some questions. help

<p>i have a question, im going to work in dc next year ive been there for 9 months before and then i came back here in california. but next year i will go there to work, and will go to school too. i will start in a community college first and then transfer to a university. my question is, i dont know if i will be able to pay completely for my school since my moms income is not that high. im from a low income family, and i dont know about my step dad too because we dont really get along with him and we dont live with him. should i put my mom only? my real dad is not here. he lives in philippines. i dont know what to put in my FAFSA once i go to dc and study. </p>

<p>i dont know if i should put my stepdad or not.
i dont know if i also need to put my real dad because he is not here, he is in philippines.
i need some info about this.
thanks.</p>

<p>Are you under 24 and unmarried? If so, you’ll likely be considered a dependent student (there will be questions on FAFSA that will determine your status as dependent/independent). Your biological dad’s info will not be needed since your mother is the custodial parent. If your mom and stepdad are separated, the stepdad’s info will not be needed either.<br>
Just in case you haven’t filed a FAFSA before…You can go to fafsa.gov (make sure it’s the .gov, not .com site!) for more detailed information, to file FAFSA online, and specify the school(s) you want it sent to. After you submit your info (take your time and read the instructions for any questions you’re unsure of) they will process it and send you an email to view your Student Aid Report (SAR). That will list your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is a calculated number that the FA office will use to award aid such as Pell grants and student loans. If something seems “off” to you, double check the entries you made and feel free to post your questions here where there are several very experienced FAFSA users!</p>

<p>Will you be living in DC, MD, or VA? The University of DC [University</a> of the District of Columbia](<a href=“http://www.udc.edu/]University”>http://www.udc.edu/) is in the process of reorganizing itself to create separate 2-year (community college) and 4-year divisions. I don’t know when that will be operative. For information on the CC see [Community</a> College of DC](<a href=“http://ccdc.usdc.edu/]Community”>http://ccdc.usdc.edu/)</p>

<p>In MD, the closest community colleges would be [Montgomery</a> College](<a href=“http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/]Montgomery”>http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/) with campuses in Rockville, Germantown, and Takoma Park and [Prince</a> George’s Community College](<a href=“http://www.pgcc.edu/]Prince”>http://www.pgcc.edu/) with the main campus in Largo. If you live in Montgomery County, you will be considered in-state for tuition and fees after three months. The PGCC policy may be similar.</p>

<p>The closest CC in Virginia, [Northern</a> Virginia Community College](<a href=“http://www.nvcc.edu/index.html]Northern”>Northern Virginia Community College) also has multiple campuses. Again, you will need to check for the specific residence policy.</p>

<p>Trinity University has a unique weekend college program that may work for you once you are more established. It is designed for students who have to support themselves with regular jobs, and who can only take classes on Saturday and Sunday. More information is at [Trinity</a> Washington University - Degree programs and teacher certification in Washington DC: business, communication, nursing and more.](<a href=“http://www.trinitydc.edu/]Trinity”>http://www.trinitydc.edu/)</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>