<p>I've been going to community college and working full time to support my cost of attendance there. In a few semesters, I will be graduating with an A.S in engineering. My parents are refusing to pay for any four-year school. I'll need to take out student loans from the government. Moreover, my parents also refuse to fill out the FAFSA. I honestly don't know what to do, at this point...</p>
<p>Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Get a job using your associates degree in engineering. Work, and go to school to finish your degree part time.</p>
<p>You can’t take out federally funded loans without a completed FAFSA on file. And even then…you would on,y get $7500 a year in federally funded loans if you attend college full time.</p>
<p>@thumper1 : Where do you get this $7,500 figure from?</p>
<p>That’s the Stafford loan limit for third year students, which is what you would be. </p>
<p>The Direct Loan amount for third year college students with junior status is $7500. That is the loan you can get in your name only…with a completed FAFSA. </p>
<p>Any loans above the Direct Loan amount would either need a cosigner, or need to be taken by your parents. If they complete the FAFSA, they could take a Parent Plus loan up to the cost of attendance. But they would need to agree to this…and do the FAFSA as well.</p>
<p>P.S. I see from another thread that you are interested in Berkeley. As an OOS student, you would at least be paying the differential between in and out of state,$23,000 plus your family EFC plus a student contrubution…at least. </p>
<p>@thumper1 : Thanks for your input. Much appreciated! And yes, I am interested in attending UC - Berkeley.</p>
<p>How will you pay the OOS costs to attend Berkeley? Just asking. </p>
<p>1) get a job at an engineering firm and they may help you pay tuition one or two classes at a time. My mother worked for a big engineering firm and they paid for tuition, usually grad school but I think any relevant course would be approved. 2) join the military. There are so many opportunities for engineers in the military. 3) try for one of the government engineering programs like at the DOD that pay tuition for engineers. It’s work, hard work, and you may not get to pick UC Berkeley or any school you want, but you will be in school.</p>
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<p>Why is that?</p>
<p>What is your home state? What 4 year univ is near your home? </p>
<p>You may either have to commute to a 4 year from your home and pay as you go or wait til your 24 to finish your degree.</p>
<p>What exactly are your parents say? Do they hate college? Are they here illegally? Do they cheat on their taxes and are afraid that that will come out with filing FAFSA? What? </p>
<p>If @kelsmom sees this, I think there is a way to get an unsub loan for $7500 if your parents will sign that they WON’T fill out FAFSA…but obviously that won’t be enough for a UC. You’d have to commute to an instate school. If you’re instate for Calif, then you’d have to commute to a CSU and pay the rest from a summer job.</p>
<p>if parent refuses to file FAFSA, student will only receive unsub loan (~$4000)</p>
<p><a href=“https://fafsa.ed.gov/fotw1314/help/fahelp29a.htm”>https://fafsa.ed.gov/fotw1314/help/fahelp29a.htm</a></p>
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It’s depending on the financial aid officer. See <a href=“https://studentaid.ed.gov/fafsa/filling-out/parent-info#unwilling-parents”>https://studentaid.ed.gov/fafsa/filling-out/parent-info#unwilling-parents</a>
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<p>Um…no. The parents have to sign that they are providing NOTHING to the student in financial support and don’t ever intend to. They can’t just say they refuse to do the FAFSA. There are other requirements and the financial support is one of them. The parents also have to agree that this student will not be counted as their dependent moving forward, I believe.</p>
<p>Otherwise, lots of folks would say “I’m not doing the FAFSA for my kid so he can get $4000 more in loans all by himself.”</p>
<p>My bad, I should have written, eligible to receive as the loan is not guaranteed</p>
<p>My parents also refused to fill it out. I paid my own way. It was hard but worth it. Lots of loans. I did get married and that helped a lot. Although I have been married 20 years now and love my husband, I don’t recommend getting married to get better financial aid. I am really sorry your parents will not help you with this important step towards your future! You can do it! </p>
<p>I’m thinking that I might be able to get a job with my Associate’s degree, once I graduate from community college. I wonder if I would be able to claim myself as an independent student, if I do that…</p>
<p>Not until you’re 24. Is there a 4 year college that you can commute to from home? If so, how much is it? </p>
<p>What is going on? Why are your parents refusing to fill out FAFSA?</p>
<p>This happens too often. Parents might just refuse to give out finanicial info to anyone, may have issues with taxes and other things they do not want to face., don’t want kids to take out loans and know they are not eligible for anything else. My neighbor who seems very well to do, wanted his daughters to all commute to school, and hold a job as they did as a matter of principle. </p>
<p>Our opinions and takes on this come down to mattering little,since those who don’t want to fill out FAFSA, pay for their kids education, unless court or state mandated in divorce situations, simply do not have to do so. One can rail, tear ones hair out, name call,etc, but it’s not going to happen. Often in such cases, it’s not a matter of the parents providing NO support, as they permit the student to live at home and share in household resources. They just won’t pay out any more money because they can’t because they are that strapped or won’t because they do not want to do so.</p>
<p>So you have to live within those constraints. Get a job, go to school part time the way the vast majority get their college done. Bit by bit, until age 24 when the student can apply for aid as an independent. Look at military options. Look for work on a campus that can lead to a tuition benefit in the future. My friend’s DD got her degree from CMU that way. SOmetimes hitting a milestone head on is not possible.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids There is a four year college to which I can commute from home. The tuition is $14,000. I can’t even afford that. My parents have money, but they are simply unwilling to help me fund my higher education.</p>
<p>No you can’t claim yourself as independent just because you have a job. BUT you can work at that job until the year you turn 24…and then you will be independent for financial aid purposes.</p>