Im 17, my mother died my father got deported and my uncle and aunt are my legal guardians. Since my father is deported I can’t put him on my financial aid. So am I independent? Next question: if I’m independent do I get more aid since I will have a very low efc since I basically have no parents here in the U.S.? Third question: do I get a grant and a low interest loan?
Also: what would my efc be?
If your aunt and uncle are your legal guardians, you are independent for financial aid purposes…but do check to be sure they are your legal guardians.
Without knowing YOU income and asset situation, it is not possible to accurately tell you your EFC.
BUT…
If you have little income and little assets (do you have either?), it is possible that your EFC per fafsa would be $0. This would make you eligible for a $5730 Pell Grant. In addition, you would get $9500 in Direct Loans…$4000 more than a student who is dependent for financial aid purposes.
Check your own state as well, and see if there are any grants for low income students.
Are your relatives your guardians appointed thru the court system? Or did they just sort of take you in after your mom died and your dad was deported?
They sorted to take me in. But we moved to Tennessee 2 years following this. And I’m sure you can’t just move to a new state with 3 kids without doing something in the court. Plus my uncle tried to get me into this military program to recieve aid in college. And he said he was unable to do it because he didn’t adopt me and he is a simple guardian. So does that mean I am independent?
Doesn’t sound like it’s court appointed guardianship from what you’ve said. Check for sure with your uncle.
Yeah I will check, but I remember before we moved that my uncle and aunt took my brothers and I to this building downtown and then my older brother signed some papers and then something else, my uncle and aunt also did as well. And if my memory serves right, I remember them going to court at some point. But I will
Verify with my uncle.
You don’t want to be adopted if you want to be indepdent for financial aid. If you are adopted by this family, their financial information will be required.
If they are appointed guardians, you would,be considered in guardianship.
You need to find out exactly what your status is. And yes, folks move across state lines all the time.
When was the last time you had any contact with your father? If you find that you don’t have indepdent status due to guardianship, you could be able to get a dependency override from the specific colleges. This would depend on your exact situation with regards to your father.
Last time I had contact was when I visited him last year. And I will find about my status of independency
So, you visit your dad? Any chance he gives your family any money towards your support?
Is it possible you are with these relatives because it was easier than moving you to this other country as a resident?
Find out these answers.
My dad gets support from my uncle and aunt. He has no retirement plan or anything but my uncle and aunt supporting him. So that isn’t the case
Others can chime in but be aware that even if you have a $0 EFC it doesn’t necessarily mean you will get what you need to attend.
Are you a citizen or do you have legal status in the US? If not, your eligibility for federal aid will be questionable. Do you receive medicaid or other benefits?
Of course I’m a citizen…
Didn’t mean to sound mean on that post. But yes I’m a citizen. And I receive benefits like kids my age. But I still think I’m independent.
???
Why do you think that because your dad was deported that you can’t put him on your FA papers???
You need to find out from your uncle what exactly transpired. Your uncle might only have rights to sign for you to receive medical care, or make other decisions for you, but that’s not the same thing as your dad giving up his legal rights at a parent.
^^ Why ‘of course’? You said your father was deported, so he was not a citizen. You need to get all your paperwork in order. People who are born in the USA have it fairly easy, slap down a birth certificate, get a SSN, a passport and it is not questioned. People who aren’t able to provide that paperwork, or whose birth certificates don’t look like all the others from that state are questioned. I have one child who was not born in the USA, and her birth certificate is a ‘certificate of foreign birth’, looks different than others and is in fact not proof of citizenship so she has to use another document (her passport). I try never to use it because clerks and government officials (schools, camps, clubs) don’t recognize it and ask questions. They don’t know what documents they need, but do know ‘this’ document isn’t want they are used to seeing.
If your father is listed on your birth certificate, the schools/FAFSA/others will question that you are independent. Where is your mother? You’ll have to produce the death certificate. Where is your father? Who is your guardian? Where is the court order? You said that your uncle couldn’t have just moved you across state lines without something official, but you’d be surprised how easy it is to do, until you need the next official document - driver’s license, passport, medicaid.
Well…my dad makes no income whatsoever. He was deported when I was just 1 year old. How does he have a say in my financial aid award if he is not involved in my life contributes absolutely nothing financially and has been living in another country not to mention he didn’t have a job when he was here in America. I can’t claim him because I have no clue what his financial records are I don’t know his ss# because he wasn’t a citizen, I have no documents of him so what can I really do?
I understand you want to be independent from your father, but get your documents in order now. If your uncle is your guardian, get the papers that state that. There are many college student who have had no contact with a parent for years, have received no support, have no information, but the financial aid people want proof. Just like you, they claim their fathers/mothers didn’t support them, they are independent, the parent/s does not work. The schools want proof. It is easier if you have the official papers.
If you file as ‘independent’ and you are 18, they will want proof. You’ll provide the death certificate for your mother, but they will want something for your father. If you have no official paperwork, they will want letters or documents. You said you have visited your father, so they will want to know when, how, why you can’t get information now. The more documents you have (passport, driver’s license) the easier you will find it to prove you are independent. “Here is my medical card, here is my tax return, here is my passport I got with only my mother’s signature/no father’s needed”
I will try to gather the info, hopefully my uncle has the death certificate and then something from my father