<p>my family has a complicated family tree…
i will try to make it short.</p>
<p>my sister and brother-in-law adopted me as their first child when i was in elementary school, which my actual parent agreed to it.
But did my actual parent just abandoned me? No. They financially supported me during their hard working years, like any other parents would do. I was just under the name of my sister and brother-in-law. </p>
<p>After I graduated from high school, things got crazy between my parent and my sister, which led to a situation of not talking nor seeing of each other and that affected me to take a side… I took my parent’s. </p>
<p>Since my parents are not in the working age anymore, I’ve been working part-time jobs and all to pay off myself.
I applied to FAFSA and got rejected because my sister couple’s (a.k.a my adoptive parent) income is too high… sigh.
I am not getting any support from them. I know that FAFSA ppl are doing their work correctly, but I need some way out of this situation. Like becoming independent…
I’ve seen FAFSA rules stating for unusual situation, the ‘dependency override’ can be held with the college financial administrator’s agreement… Do you think this is possible? I know it is rare… and I know there are other students in much worse situation… But i’m desperate too.
And student loans, I’ve thought about it… ummm I’m not sure.</p>
<p>FAFSA is an actual application for aid. It is a form that provides information from your legal parents and yourself to figure out if you get Pell Grant and Loan from the federal govt. Some colleges, maybe yours, use it to see if you get any college aid. There is no such thing as ‘rejected’, really. You either qualify for a Pell grant of up to 5750 per year or not. And every student who files a FAFSA is eligible for a federal direct student loan for 5,500 freshman year (after that 6,500 sophmore, 7,500 jr, 7,500 senior year.)</p>
<p>So your sister and her husband are your legal parents. Who have you been living with and how long from age 13 till you graduated HS up to the last year? How old are you? Did you start school already and is this your first year? Where do you live? Overrides are a case by case basis. What is your case? That your legal parent won’t help with school? That won’t do it. Are you trying to say abandoned by adoptive parents because you befriend your natural parents? </p>
<p>So legally, your sister is your parent…she adopted you…correct? Then you would need to list her as your parent on the FAFSA form. you could be living on Mars, and your parent…in your case your sister…would need to be listed on that form.</p>
<p>Thumper1 is correct. Sister is the legal parent & therefore the FAFSA parent. It may be possible that whatever took place between you and your sister could qualify you for a dependency override, but there is no way for us to know given the info you have posted - and you don’t need to detail it here, but you would want to discuss it with a financial aid advisor at the school you want to attend. That is where you will get your best advice. </p>
<p>Are you certain that your parents went thru a formal court process to give up their parental rights and have your sister adopt you? Can you check for sure??? (that would be extremely strange especially if your bio parents continued to send money.)</p>
<p>Perhaps this was just an informal family situation w/o a court process. Or maybe the court process was a Guardianship process??? If so, then your bio parents would still be your parents for FAFSA purposes. </p>
<p>If you live with neither set and are not financially supported by either set of parents, then get declared independent.</p>
<p>However, what is the time period we are talking about?</p>
<p>FAFSA is not available until January 1, 2015. Are you talking about last year?</p>
<p>If you are already in college, you need to talk to the FA office about it ASAP. You say that you are “desperate” but how did you go to college this past year?</p>
<p>Were you legally adopted by your sister and BIL? Did your parents terminate their rights through legal documents and your sister and BIL are your legal parents? If so, then it’s all very simple. Regardless of living with your parents or who was supporting you, your legal parents are your sister and BIL just as it would be with any adoptee. And your parents are simply grandparents now. FAFSA is filled out with sister and BIL and any contributions given to you by your legal grandparents are unearned income, just as any grandparents gifts of money and support would be. Not a complicated family tree at all. If your grandparents gave you too much for you to get financial aid, or your legal parents make/have too much, , then you are in the same position as many young people if they can’t or won’t come up with what you need to go to school.</p>
<p>I don’t see any independence in anything you have to say here unless a court took you away from your parents due to abuse , neglect or other such issues, not a willing hand over, AND you were NOT legally adopted by your sister, so they are NOT your legal parents. </p>
<p>If you were legally adopted, then your sister and BIL are your parents. Your parents are your grandparents. Simple as that.</p>
<p>Didn’t the OP says he is not in contact with his adoptive parents at all?</p>
<p>“Since my (added: birth not adoptive?) parents are not in the working age anymore, I’ve been working part-time jobs and all to pay off myself.”</p>
<p>Your adoptive parents can’t kick you out of the house and not support you, and still claim you as a dependent. That’s when you should declare yourself independent with the help of a lawyer.</p>
<p>Family Services in your county or your college’s county might have some ideas.</p>
<p>Um…no. It’s not that easy rhandco. You can’t just declare yourself independent.</p>
<p>We don’t have enough information here to offer advice. If this student chose to go with the bio parents then this is a choice that could be changed. This student could choose to live with the adoptive parents (sister) where presumably she grew up. </p>
<p>She can’t just declare herself independent. That isn’t even a remote possibility. There is a process for becoming independent for financial aid purposes.</p>