FAFSA Form & Financial Aid Form Blog

Ok, let’s go over a common scenario…

You’re 21 years old, have been living on your own for a couple of years, are legal drinking age and yet you still need your parents information when filling out the FAFSA. It seems unbelievable, but it is true. The US Department of Education considers a student a dependent up until the age of 24 except in certain instances. Below I have broken down the difference between an Independent VS. Dependent student.

Independent Status

• You are at least 24 years old on the day you file your FAFSA
• You are or will be enrolled in a masters or Doctoral degree program at the beginning of the school year
• You are married on the day you file your FAFSA
• You are a parent
• You have dependents other than your spouse who live with you and who receive more than half their support from you at the time you apply
• Both your parents are deceased (or were until age 18) a ward of dependent of the court
• You are currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training
• You’re a Veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces.

If none of the above criteria apply to you, you’re a dependent student - even if your IRS tax status is different, even if you’re legally emancipated from your parents, even if you have no idea where your parents are.

That said, in rare cases, your school’s financial aid officer can override the FAFSA results to help you get more aid if you can demonstrate a compelling case that your parents and family provide absolutely no support, and therefore you’re not really a dependent. This is called a professional judgement override and while they are granted extremely rarely, they do exist. If you need a professional judgement override for dependency status, gather up as much documentation as you can, from rent bills to utility bills to the legal judgement from a court emancipating you from your parents and bring it to your financial aid advisor. While you’re not guaranteed anything, it’s at least worth a try.

If you are still unsure of your status please feel free to contact the Student Loan Network.

I have decided to compile a list of answers to the questions I hear most frequently regarding the FAFSA and financial aid in general. Hopefully this will help everyone out, and if I forgot one…post a comment!

1. Why do I need my parents information to fill out the FAFSA if they do not support me financially?
   • Answer: this is because the gov’t does not care that your parents don’t help you pay for school…unless you are 24 or older, or you have a child, or in the military…the gov’t views you as a “dependent” student…so they need your parent information in order to determine how much you “need” in government aid.

2. How much will I get in the Stafford Loan?
   • Answer: There are maximum amounts you can borrow. The following are the maximum amounts for the subsidized loan per school year:

Freshman: $3500

Sophomore: $4500

Junior: $5500

Senior: $5500

* Some students may take more in the unsubsidized Stafford Loan, and it is best to speak to someone at your school to discuss your options

3. I have already graduated and I make monthly payments on my loan. How do I find out what my balance is?
   • Answer: You need to contact the lender of your loan-this is either a bank (i.e. Citibank, Sallie Mae, Mohela, Student Loan Xpress) or it is a Direct loan. If you have no idea who your lender is, it is probably Direct. You can call 1800-848-0979 to check.

4. but I thought Stafford was my lender?
   • Stafford is just a type of loan-not a company. As I said above, your loan is either serviced by a private company or from Direct loans. This is a common misconception.

5. My Stafford Loan does not cover my tuition. I have bad credit, and my parent will not cosign a private loan for me. What are my options?
   • Honestly, your only option is to march yourself into your financial aid office at your school and tell them your story. Schools tend to find ways around things-and they want to keep their students around, so hopefully they can work something out

6. Im done with school and I can’t afford my monthly loan payments, what should I do?
   • You have options-you could consolidate your loans. If you already consolidated and still can’t afford your payments, you can put your loans on deferment or forbearance until you can afford it. You would need to call your lender to do this

7. Where can I search for scholarships?
   • Ok ok, so no one really asks me this, but people should because it’s free money that you don’t have pay back! Visit this scholarship site.

More Helpful Sites for Financial Aid Info: Live Podcast FAFSA Information Add me as your friend!