<p>My parents physically and mentally abused me and refuse to pay for college. I am over 18.</p>
<p>My college offers completely free tuition and grants for families under $60k. </p>
<p>How can I legally cut ties with my family so that my college will completely cover my tuition? In short, who can I contact to be able to file FAFSA as an independent? I am not kidding. I have evidence, medical records, and a signed legal plea of my parents that they have abused me.</p>
<p>P.S. If you have not gone through what I have, please do not question the morality of my actions.</p>
<p>Have you spoken with your case worker about this? Did you have a guardian ad litem assigned during the abuse investigation? Have you checked with legal services to see if something can be done?</p>
<p>Since I did not file an abuse investigation prior to turning 18, I did not bother starting one. Is it possible to start one now and simply claim assault or domestic violence? </p>
<p>I have audio recordings, photographs, and sign documents that show abandonment and physical abuse. I will check with a pro bono lawyer ASAP.</p>
<p>Edit: It seems that I need a “Dependency Override” from the Princeton Financial Aid office.</p>
<p>You can talk to your school counselor and to your college financial aid office. All of that would go under professional judgement. You can also talk to an attorney and Child Services in your area. You need to get all of the info you can to see what your alternatives are.</p>
<p>I wonder if you filed a restraining order against your parents if that would enable you to be considered independent…at least as far as your college would be concerned.</p>
<p>You need to talk to your financial aid office, and ask them about changing your dependency status. They should give you a Dependency Review Form, where you indicate why you shouldn’t be considered their dependent, and include documentation.</p>
<p>Since you have documentation of abuse, you might have a decent shot at qualifying, but it’s not guaranteed.</p>
<p>Princeton does not use the CSS Profile. The school has its own financial aid application form in addition to the FAFSA.</p>
<p>It sounds like you are hoping to gain independent status son that you will have minimal costs to attend Princeton. It also sounds like you have some documentation to support your claim. I have to say, I’m not sure this is a guarantee for you since you did nothing up to now in terms of these issues.</p>
<p>It is my understanding that I will just need a dependency review form. I am fairly optimistic about the guys at the financial aid office doing the right thing.</p>
<p>What’s the question, then, jcpenny, if (as you indicate above) it’s your understanding that the school simply requires a dependency review form?</p>
<p>Then you know what you have to do. Child abuse is a criminal offense and very serious. I hope you are consulting with an attorney and social services, as well as your school counselor, minister and others if you are serious about this undertaking. I seriously doubt if any financial aid office will just take a signed dependency review form. This issue is far more serious than something to get an independent standing for financial aid. Admitting to child abuse has some serious criminal consequences and the DA’s office should be informed of this situation. You don’t really think parents can just sign off to child abuse and get off the hook for paying for your college, do you? There are severe consequences for this.</p>
<p>You are dealing with 2 separate issues here; alleged abuse and your parents refusal to pay. </p>
<p>One really has nothing to do with the other as your parents are perfectly within their right to refuse to pay for your education. As they are first in line when it comes to paying for your education, the school is not going to give you financial aid because your parents refuse to pay.</p>
<p>The allegations of abuse is a separate issue. what you will need is documents, documents, documents. Corroboration from 3rd parties, school, police, courts, social services agencies will strengthen your case.</p>
<p>If the abuse happened after you turned 18, then you will most likely have to present police reports that the police were contacted. If the abuse occurred before you were 18, and you were a student, you would have a better chance if you reported it to your school, where they would have to document the incident and then contact child protective services who would have to do an investigation. Even if you were 18 in high school and reported the incident, the school is required to document what happened.</p>
<p>Medical records will simply state that you went to get and received medical attention for some type of injury. because the information is self reported, it will not necessarily implicate your parents as far as abuse. What is it you mean when you state that you have a signed legal plea? Did your parents have to appear in court to respond to allegations of abuse? Do you have the court records?</p>
<p>Did you file the FAFSA and school financial aid forms for your initial application to Princeton? Did you receive any financial aid as a result? What was your EFC? Your financial aid probably will not change this year.</p>
<p>Is this your first year at Princeton? While you may get a dependency override for the FAFSA, it does not necessarily mean that you will get a dependency override as far as the institutional aid is concerned because most schools have a policy if you were admitted as a dependent student, you finish as a dependent student.</p>
<p>I think most people are saying that they don’t believe it because it is just too convenient - going to college, claiming abuse, and voila free ride to college. We would all be doing it if it was that easy. </p>
<p>OP’s claim will need to be validated. I think if a teacher, GC, doctor, or social worker suspect of abuse, they need to (or should) report it. It may not be OP’s choice of wether or not to report it to DA.</p>
<p>Op can’t allege that abuse has taken place and not report the abuse to authorities, when he will need the documentation to strengthen his petition for financial aid. By the same token it is not going to help Op’s cause to allege abuse and then go back into the same abusive household and then expect others to pay for his education. He needs to decide if he is going to sever ties with his parents, because this is most likely what he is going to have to prove.</p>
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<p>At the end of the day, he needs to state what he needs; it there is continuing abuse going on, he needs to file a restraining order/order of protection. IF he wants his parents prosecuted for the abuse, he must be willing to press charges.</p>
<p>I am perplexed by this reference in the original post: “… a signed legal plea of my parents that they have abused me.” What is the nature of this statement? </p>
<p>Regardless, as sybbie719 points out, the alleged abuse and the question of financial responsibility for the OP’s education are separate matters. The way the abuse allegations settle out could have a bearing on the dependency review but there are two serious presenting issues here. Even if the parents stipulated to having abused the OP, that wouldn’t necessarily translate into, “Therefore, they are not responsible for helping finance their child’s education” in the eyes of the school.</p>
<p>I refuse to press charges to the police. The tarnish to my surname is vast and far outweighs what I am trying to accomplish. I would rather take on stafford student loan at the 6.5% rate for the remaining 3 years (Our EFC is $20,000, Financial Aid $36,000). My main goal for doing so is to:</p>
<ol>
<li>Avoid going back home during the summers, vacations, and contact with home. </li>
<li>Avoid further abuse and fear.</li>
</ol>
<p>These can ONLY be accomplished if I am no longer a financial dependent of my parents. Therefore I must get a Financial Dependency Review from Princeton. I have read the FAFSA stuff on dependency and the discretion to do so is completely at the Financial Aid Office:</p>
<p>I do not believe the police need to be involved. I think a lawyer to facilliate the process is the best. I have a signed note by my father and audio recordings of both of them admitting to beating me numerous times and abandonment (left me on the side of a damn highway and drove off) BEFORE AND AFTER 18. I refuse to involve the cops. I refuse to press charges. I will submit all the signed notes, audio recordings, and an ACTUAL VIDEO of dad belting me to the financial aid office.</p>
<p>I finished freshmen year with a 3.96 GPA and entered Princeton as one of few academic likely letter recipients. Failure to grant me dependency will mean I will have to transfer to a school with merit based scholarships. I am also a national merit scholarship recipient so I am sure many state schools will give me full rides. The loss to both parties will be tremendous.</p>
<p>Then basically you are saying that your family situation is not irreparable, which is also a factor in getting a dependency override.</p>
<p>As a person who writes a lot of third party letters and is a mandated reporter, it is highly unlikely that this information will be enough to get you a dependency override. As you have no 3rd party corroboration. </p>
<p>Is there a continuing pattern of abuse or was this a one time thing? How often has abuse occurred over what period of time </p>
<p>FA office is not going to accept recordings and notes from your father. If it were that easy, every parent would be writing notes, making recordings and video tapes.</p>
<p>As I previously stated, if the information happened while you were in school, if you had reported the situation to the school, you would have been in a much better position. </p>
<p>Are you currently living with your parents? If no, when did you leave their home?</p>
<p>Then this is not going to get you an override, because if you are still living in their house, there is no fear of abuse on your part and you do not believe that you are in imminent danger.</p>
<p>If you spoke with the counselor what happened? Were you referred to an agency? If your counselor did not follow the protocol, as a mandated reporter, s/he is at risk of losing their job.</p>
<p>If you spoke with the counselor as a minor, did s/he document the situation, report it to the administration and the proper authorities (as mandated reporters, there is no way to get around this). </p>
<p>For example in NYS, an Occurrence Report must be filed and ACS must be contacted immediately for any student under 18, and it must be documented in ATS and student referred to an agency, whether it is the door, Convenant house. city or state agency. </p>
<p>If the student is over 18, an occurrence report still has to be filed, administration informed and documented in ATS.</p>
<p>Counselor will not only write the letter but also attach all of the documentation.</p>
<p>Maybe I am totally misunderstanding but it looks to me like you have said:</p>
<p>"My main goal for doing so is to:</p>
<ol>
<li>Avoid going back home during the summers, vacations, and contact with home."</li>
</ol>
<p>You do not need a dependancy override to not go home for summers & breaks. Since you are over 18 just get a job and support yourself- you don’t have to go back to your parents house.</p>