<p>i vote for someone is trying to game the system, if not kid, then dad.</p>
<p>Here’s the thing. It does not matter what any of us think or how we vote. Instead, there is a measuring stick to use. It is, who does this child live with the most? If it is Dad half a year plus one minute, then only Dad’s income and assets are used. Period.</p>
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What is the basis for such an inflammatory, accusative and probably libelous comment?
I simply can’t imagine why you people are out to crucify this kid. You don’t know anything about this girl or her parents.</p>
<p>Bay - probably for simplicity. How come a couple that lives together can’t file married - this would benefit some couples in some situations.<br>
The federal government wants to know first with whom the child lives. I have never heard of a custody agreement for an 18 year old. To analyze every divorced family would probably cause a paperwork nightmare and cost far more than the <em>savings</em> from denying some kids grants.
Don’t forget - the sole purpose of the FAFSA is to determine eligibility for Federal grants and loans - neither of which will cover a pricey $40,000/year college.</p>
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<p>When people understand why the rules exist, they tend to be less cynical.</p>
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<p>Married parents have no legal obligation to support their 18 year olds, yet both parents’ incomes are considered for FAFSA. Just trying to understand the rationale for not using both parents’ income even when they are divorced. If one parent had no visitation rights to the child, then I can understand not obligating their income for college. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense. The parents divorced each other, not their children.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>I agree…and that was my point. It’s totally understandable why an absent NCP’s income isn’t considered, but it just seems silly for the “hands on” NCP’s income not to count. It’s even more silly when the parents have recently separated (and sometimes still living in the same home!)</p>
<p>I have a friend, whose daughter lived with her most of the time and only visited the father on weekends. Dad was wealthy, mom (my friend) was not. The daughter went to a FAFSA-only school that did not ask for NCP info and was awarded full tuition need-based scholarship. They followed all the rules exactly and would have given the dad’s info if requested. It’s how the system works. It benefits some and hurts others.</p>
<p>My neighbors separated before filing the FAFSA for the daughter. (This was about 5 years ago.) They said it was for financial aid reasons, although that always mystified me because the amount of aid the FAFSA makes available is really quite small, and the cost of the husband even sharing a dumpy apartment with a roomate is more than any FA benefit they received.</p>
<p>He then met someone else, moved in with the new woman, the wife has moved roommates into her house to help make ends meet. They have no contact with each other anymore.</p>
<p>It became clear pretty early that “financial aid” was just an excuse (at least for the husband) to move out.</p>
<p>This has nothing to do with the OP, just a weird story for its own sake. In any case, there is really not that much benefit to be gained. That’s probably why it’s not worth it to try to enforce reporting from a non-custodial parent. The logistics of that would be immensely complicated.</p>
<p>I was talking to someone about a girl today who has one parent deceased and the other is mentally ill, drug addicted, and in no contact with the girl at all for almost a year… and she’s having a tremendously difficult time getting a dependency override for the FAFSA.</p>
<p>If it’s that hard in the glaring, obvious cases, can you imagine the mess of trying to get every non-cusotidal parent to report? That would be such a immense burden on kids who are just trying to get their lousy Pell grant and go the community college. I wouldn’t be in favor of that.</p>
<p>So, MissEm (#46), we get to the nub of it. Should we condemn this family for gaming the system? Should we condemn the system? Or do we look deeper for benefits to us from having this father involved in years 0-18 but off the hook after?</p>
<p>I would just like to point out that neither me nor my family are intentionally trying to game the system. All I want to do is to get into college, and figure out how to pay for it. I just think it’s strange that this sort of thing could happen, i mean me having the opportunity to get a ton of aid, and still have money to pay for things. I can’t be the only one in this situation! I’m suprised I don’t hear more about this happening.</p>
<p>You got lucky. Good for you. A lot of my neighbors work for an elite Ivy league college. I always wondered why most of their kids went to these super expensive colleges until someone pointed out that there is a reciprocal payment agreement between those schools and the ivy where they work. They make tons of money already, probably don’t need the cheap deal but they get it anyway. They take full advantage of the system. Why shouldn’t you?</p>
<p>Emily92 you wrote the one thing that could make me happy – you said that you and your Dad are reviewing the FAFSA. Do your best. Read each line carefully and give your most correct response. Then you will be able to face the financial aid officer and your future with a clear head and a happy heart. </p>
<p>Good luck. I do know that next year it will be much easier. You will have figured out what your configuration is and you will have just one college to please. That’s good news!</p>
<p>I don’t see how you get a “ton” of aid if you’re talking about the government, but if you follow the guidelines and that makes you eligible for aid, then good for you. And have a great freshman year, Emily!</p>
<p>If Emily is doing everything correctly, then go for it girl. I am sure there are plenty of people who actually cheat the system. I know a single lady who has a live in boyfriend who supports her family, but of course she received grants for her kids to attend college. I guess there are plenty of ways to get government money. I know a girl who had a baby in high school and is married and attending college now. She gets a lot of aid, but I am sure she reports hardly any income or that she is living in a remodeled basement apartment in her parent’s half million dollar home on the lake. With our family, I am not working right now and my husband had an income of $75,000 last year with money in savings and we did not qualify for a grant. We already have a daughter in college who we are paying $15,000 a year and another one starting in the fall at $15,000 a year, so we are expected to pay close to half of our income before taxes on college. This doesn’t seem right and I even figured it up with no money in savings and we still didn’t qualify.</p>
<p>hey i got a similar but more confusing situation…my mom and dad never actually married and now one of them is very poor and the other is rich(kinda…) and married…since they both are not going to cover my tuition…i got a EFC=0 based on the poor side… i just think the FAFSA has something undone in details… those questions can’t cover all the situations…</p>
<p>I am, apparently, in left field on this one.</p>
<p>Irrespective of what falls out when you plug a bunch of numbers into a form, do most of you honestly believe that the INTENT of these various programs of federal grants, institutional grants, work study, and subsidized loans was to provide aid to those who could otherwise afford to pay their way? Or does that just not matter to you?</p>
<p>Your arguments that you are “just following the rules” smacks of “I was just doing my job” or “I was just following orders”. Always a weak defense for setting aside personal integrity.</p>
<p>I am encouraged by the OP, a young lady who clearly has a sense that while something may be “legal” it doesn’t necessarily make it right.</p>
<p>Now to find somewhere to put this soapbox…</p>
<p>What do you think the <em>intent</em> is? Some folks are angry because a needy student gets a $5000 grant to attend a state university while they are forking out $40,000 with no financial aid. I don’t get that.</p>
<p>Who are you to say this young woman does not need financial aid? Federal programs are in place to help the neediest of students attend a college in their state - she is doing that. Obviously her father doesn’t make much money if she has a 0 efc.
So, yes follow the rules. If this young woman will receive money from her mother then she must report that on the federal forms and that will be taken into consideration.</p>
<p>Not sure where you are coming from and what your personal struggle is but maybe you should walk in anothers shoes before you judge.
This forum is to help answer kids and parents questions on financial aid. By telling them not to avail themselves of this opportunity is a disservice.
I am sure you <em>take advantage</em> of every tax deduction and tax credit when you file your income taxes - even if you don’t <em>need</em> the money. When you buy a new car, I am sure you do all you can to get the best price.</p>
<p>I am sure you <em>take advantage</em> of every tax deduction and tax credit when you file your income taxes - even if you don’t <em>need</em> the money. When you buy a new car, I am sure you do all you can to get the best price.</p>
<p>That’s not comparable. In those cases, you’re not taking other taxpayers’ money.</p>
<p>When you are awarded insitutional aid you are not taking other taxpayers money.</p>
<p>by claiming every deduction and credit for which you are entitiled you pay less into the treasury - that is made up by someone paying more.</p>
<p>JustAMom
I believe the intent of these various programs is to provide financial assistance in paying for college to those who OTHERWISE could not afford to do so. I didn’t judge the OP’s need but offered by opinion to the dilemma she posed in her posting. The crux of which was that using the information for the lower income parent, in this case her dad, yielded an EFC of ZERO when her belief (not mine) is that her mom can and will help pay for college.</p>
<p>Where I am coming from is the desire and attempt to live a life that places substance over form and as to my personal struggles, they are few and far between, life is good.</p>
<p>Equating my deducting the interest on my mortgage to receiving financial aid makes no sense to me. apples and oranges</p>
<p>And I don’t know about you but the last time a bought a car, they didn’t have me fill out a form to determine how much they would charge me for the car or to distribute to others so that they could contribute to the purchase on my behalf. more apples and oranges</p>
<p>Yes I can’t disagree with you swdad, however the OPs dad did what the vast majority of people would do which is put his d in the best possible situation to mitigate the costs of college given the best information he had to go about doing just that. It is, by all technical aspects, by the book. And as has been pointed out if the mom contributes any money in 2010 this will be considered in the OPs aid for 2011 which will change her situation. I think the system is screwy and clearly there are those that benefit and those that pay through the nose which has sometimes very little to do with how they lived their financial or marital lives which is unfortunate. Frankly it does make more sense to me that both bio mom and bio dad should be required in the equation with waivers given for missing moms or dads who can’t be found or egg and sperm doners. States are able to dock pay for child support and distribute to the other parent they could easily dock pay to be sent directly to colleges/unis for tuition. It’s radical but fair. The biggest hurdle is the historical aspect in most states that child support ends at 18. But states give much lip service to sending kids off to college so the day may come.</p>