<p>So, I'm in an interesting position, and my research has yet yielded more questions than answers. Hopefully, some of you can help me.</p>
<p>I was recently adopted and thus had my surname changed. However, my parents forgot to update my information on multiple documents and databases - including Social Security. Long story short, I was unable to finalize my FAFSA because my last name didn't match up with the one on record, etc., etc. I have been unable to update my SSN in the past few months because we live overseas, and to do so would require an extensive trip to the consulate (which my parents weren't willing to take?). I intend to update this information and everything else that's been neglected when I go back to the States, but that won't be till August, when I ship off to college. </p>
<p>So. My questions are:</p>
<p>1) Will I be able to reapply for institutional financial aid next year (as a sophomore), once I have everything sorted?
2) Will doing so jeopardize any institutional merit scholarships I may have earned?
3) Will I have to discuss this issue individually with every school that accepts me? I realize that they will probably all have different answers.</p>
<p>I really appreciate any advice you guys could give me. Obviously, this is a huge issue at the moment; I'll either end up going to a school that's not exactly right for me, or incurring hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt before I even make it to med school. Which... Blargh.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>You need to drag yourself to the consulate now. Not later. You need to get all of your documents fixed. </p>
<p>Contact each and every one of the institutions that you have applied to, and ask what they need you to do so that they can believe that you are you. Then do those things (which may indeed be completely different for each of them). While you are in communication with them, ask about the whole “can I get aid next year if I don’t get any this year” thing. Do not be surprised if the answers vary.</p>
<p>If the money isn’t sorted out in time, you might end up with an unplanned gap year.</p>
<p>Oh, and you can’t end up “hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt” without a co-signer. All you can borrow on your own is the federal loans, and until your SSN issue is fixed so the FAFSA can be fixed, you won’t even be able to tap into that money.</p>
<p>If you are looking for financial aid, you may be too late. As Happymom says, you had better get this all straightened out ASAP, and a gap year might not be a bad idea for you. You many not be able to get access to a federal aid, much less school money until everything is in order. Unless your parents are able to pay for this year, this can be a problem They won’t even be able to borrow from PLUS until all of this is in shape. </p>
<p>On your own, all you will be able to borrow are the Staffords, $5500 freshman year, with $3500 of it subsidized so that you pay no interest until you graduate. Unless your parents have a very low, like under $6K EFC, you are not eligible for PELL. </p>
<p>Some schools will not give you aid the next year if you do not apply the first year, or at all unless there has been a change in financial circumstances for your parents which would have to be verified by their tax forms. So, yes, teh question about this is is a relevant one.</p>
<p>Can you complete the FAFSA using your name as it appears on your Social Security card? Any tax return claiming you as a dependent should have been filed using that name as well - if it was sent electronically, it would be rejected with the “wrong” last name. As far as the IRS is concerned, you name has not yet been changed.</p>
<p>If you can complete the FAFSA using your original name, you should be able to contact the colleges to explain the situation, and they can then access the appropriate records. This isn’t as big of a problem as you’re making it out to be. Per the Social Security Administration’s own website, you don’t need to appear in person to have your card changed; it can be done by mail, if you send original documents, or copies certified by the issuing agency. You would need proof of the name change, and proof of identity.</p>
<p>CTScoutmom -</p>
<p>This student is outside the US, and adjusting the SSN by mail might not be possible. Communication with the US Consulate (if not a personal visit) probably is in order.</p>