Need help with FA situation

smsasoccer09 · 07-06-2008, 11:57 AM

I am completely stumped with what to do about filing for financial aid because of my family's situation. I have tried researching numerous areas, both here at CC and the Fafsa website but nothing seems close to my situation.

I do not live with my mother, and I do not know my father. We do not know his name, address or anything that would lead to the whereabouts of his location and he has been legally removed from the family. Though for my entire life I have lived with my grandparents who are my legal guardians, but they have not adopted me. My mother has never raised me since I was born, though she is still involved in my life and I see her a few times a month. She also got married 5 years ago and has had another child, my half-brother who is now two years old. My mother is a stay-at-home-mom and my step-dad is the sole provider for their household.

No one in my family has ever gone to college so no one has even been through the college application and financial aid process, let alone this situation. I am unsure of what to do and my family is not helping at all trying to clear all this up. I have talked with numerous people about this and no one can give me a straight answer. Some people tell me to use my grandparent's financial information while others tell me to use my parents. Some people have even told me to somehow use both household's information.

So anyway my question is, who's information am I supposed to use to file for FA? Any help will be greatly appreciated in clearing up this mess.

sueinphilly · 07-06-2008, 12:12 PM

FinAid | Professional Judgment | Providing More Than Half Support

I think this implies you use your mother's income, but you need to contact the FA offices of schools you are applying to to ask for special consideration such as a dependency override.

cptofthehouse · 07-06-2008, 02:38 PM

Now is the time to do the sit down and decide who is responsible for your education. If your father has had nothing to do with your life and you have no idea where he is, the school can certify to that. There is such a form. You need to have a meeting with your school GC and they should refer you to someone who knows how to determine the best way to complete your aid forms. If your grandparents are your legal guardians, they may be the ones responsible for college costs. Otherwise it would be your mother and stepfather.

vossron · 07-06-2008, 02:57 PM

I agree with sue; this is the realm of the FA office of the schools where you apply and/or are accepted, so contact them when the time comes, explain your situation, and be prepared to document it.

I also agree that dependency override may apply (see http://www.finaid.org/educators/pj/d...rrides.phtml):

father: parents whereabouts unknown or parents cannot be located
mother: failure to properly clothe or feed the family

It is up to the FA office of each individual college to determine your FA status with that college.

Sue's link includes: "A legal guardian does not count as a parent for federal student aid purposes" so your grandparents are not financially responsible for your education.

cptofthehouse · 07-06-2008, 03:54 PM

You do have a complex situation, so do look for some help. Hopefully your GC can link you to someone who can go over all of this. The link that Sue set up eliminates your grandparents as the Parents in terms of FA. Though individual colleges may need to make their interpretation, for purposes of FAFSA which will determine eligibility for federal and state monies, some sort of determination needs to be made. That this has been a long term situation will make it clear this has not been done for any fraud issues.

happymomof1 · 07-07-2008, 02:30 PM

If your guidance counselor isn't quite sure how to handle this, make an appointment with the financial aid office at a nearby college or university that you might consider attending - your local community college probably would do. Sit down with them and work your way through the paperwork that they would require. This should give you a general notion of how to handle the process with the other colleges/universities.

You are in a challenging situation. I wish you all the best.

thumper1 · 07-07-2008, 04:02 PM

>>I have lived with my grandparents who are my legal guardians, but they have not adopted me.>>

I think this sentence is very important. It implies to me that your mother is not your guardian, and has not supported you... and is not responsible for your support. BUT I'm not a financial aid expert. You really do need to discuss this with someone else who knows about this type of custody arrangement as it pertains to financial aid.

I agree with Happy....go to a local college and sit down and talk to someone there about your situation. Even if you don't apply there, you will have the information from that school's point of view.

Good luck to you...getting the right information is half the battle. Looking for it early is important!!

NikkiiL · 07-07-2008, 05:34 PM

Even though the grandparents have been made legal guardians, the mother, whose whereabouts are known, is still the required supporter for FAFSA purposes. I just had a student in a similar situation and spoke with many heads at the Department of Education. They all said the same thing...the FAFSA must contain the mother and step-father's income. The school can consider the grandparent's income for institutional aid, but FAFSA demands the mother's income. If the grandparents had adopted the OP, then the grandparents income would be used.

From Who is considered a parent? : "If you have a legal guardian, you cannot use your legal guardian's information on your application. A legal guardian is not considered a parent in the financial aid process."

vossron · 07-07-2008, 05:53 PM

NikkiiL, is a non-adoptive step-father considered the other parent if the father is alive but whereabouts are unknown? Thanks.

JanieDoll · 07-07-2008, 11:52 PM

I have been raised my grandparents too...I know my mother, who does not work and I know my father lives in Florida, but that is about it. I called the FA office at my school and asked about what I should do to fill out the form. They told me because my Grandmother was a blood relative it was ok...

smsasoccer09 · 07-08-2008, 04:34 PM

Thank you for your help. I am definitely going to sit with a financial aid officer when I go visit some colleges this summer so I can get this situation fully clarified.

So what most of you are saying is that I have to use my step-dad's financial information for FAFSA and PROFILE, and he would be solely responsible for funding my education since my mother does not have a job? If this is the case it is a suprise and probably will not go over well with them. This is because this is very unexpected and considering my mother has never provided for me financially since I was born, they are going to wonder why they should start now. Also he's going to wonder why he should have to pay for my college when he is not related to me at all and the only reason he would have to pay is because he married my mother and I am her child? That's definitely not going to go over well with him if that is the case.

I do not know whether they would even pay for my college if it came down to it. I guess my only hope that if it stays the way it looks right now (step-dad paying) that I am going to have to try and file a dependency override, but that looks like it wouldn't have a chance of even happening.

So anyway thank you for your help and any other advice/information is appreciated. Hopefully a FA office at some college will be able to help me out with this when I go this summer.

ebeeeee · 07-08-2008, 04:54 PM

I sent you a PM.

thumper1 · 07-08-2008, 04:55 PM

>>the only reason he would have to pay is because he married my mother and I am her child>>

EFC is Expected FAMILY Contribution. Your step dad is now a member of your family as he is married to your mom.

Your situation, however, is a unique one in that your grandparents have raised you. I agree you should discuss your situation with every financial aid department you visit.

And good luck to you.

alamemom · 07-08-2008, 04:59 PM

It doesn't actually mean that your step father is "responsible" for paying for your college education. It means that because of the FAFSA policies and instructions, you must enter your step-father's information and that will be used to generate your Estimated Family Contribution. Your unique situation, with as much documentation as possible, is what you need to then discuss with the financial aid officers at the colleges you visit and to which you are admitted. Since you need your mother and step father to fill out the FAFSA, it would be best not to approach the situation by telling them they are responsible for paying, just that it is the first, and most necessary step in applying for the financial aid you will need. Filling out the FAFSA places no obligation on parents or step parents to pay for college - it is just an estimate of how much they could pay if they CHOOSE to do so. Good luck!

ebeeeee · 07-08-2008, 05:01 PM

alamemom makes a good point. You may need their information...you may want to look at schools which will offer you merit money as a way of offsetting the fact that stepdad may not pay EFC.