<p>My mother died a few years ago and my father was arrested recently and will likely be spending at least the next twenty five years in prison. My FAFSA is fine this academic year, but when I fill it out in January, I'm not going to have any parents to help me out. My father is useless and never contributed, but fortunately for me his $6000 income for a year was so pathetic my school doesn't even want proof of income. He's an abusive jerk so I wanted to avoid putting in his information, but the appeals process was going to be such a pain I opted to keep calling him until he would give me a number and find out his pin. For next year my college told me I'd have to file an appeal because my only parent will be incarcerated. However, the financial aid information doesn't address incarcerated parents when it comes to establishing an independent status. Would my father being in prison and my mother being dead result in me only providing my information?</p>
<p>Perhaps one of the FA pros like kelsmom or NikkiL will weigh in on this, but I’m pretty sure that you would qualify for a dependency override. You will need to request this in writing, with any necessary supporting documents, from your FA advisor. If they decide to declare you an indpendent student then you will only need to submit your own financial information going forward.</p>
<p>I would think you would be granted a dependency override given the circumstances. You will have to apply for it through your school as soon as they allow you to do so for that year (and you’ll have to reapply every year for it - it’s usually just a formality after the first time it’s approved). You’ll be able to complete the FAFSA using only your information, and it will reject. However, you still want to do it with just your info. You will contact your financial aid office for a dependency override form and provide documentation. What can you do now to prepare for this? Collect documents you are sure to need … your mom’s death certificate is one thing you’ll need for sure. Another thing is proof of your father’s incarceration.</p>
<p>I am sorry for your situation.</p>