<p>Ok, I've asked this before, and received a lot of comments, but no specific advice on what I can do ... so if you wouldn't mind, postpone judgment, outrage, and offer advice you have any on what I can do.</p>
<p>I have a great niece, parents divorced. If I'm lucky, I will get info from her dad - my nephew- not a slam dunk, but I think I can get it. I'm almost positive the mother will not cooperate.</p>
<p>I do believe she would qualify for financial aid, grants, work study ... what can I do to help her here? Getting the mother to cooperate is not an option. Surely there are other kids who have been in these situations? There have to be ugly divorces, uncooperative X's ... </p>
<p>She would be a first generation college student. White, female. I'm getting grade and test score info - but I think will be reasonably good, not stellar, but strong enough. I can help her with apps, test prep, etc. How do I help her get the money she needs, outside of merit? </p>
<p>Which parent has she lived with more? The parent she lives with for more of the time over the past 12 months prior to filling out the FAFSA is the one who needs to provide FAFSA information if her parents are divorced. I am not aware of any way around that requirement (if she lives with her mom, she will need to ask her mom for the information).</p>
<p>She can apply for other scholarships that are not need based, of course. But typically those are more small, “fill in” type awards, and aren’t going to be in the same amounts as need based aid. But there is no way to get “need based” aid without providing financial information for the family.</p>
<p>If her dad is low income… could she go live with him for senior year of high school? A drastic step, but would allow his information to be provided for the FAFSA.</p>
<p>Much depends on the custody/support decree, and whether either/both parents are contributing to her support. That information, particularly in the case of “deadbeat parents” can be conveyed to the schools - many of the financial aid offices have forms or will accept letters of explanation. Another possibility is for the cooperating parent to obtain the other’s tax returns and information through the family court, but that would depend upon the state, the age of the child, and other more “local law” factors.</p>
<p>Yes. It does happen a lot. If she/you can get custodial parent information, the FAFSA can be completed with it. She can also complete FAFSA without her parents information but it does limit her aid possibilities. </p>
<p>For PROFILE schools, one can request a NCP waiver, but again custodial parent info is needed.</p>
<p>They have joint custody. She will qualify for little to no merit base don her stats. I’m working with her on grades, course choices, helping to improve her application. </p>
<p>Currently lives with mother, but may move in with grandmother - as parents are “done raising adults” … she will be a junior. </p>
<p>Can’t get an EFC without financial information, nor fill out a FAFSA. That is the problem.</p>
<p>Parents won’t share anything with each other - another part of the problem.</p>
<p>Mother has been living in government low income housing. Father does not - but not financially well off either. </p>
<p>Just seems, in this system, with a dysfunctinal family - the kids are just out of luck. I’m going to try state schools financial aid departments directly and see if there are hardship cases in these situations … good idea.</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter who has legal custody and the schools generally don’t care about what the divorce decree says. Only the parent she lived with the most needs to fill out the FAFSA and, in general, there is no way around that for financial aid. The information does not get shared with the other parent. </p>
<p>There are possible solutions but you may not like any:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Parent with whom she lives fills out FAFSA. If her mother won’t do it but you think her father will, you might have her move in with her father. </p></li>
<li><p>She becomes emancipated before turning 18yo. I don’t know how that works.</p></li>
<li><p>She becomes independent through another means: has a child, marries or serves in the military.</p></li>
<li><p>She attends a service academy (West Point, Naval Academy). </p></li>
<li><p>She earns merit aid that does not need financial information. This is very difficult but may be possible, usually only for kids who are very good at testing well (like Natl Merit). You would have to do research to id some schools.</p></li>
<li><p>She works her way through school-- difficult but may be possible, especially for the first 2 years if she starts at a community college or works at a place that has tuition benefits.</p></li>
<li><p>She waits until she turns 24yo to go to college. Her parents’ info won’t be necessary then. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Or any combination of the above… I would say the most common solution is to work and attend an inexpensive school. Oh, and I would encourage her to study for APs and maybe CLEPs, particularly if she is going to a community college or instate school. That may save her some $.</p>
<p>I hope one of our FA experts will chime in, but in the meantime, I did find this info from FAFSA. I think the key is to get her moved in with Grandma ASAP. Once that’s done, it looks like there are a couple of things that can be done.</p>
<p>Option 1: You say that her father is a little better off than her mother. Does that mean he contributes more to her support? If so, and if she moved in with her grandmother, then FAFSA could be filed based on his information alone:
</p>
<p>Option 2: If she moved in with the grandmother and both parents refuse to provide information, or if neither parent contributes a dime to her support, then she could apply as a “special circumstances” student:
</p>
<p>Here is FAFSA’s instruction on the special-circumstance student. [url=<a href=“http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/help/fotwfaq52.htm]Special”>http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/help/fotwfaq52.htm]Special</a> circumstance<a href=“Note%20that%20she%20would%20not%20receive%20an%20EFC%20when%20she%20files%20FAFSA;%20she%20would%20need%20to%20contact%20the%20school(s)%20in%20order%20to%20finish%20FAFSA%20and%20get%20her%20EFC.%20%20And%20EFC%20will%20probably%20vary%20from%20school%20to%20school,%20possibly%20by%20quite%20a%20bit.%20%20But%20it%20might%20at%20least%20get%20her%20onto%20the%20financial%20aid%20radar.”>/url</a></p>
<p>And if all attempts at financial aid fail, there is nothing wrong with going to CC for 2 years, and then working her way through 2 years at the nearest university. It’s a time-honored way of earning a degree. :)</p>
<p>The problem with Option #2 is that this student does have contact with her parents.</p>
<p>Note: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>If a student has had no contact with their parents, they must file the FAFSA and designate a special circumstance in the student section of the FAFSA application </p></li>
<li><p>A foster parent, legal guardian, or a grandparent or other relative is not treated as a parent for the purpose of filing a FAFSA unless that person has legally adopted the applicant. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>However, I think your idea is basically to throw herself at the mercy of the financial aid officer and it may come to that. </p>
<p>MaterMia, By any chance, have either of the parents remarried?</p>
<p>I am thinking of you and the great niece. What a sad, bad situation.</p>
<p>Is there someone the mom trusts? Her own mother, a minister, one of D’s current or former teachers? Maybe the D and the trusted person could talk to the mom together?</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>Could the D find her mom’s tax return and fill out the form herself (with your help maybe)? Once it is done, getting the mom to sign it might be easier. If D bugs her enough, she might sign it just to be done with it?</p>
<p>I like the idea of having her move in with Grandma and filing FAFSA info from Dad, since it sounds like the Dad may have provided the majority of her financial support. I had not heard of that possibility before. It is nice that this is allowed:</p>
<p>You guys are giving me some very tangible ideas, thank you. To be clear - I’m not really sure who is providing more support financially. The father has remarried, mother has not, but I believe the father makes more money - although I don’t think it is a LOT more money. If she moved in with grandparents - the parents would retain “joint custody” legally. I think we can get financial information from the father. Everything I have read - indicated if it was joint custody - she would HAVE to have the mother’s info, and I’m just not sure she can get it. Plan C is that I would try to sit down with her and get it- I might be the best chance, but that is a long shot too. I think calling the state universities and just asking good questions is probalby a good start as well. On my list. Merit isn’t really an option - best I can tell she might get a token $1000 or something. I’m also looking at having her live with us, attend the local state school (which is pretty good) … so just need to come up with about $10K for her to do this. Yikes - it’s a system not crated for dysfunctional parents …and the kids are just kind of left to their own devices. It’s really not surprising that first generation kids have such a tough time breaking the cycle. Thanks again for ideas - if you have more - keep them coming. First I have heard about “special circumstances”, I will do more research on that as well.</p>
<p>It’s not who has custody, but with whom she lived with more during that calendar year. If she lived with both equally, it’s supposed to be the one who makes more. It might behoove her to get some kind of record together as to who she lived with the most, and hopefully it is the one who makes less, and hopefully s/he will give financial info and that your niece is PELL eligible in addition to being eligible for Stafford loans. </p>
<p>Most schools that use FAFSA only do not meet full need and living at college is expensive. Unless she gets lucky in getting aid, gets merit money, finds a very low cost school, getting a sleep away college paid for is not going to happen.</p>
<p>Look at Momfromtexa’s thread on how to get a full ride from a college. Using her methods, it may be possible to get something for her. Otherwise, it’s nigh impossible to get it all paid for.</p>
<p>I have been through this with a friends niece and sent a PM to the OP. It can be done and the student can receive FA that will cover most of the cost.</p>
<p>Thanks ebeeee and everyone else. I have read momfromtexas - and have used her strategy successfully … but this great niece isn’t going to qualify for much merit. She just has not had the support to get the grades or scores she needs, but she has the desire to succeed and go to college. Thanks.</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone mentioned her GC-- but that is where I’d start if possible. He or she has an authority that will be harder to resist than yours.</p>