<p>so i am applying to financial assistance to pay for a college course i am taking, as a senior in high school. under one of its eligibility requirements is “Additional Hardship Documentation”. i called them and they gave a few examples, including if my parents were deceased or unemployed.</p>
<p>how would i provide documentation for my parent being unemployed last year? and what are some other options for “hardship documentation”?</p>
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<p>Unemployment benefit payments would be a start. Did your parent get unemployment pay?</p>
<p>First – are you certain you are eligible for financial assistance? If you are still enrolled in high school, you are not eligible for any federal funding (nor state funding as far as I am aware of it). The individual school can provide you with funding as they choose – and there are some states with special programs for high schoolers taking college classes. I just don’t want you to get into trouble with the FA people – make sure they understand that you are still a high school student.</p>
<p>Generally, most schools will ask to see the results of the unemployment application – and whether it was denied or approved. If approved, unemployment insurance payments count as income. If not approved, it is used as proof of unemployment.</p>
<p>I will warn you – the schools look very closely at any request for a hardship. They are going to want some type of proof that your parent’s finances are in the shape you say they are in – tax forms, account records, welfare applications, free and reduced price lunch approvals, etc. They will also want to know how your family survived with no income last year – you can’t honestly say your parents were unemployed the entire year last year unless you lived in a homeless shelter and ate at soup kitchens. Someone had to pay for basic living expenses.</p>
<p>Finally – if you parents were unemployed last year (2007) that won’t really effect your FA right now. Unless they are currently unemployed, the fact that they have been earning money recently will not help your request for a hardship.</p>
<p>only one of my parents were unemployed. i’m certain that i am eligible for financial assistance. this is a course that is offered at my school through Syracuse University. it’s a PA class. they gave us forms specifically for financial assistance, if we need it. i have everything else prepared that they ask for, including free or reduced lunch and the 1040 form.</p>
<p>It sounds like you should be fine, then. Usually the proof of free/reduced price lunch is accepted for high school aged students. If they need more infor, they will contact you.</p>
<p>You are not eligible for aid. Students who take a college course while still enrolled in high school do NOT qualify for any federal aid programs. If you are eligible to receive aid, it is through SU’s institutional funds. They may use FAFSA to determine your eligibility to receive their aid … but you cannot receive any Title IV federal aid (Pell, FSEOG, Stafford loans, etc.).</p>
<p>Who gave you the forms?</p>
<p>what? my teacher was given the forms by the Syracuse University program that is in charge of the program.</p>
<p>anyway i’ve got the documentation and it’s been sent.</p>
<p>My guess is that this student was NOT given the FAFSA form (I didn’t see that the OP mentioned that was the case). Perhaps SU has a form for high school students to document financial need for these types of courses. Agreed with Kelsmom…this would not be something done for federal aid…and not using FAFSA most likely (since one of the questions is what year of college are you in…). But SU most likely has something they use to document financial need for HS students taking courses in this arrangement.</p>
<p>I’d be interested to hear again from the OP as to what kind of form they filled out.</p>
<p>I took one of the SU classes many years ago, and I recall having to pay for the credits out of my McDonald’s wages (not an easy task). I would bet SU has it’s own pot of money they use to help out the neediest. In that case, the student won’t fill out the real FAFSA. That being the case, it’s kind of hard for us to advise about the documentation … we’re all in the FAFSA/Profile mindset. OP, there is probably a number on the form that you can call with questions. Call! That’s the best way to find out exactly what you need. Good luck.</p>
<p>There are some state aid programs here for students taking college classes while in high school. It’s just enough aid to pay the tuition, but for students with financial need who cannot take a similar course at their high school, there are funds available. Maybe the OP is talking about something like that.</p>
<p>'rentof2, our district pays for community college classes for students who aren’t able to take a particular class at their own school, regardless of ability to pay. I assumed all school districts in our state did that. Do any of your districts do this?</p>
<p>In our district you can do concurrent enrollment and are not charged for the college classes.</p>
<p>Here the funding is only for kids with need. Schools must permit a student who wants to take a college class (at either a community college or a 4 yr public college/univ) if that class is not offered at the high school, but to get them to pay for it you have to meet certain income guidelines. There are some other restrictions, too, to get funding, but I don’t remember them. We looked into it because my son took quite a few classes at the local public U when he was a junior and senior. We have a middle class income ($57K, family of 4), and it was way too high to get any funding.</p>
<p>taking college courses while in HS for free? I’d just love my daughter to get free summer school while in HS, instead, its almost $200 and there are no income considerations given :(</p>
<p>Our district did not offer free summer college classes. But during the school year senior students with ACTs over a certain level could take some classes at HS and some at the nearby CC at no cost.</p>
<p>Our district has a number of dual credit courses with the local community college and the state university. There is no cost to the students at all.</p>
<p>And DD had no trouble getting that college transcript to send to the school where she is a student…and they accepted the course and credits as well.</p>
<p>NikkiiL, no free classes in the summer, unfortunately. The free classes are school-year only, and only for classes a school doesn’t offer (although some districts are kind enough to allow free classes when they technically don’t have to … like for kids who can’t fit band into their schedules, they might be allowed to take Chem at the CC). </p>
<p>My S wants to take a software development class next year. His high school doesn’t offer that class, so he’ll go to to the CC (just 2 miles from home!). Plus, he’ll get an early release or late start, so he will only have to take 6 classes instead of 7. That will work well for him.</p>
<p>I wasn’t meaning summer college classes, but summer HS classes. D flipped out last year and failed earth science…I desparately wanted her to retake it during summer school, only to be told it was almost $200.</p>
<p>Ouch! That’s expensive.</p>