<p>I need help. Mother (the one who is a US citizen) is out of the picture and does not help with any financial aid whatsoever. Father was an illegal immigrant who left the country after I turned eighteen. Stopped living with the Mother at 18 and she's taken off. I'm on my own, basically homeless (jumping from friend to friend, house-wise) and can't get a job (unemployment rate is over 20% in my area).</p>
<p>Even if I were to get a hold of my Mother again, she makes too much money for me to get financial aid, but doesn't want to help.</p>
<p>I am also under 24, and unmarried, so I am considered a "dependent" still.</p>
<p>Any suggestions on how to get financial aid? I'm getting tired of the bum life.</p>
<p>What if I am unable to provide my parents information, their income information and signature, due to special circumstances?
Under Federal law your family is primarily responsible-to the extent they are able-for paying for your college expenses. To determine how much your family can afford to pay towards your college expenses, we must collect your financial information and if you are a dependent student, we must also collect your parents’ financial information.
Under very limited circumstances, an otherwise dependent student may be able to submit the FAFSA without parental information due to special circumstances. Before you proceed to skip the parental section of your FAFSA, consider the following:
Examples of special circumstances where you may be able to submit your FAFSA without providing parental information include:
Your parents are incarcerated; or
You have left home due to an abusive family environment; or
You do not know where your parents are and are unable to contact them (and you have not been adopted).</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>If you believe you have a special circumstance and are unable to provide parental information, you should complete information about you and your finances and skip any questions about your parents. You should sign your FAFSA with your PIN and leave your parent’s PIN blank. It is important to note:
We will allow you to submit your FAFSA without parental information, however your FAFSA will not be considered complete.
Because your FAFSA is not considered complete, we will not calculate your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) which is the index used by colleges to determine how much student aid you are eligible to receive.
If you are approaching any deadlines for your state, college, or scholarship aid, you may want to contact your financial aid administrator (FAA) before submitting your FAFSA without parental data.
Once you submit your FAFSA without parental data, you must follow up with the FAA at the college you plan to attend, in order to complete your FAFSA and receive an EFC. Also note the following:
Under Federal law, only your FAA has the authority to decide whether or not you must provide parental information on your FAFSA.
You will have to provide documentation to verify your situation. Gather as much written evidence of your situation as you can. Written evidence may include court or law enforcement documents, letters from a clergy member, school counselor or social worker, and/or any other relevant data that explains your special circumstance.
After reviewing your circumstances carefully, your FAA will decide if you must provide parental information or if your circumstances allow you to proceed without providing parental data. Your FAAs decision is final and can not be appealed to Federal Student Aid.</p>
<p>I’m so sorry that you have this to deal with. I agree with getting in touch with the experts on this forum, but also… have you considered taking a couple of years working and getting some CC credits (you say you are already 21) and then going at it once you are that magic 24?</p>