I’ve never lived with my mother and my dad has been incarnated since before I was born. I live with my legal guardian but I am not adopted. I recently found out that for the FAFSA your legal guardian isn’t considered your parent unless you are adopted. What do I write for my dads part of the FAFSA if he is in prison?
If you in fact are in a legal guardianship with court paperwork to document this - you will need to indicate you are in a ‘legal guardianship’ on the FAFSA. This will then prompt you to only list your income information on the FAFSA. However, your school’s financial aid office will need to see court paperwork to sign off that you are indeed an independent student.
https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/parent-info#special-circumstances
Here is the link to the Department of Education FAQ on that. Looks like it will be a little complicated to say the least. You won’t get an EFC and you’ll work directly with your school on documentation. I am sure you are not the first person your school has had ask. Some schools will be more generous than others as in all things. Try looking for schools that meet 100 percent of need and add them to your list.
It sounds like you have overcome a rough start in life. Colleges love kids like you. Good luck!
^^no, @gettingschooled special circumstances do not apply if the student is in a legal guardianship. They are clearly independent and it is not complicated.
@chrissy198
Students in a legal guardianship do not list guardians or parents as they are considered Independent for FAFSA purposes. So if you answer yes to this question you will only report your own information:
Has it been determined by a court in your state of legal residence that you are an emancipated minor or that you are in a legal guardianship?
https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/dependency
Please continue to ask if you have more questions.