouldn’t bother posting here if I didn’t care about kids. I assume the others who post, while not finaid officers (but some might as well be :)), also are moms/dads who care about kids. We are here to help … and sometimes advice is part of our help. That’s just the way it is. You don’t have to take it, but remember those infamous words … I told you so. BTW, romani is a “kid” … and she has been helped by the advice she has found on CC … she also wants to help.</p>

<p>If you DO have violence in your family, then that changes things. I can understand the armor you put around yourself. However, as I have explained to other students with similar situations, you MUST lay your soul bare before the financial aid office if you think your situation warrants a dependency override. You do not need to explain your situation any further here, as it is obviously a difficult one. But you DO have to explain it IN DETAIL to each financial aid office. You will also need to provide supporting documentation. Please enlist the help of a school counselor or social worker, or the caseworker who handled your family’s case. Think … there must be at least an adult or two in your life who is well aware of your situation. In addition to a detailed statement from you, you will need DETAILED statements from at least 1-2 “outsiders” who know what has happened (professionals are much preferred over friends/family members, although sometimes friends/family members are the only ones who know your secret in detail). </p>

<p>What you need to do is to contact the school(s). Explain your situation. Ask what to do now. Then do it.</p>

<p>I wish you my best.</p>

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<p>Antonio…yes, I’m a mom too…but one with seven years of experience applying for financial aid and paying college costs for two kids.</p>

<p>It sounds like you are trying to figure out a way to pay for college. PLEASE…do not do anything dishonest or illegal. If you do, you not only jeopardize your financial aid situation, but your college admission can also be revoked. If YOU fill out your mom’s tax forms…then you must also sign them as the preparer on the bottom of the form (as you are not one of he filers). AND the information on them MUST be accurate. You cannot fabricate the information on the tax forms which then get transfered onto the financial aid application forms. I can’t see the difference that would be made based on WHO completes the tax forms…unless you intended to put different numbers with IS fraud.</p>

<p>Second…while burying yourself in loans sounds plausible to you…the reality is that YOU (the student) will have a very hard time getting large loans in your name alone without a cosigner. In MOST cases cosigners for undergrad students would be their parents…or another close relative. Is there someone who will cosign a huge loan with you? That cosigner is assuming repayment obligation WITH you…and if you don’t pay…they will have to. Is there someone that will do this for you?</p>

<p>Kelsmom and others have pointed out some other options for you that are doable and not fraudulent (keep in mind that putting down inaccurate info on the FAFSA knowingly is considered fraud and in addition to losing financial aid and admissions to college, you also would face a hefty fine).</p>

<p>Going ROTC will net you a tuition award at many places. Working part time and going to school part time while commuting or living in inexpensive housing is another option. Some kids work work work and save money and THEN go to college. </p>

<p>My own husband did the community college route for two years. Then he applied to a university with an articulation agreement with his community college (meaning they agreed to accept HIM and all of his credits towards a bachelors degree at their university). His four year university had a coop program whereby he took classes one semester and then worked for a semester until he graduated. His work semesters were partially arranged through the university as they fulfilled the coop requirement of being in his FIELD of study. This not only gave him some income…but also gave him some valuable experience. In fact…his first job was with his coop employer.</p>

<p>I know you feel like you’re being given information by a bunch of moms and dads…but you know what we have some experience dealing with this.</p>

<p>Another suggestion…if you really WANT to talk to another young person…go to your local community college and ask them to match you up with a current student who might be able to tel you how THEY got where they are in college.</p>

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<p>I have to disagree with the ROTC advice. ROTC is for students who want a career in the military. It is NOT a way to pay for college. The kids who manage to get the scholarship but do it for the money drop out in the first year. I’ve seen it happen over and over. </p>

<p>The Navy 4-year scholarship acceptance rate is around 10%. Navy and Air Force want engineering majors and the competition is fierce. The Navy mandates that 85% of it’s scholarships go to engineering students. </p>

<p>Finally, if the OP is a Senior all of the deadlines for application have passed. </p>

<p>With all due respect let’s stop throwing out ROTC as a way for kids to pay for school. Military service is a calling that in this case will help pay for school. If you don’t want in your heart to serve then you won’t be successful.</p>

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<p>Iron Maiden…I agree with you. I put that option out because some students don’t even THINK about careers in the military…and some of those kids would be excellent in that area. You are correct…it’s not a “tuition cash pile” but it if someone was seriously considering a career in the military, it is something to consider.</p>

<p>That being said…the deadline for this has long since past for current seniors.</p>

<p>The most important thing is that this OP needs to be HONEST in what he is doing. Many of his proposed ideas sound like they are bordering dishonesty to me…and I cannot advocate that nor will I on this or any other forum. </p>

<p>When completing financial aid or any other applications…TELL THE TRUTH as it really is…not as you “wish” it to be.</p>

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<p>Is getting married solely to become independent more or less insanely irresponsible than joining the military just to get an advantage on the FAFSA?</p>

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<p>I don’t think you can be a graduate student/law school student/med school student until you have a Bachelor’s, so that will not work.</p>

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<p>I think the point to the OP is that there are many paths to a college education. However some paths require cooperation from parents, some paths like ROTC require a deeper commitment to something that impacts non-college life and some paths are just silly and fraught with potential potholes financial and otherwise (like marriage or trying to comlete a BA in one year) and finally some paths require some time off between high school and college. We have no idea where the OP is thinking of going to school and applying. We can only guess that some of them are very expensive (hence the CSS question). We can only hope that the OP is also applying or has applied to schools that the OP might possibly be able to afford. If the OP is a tippy-top student it’s possible that the OP has a state school that will end up affordable or a selective school that wants to subsidize. But, many of us have also cautioned the OP that financial aid forms must be filled out accurately or doors may shut and there may be consequences. The OP has also been told how what needs to be documented and substantiated should the OP try to find a path to be recognized formally as independent. Not much more “we” can do for the OP.</p>

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<p>Jahaba, in what way is ROTC “getting an advantage on FAFSA”? There is no impact. </p>

<p>Getting married for independant FAFSA is insane. Young men and women joining ROTC to become officers to serve their country and defend our freedoms - priceless.</p>

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<p>*if everything works according to plan, I could easily repay 4 years worth of college debt (figure 200k?) in a couple of years
*</p>

<p>How could you possibly repay $200k in loans in a “couple of years”? How much do you think that you’ll be earning the first few years out of college? You will also have your own expenses to be covering (rent, food, car, clothes, etc). </p>

<p>Most new grads are lucky to be earning $40-50k upon graduation. After subtracting for taxes and the above listed expenses, most don’t have much left over to put towards student loans. </p>

<p>To repay $200k on a ten-year plan would cost over $2,300 per month!</p>

<p>BTW…I highly doubt that your parents are going to co-sign big loans each year for you. You can’t take out big loans by yourself. </p>

<p>What is your intended career?</p>

<p>I see that you’ve applied to BC, UChi, USC and a few others. Your GPA is quite low, but your SATs are high. </p>

<p>Did you apply to any NY instate schools?</p>

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<p>I don’t know what you’re talking about. My question was: “Is it more or less irresponsible to join the military or to get married solely in order to become financially independent and, therefore, gain an advantage on FAFSA?” Both of those ideas sound terrible to me, but I can see why the OP is anxious because he is attached to two uncooperative and abusive parents. If you have to pick between two terrible ideas, which one would you pick? Personally, joining the military is at least an honest and honorable profession but it’s a commitment that I feel should be treated with respect and not just as part of a game to get yourself declared independent for the FAFSA.</p>

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<p>Mom2college is spot on. Starting salaries for kids right out of undergraduate, even at top notch school in a “hot” industry are not high enough to sustain $200,000 debt repayment and most certainly not in “a few years.” No one would lend that much to a young person without a co-sign and even then the co-signer would need pretty good credit and not too much current debt to get that much these days.</p>