<p>I was told by my current school's financial aid office earlier this year that I MUST provide my parent's information for FAFSA. They said I could not file as an independent although I have not lived with them for over a year and I have had my own income since age 16 (21 now.) I'm transferring this fall and my EFC is 3297. As expected, my parents refuse to pay a cent. Do I need to take them to court? What should I do?</p>
<p>They are not legally required in any way to pay the EFC.</p>
<p>Katara, I'm not sure what you would gain by taking your parents to court. The reality is that they are under NO obligation to pay for a penny of your college education. No one's parents are under any obligation to pay for the college education of their children. The EFC is the calculated amount the school expects your family to be able to contribute. The fact that you have not lived with them for over a year has no bearing on your status regarding financial aid dependent vs independent status. When you say that you have "had your own income since 16" does this mean that you have earned enough each year to FULLY support yourself (food, housing, living expenses, clothing, everything)? My guess is...no. And it really doesn't matter to the financial aid folks anyway. Also, re: court...it will cost you money to file a suit that will likely gain you nothing. </p>
<p>$3297 is not a huge amount of money relative to the expense of college. Do you have financial aid that is covering the balance of your college expenses? If so, get two summer jobs...a full time one and a part time one. Both of my kids earned more than $4000 in the summers doing this. That would cover your EFC (remember...family...and YOU are a member of the family).</p>
<p>You have your EFC so I'm assuming you filed the FAFSA.</p>
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Do I need to take them to court? What should I do?
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<p>Your parents are not legally obilgated to pay for you to attend college so taking them to court would end up being a lesson in fuitility. Since you state that you have your own income, can you pay some of this 3297 from your summer earnings (even if it means getting a second summer job)? If your parents are not eligible for a parents loan, you will be able to borrow $4000 unsubsidized through the stafford loan program.</p>
<p>Your school is correct - for FAFSA you are considered a dependent until you are 24 (or some other circumstances such as married, have a dependent of your own etc) so you will have to provide your parents information every year. Whether you live with them or not does not matter. The EFC will be based on your parents income and assets and your income and assets as reported on FAFSA. </p>
<p>As others have said there is no legal obligation for your parents to actually pay their part of the EFC so taking them to court would be pointless.</p>
<p>You have presumably been filing FAFSA the last couple of years so the EFC should come as no big surprise - or were your parents willing to pay before now?</p>
<p>I guess I'll take out an even larger loan to cover their cost. I just think the financial aid system needs to consider these types of situations. I have been FULLY supporting my self for a long time and I can't understand why I'm being penalized for not having a family that will support my college education. Oh well, at least I will be married for next year's FAFSA.</p>
<p>The system's expectation is that parents will contribute - otherwise every parent could just say they are not willing to pay. Unfortunately your situation is not uncommon.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Something to consider - Once you are married you will have to report your spouse's income and assets as well as your own on FAFSA. Unless he is also a student with very little income this may impact your EFC more than your parent's income as there is less income protection for independent students than there is for parents of dependent students. For an independent single student the income protection is a little over $6000 and for a independent married student the income protection is only $10,000 (that is both your incomes). You may want to run your financial information (your income and assets and his income and assets) through an EFC calculator to see what your EFC would be if you get married.
FinAid</a> | Calculators | Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and Financial Aid
My son's girlfriend is independent as she is 24 and has a very low income so has a very low EFC. If they were to get married right now and have his income on her FAFSA it would make her EFC jump enormously ( by over 6000 ) even though he only earns @ $18k a year - so they are waiting.</p>
<p>If you have been abandoned or abused by your parents you might qualify for a Dependency Override (but simply moving out would normally not qualify). Have a look at:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.kidscounsel.org/dependency%20override.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://www.kidscounsel.org/dependency%20override.pdf</a>
FinAid</a> | Professional Judgment | Dependency Overrides</p>
<p>Katara, if you EFC is below $4000, your parent's income is not very high, and the reality is that they really might not HAVE that money to give to you at this time...especially with rising costs for their living expenses (gas, heating fuel, food etc).</p>
<p>KataraTrojan,</p>
<p>Financial Aid used to consider these types of situations and overrise the dependency status of many students...until parents and students started abusing the overrise system by lying about the student's status. Now, Financial Aid Offices have been given a limited list of reasons why we can override a student's status. It's unfortunate but when the system gets abused, it typically bites back.</p>