<p>Is this about privacy, or could it really be that your mom doesn’t like these colleges/universities for some reason? Find out about that. If she trusts the institutions themselves, just not the people at IDOC, she should pick up the phone, call the financial aid offices, and ask if she can submit the copies of her tax information directly to them, thus by-passing the staff at IDOC.</p>
<p>“they are sending the 1040 just didn’t want to sign it to in my moms word “make a stand.” I just pointed out that doing this was just going to make the application have more scrutiny.”</p>
<p>It’s not that the application will get more scrutiny. All applications get equal scrutiny. The issue is that the signature is required, and schools must adhere to their policies. </p>
<p>Littletowndreams, do you have a trusted adult who understands this process who could speak to your mother and explain how this could cost you the financial aid? Maybe an uncle or friend who is familiar with the issue. Show this thread to your father. Someone needs to get through to your mother. And I hope you have her tenacity when it comes to finals!!!</p>
<p>Please don’t believe the post from turtletime posted above (God I wish they would add bp umbers to these posts!). You can’t just work for a year and declare yourself as an independent student. Sorry turtle, but that is VERY inaccurate and misleading advice…which I hope TURTLE isn’t planning to use. It won’t work. parent info will still be required.</p>
<p>I can’t believe your mom and dad can’t come to some agreement about signing these forms. If they plan to do it when the IDOC informs them they MUST (and that IS going to happen), then why not just do it now!?</p>
<p>Sorry about that. I had a friend do that when I was in college but that was 20 years ago. I guess it was easier to just move out and be independent back then. </p>
<p>It is still easy to move out and be independent - you just can’t get financial aid that way. You can still get a job, vote, buy a car as an adult.</p>
<p>Parent info is used until the student is 24, except special circumstances like foster case, marriage and a few more.</p>
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<p>Probably because the government already has the information anyway (tax returns), and some private organizations are less transparent and more careless with personal information.</p>
<p>In any case, they will prevent you from getting financial aid, so you will be going to your merit scholarship safety.</p>
<p>turtletime -</p>
<p>The rules on dependence have been tightened up quite a bit since your friend was in college. But even back then, there may have been factors that you weren’t aware of that would have allowed the financial aid office to grant an override.</p>
<p>It really was pretty easy to be considered independent back in the day … at least until around 1990. I was out of the field when the rules were tightened up, so not sure exactly when it changed. Used to be that parents would amend their taxes to remove the kid in order to get the independent status. It’s much, much more difficult to be considered independent now. Even the “automatic” things that will do it, such as having a child, are not so automatic - aid officers very often will ask for proof of supporting the child at least 51%. And things like being in guardianship or being homeless, which are automatic-independent factors, are verified.</p>
<p>I got it resolved </p>
<p>Glad you did. Good luck!</p>