<p>You absolutely need to talk to a dean at your school and see what can be done.</p>
<p>Really, though with your situation, you have to know by now that this is going to be an ongoing thing. You and your family are not in position to pay for the school. Yes, it 's a danged shame you got them as parents but there are a lot worse both ways in the kind of kids and parents we all get. They don’t want to pay for yor education. THey are pretty much done with you. To get any money out of them is going to be this sort of thing on an increasing basis most likely. What they tell you, promise you doen’t matter. Look at the actions. So think about this We can’t help you on these things. This is going to be the situation you have.</p>
<p>Frankly, just going ot a local college or finding a job now and going full time to school is probably the way to go. Your chances of graduating from that school are very small, and will carry alot of stress and distress from this sort of thing. The bottom line is that the those responsible for making sure you get your financial aid and paying for you do not want to do so and are likely not to come through. It’s like Lucy holding that football for CHarlie Brown in the Peanuts comic strip. YOu’re going to go through this repeatedly, until you find something else. </p>
<p>Your choices are to either go through this cliff hanging drama each year, with the possibility of not being able to enroll, and then having to scramble for Plan B or, get off this ride. If you choose th stay on this one, then you now know what it entails.</p>
<p>1° $800 can be found. Ask friends, relatives, etc. $40 here, $30 there, I’m sure some of your friends spend that much on pizza and (…soda…) some weekends. Pay your debt ASAP. Then when you work on campus pay them back with your first paychecks.
2° TALK TO A DEAN. A dean of students is there for this type of situations. It’s their job. They’re supposed to know what to do and it’s unlikely you’re the very first child of divorce who’s had problems with their (frankly, immature and imo irresponsible) custodial/non custodial parents.
3° Take this situation for granted. Don’t count on them. Find a way for them to comply as best you can but expect them to use you as a “hostage” in their personal crisis. They love you but they don’t get it and their problems blind them to your needs. :s
4° Don’t give up on your school. You worked very had to get there. I’m sure they’re glad you’re enrolled since you are responsible, smart, and resourceful. Even if you have to take a leave of absence, figure things out. Present things frankly to your dean of students.</p>
<p>I don’t necessarily agree with #4, “Don’t give up on your school”. It might have to be and it may be the best thing to happen. I went to a top 25 school myself, and those who did not stay there for any number of reasons, transferred in most cases to much less selective school, are doing every bit as well. So have the studies that have focused on this have shown. To go through this uncertainty, year in and year out can be psychologically and emotionally taxing. Not to mention if your final bill is not paid, you have that to do deal with in the job search. If taking out loans, they have to be repaid even while still dealing with parents fighting over who is going to pay what and resentful about still paying for the student. It does not get better but more difficult as the student is an older adult. It’s game over in terms of providing for the kids for many parents once high school, and certainly college is done. </p>
<p>Also, in terms of #3 Don’t count on them (parents), the FACT of the matter, is that the student has to count on them, as a dependent student whose fin aid award is dependent on their finances and their providing the information and proof to the college. For a college to loosen up on this is not fair to those who are going through this invasive and onerous process, and if not done, you can bet that there will be those out there to game the system. </p>
<p>The first thing the OP needs to do is to talk to a dean and get his/her insight/input into all of this. If I were in that position, I d tell the OP to take a leave of absence and see if this can’t be resolved by the end of the first term. If not, look to transfer to something more affordable. At a private school, there is a lot to pay. The OP should probalby be working his/her way through school , given the situation. S/he has the ability to do well, and grad school would be all on the student. Good grades could net a very good grad school spot, and that’s where some loans would probably be necessary, so it’s wise to leave that alone during the ug years.</p>
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<p>Okay, to repeat what M2CK has already said:</p>
<p>The OP’s parents have NO legal obligation to file the financial aid paperwork with her school. Further, the OP’s mother has no legal obligation to the OP to file her tax return. Yes, she has a legal obligation to do it, but that obligation is NOT owed to the OP.</p>
<p>So, in a nutshell, an attorney can do absolutely NOTHING. And, just to put the icing on the cake, if the OP were to pursue an action against her parents to force them to do something (as opposed to paying her money damages), she would have to pay the attorney UP FRONT for every minute of the attorney’s time. Now, since she can’t come up with the $800 she owes the school, how exactly would you expect her to come up with the attorney’s fee?</p>
<p>The OP has a problem. The problem is with her parents. A chaplain or minister might be able to help solve it. A respected family member might be able to help solve it. But an attorney is NOT going to be able to solve it!</p>
<p>I’ve managed to get my parents somewhat on board with my financial matters. They’ve both sent in all required taxes and financial aid documents and right now have just to fill out CSS Custodial Profile, CSS NonCustodial, and FAFSA. Hopefully, we can get this done by tonight. My Dean and the Financial Services office have been lenient and accommodating to our situation thus far, and have assured me aid should be comparable to last year’s if all financial information remains relatively the same.</p>
<p>I’ve run into a few issues however…</p>
<p>My father has remarried and has been for about 6 years. My stepmother was unemployed until this year and is now an auditor with some bit of income. I’m a bit concerned how this might affect aid. My father has told me that for the 2012 taxes they each filed jointly (this was also before she had a job) so the income won’t change my aid. However, it may next year as they won’t file jointly. Next year will also be the same year that my brother enters college, so perhaps that may alleviate some of the financial constraint when her income is included (if it’s included). She also has 3 other kids, one who has just graduated college, one who is entering a nursing college program, and another who will be entering college this year. My stepmother also maintains custody of her children even though they all lived with their father prior to attending college, after she married my father. Since CSS and FAFSA both process information based on the “household” I don’t know how to factor this in. Any help, advice, suggestions?</p>
<p>Yes, your stepmother’s income will heavily affect the aid, though your brother going to college may alleviate some of that. That there are others in college would also impact the the numbers too. How any given college will take that all inot consideration, I don’t know. There was a post where someone asked the same thing about how stepsiblings going to school should be reported. Since I don’t know the rules, I won’t respond to this, though I would fill it out as generously to yourself as possible and let the school decide how it will handle this. It can vary among schools a lot. Good luck.</p>
<p>Thank you. Along with myself, Two of my stebsiblings will be attending college this year, the other stebsibling just finished his bachelors this year, and my younger brother will be attending college next year.</p>
<p>Just wondering, what would be stopping me from including my stepsiblings into the household count? Would I be able to do that?</p>
<p>Haven’t finished reading through yet but would TELLING your parents you are investigating taking a leave of absence due to this help get them off their kesiters? God, if I were your parent the guilt would kill me.</p>
<p>Explain the case to the FA office.</p>
<p>An FYI…it doesn’t matter whether your dad and step mom file taxes jointly or separately. Both incomes will be listed for financial aid purposes regardless of tax filng status (on the Profile…and also on the FAFSA if your dad is the custodial parent).</p>
<p>Having two kids in college at the same time will help IF the school guarantees to meet full need. If not, it might not matter one penny’s worth.</p>
<p>It sounds like you should already be including your step sibs in the count…including any in college.</p>
<p>So, for this year my stepmother’s income won’t be listed on CSS and FAFSA because she just started her job in 2013?</p>
<p>I can include my stepsiblings into the household count even though they don’t “live” in my father’s house, but my stepmother still has custody over them and uses her income for them? I didn’t include them in the count last year because I didn’t know.</p>
<p>My school DOES meet 100% need, so would they factor in the fact that two of my step siblings are in college and that one has just graduated?</p>
<p>The school will NOT care about the sibling who has already graduated. That will not affect your aid for this school year or next. If your step mom had no income in 2012, then $0 would be her income on the 2013-2014 FAFSA. </p>
<p>For next school year 2014-2015 you use income from 2013.</p>
<p>Thanks, can anyone answer whether or not I can actually include my stepsiblings into the household count? I’d call my school, but they’re closed.</p>
<p>CORRECTION: My stepmother has been working since November of 2012, so her income will be factored then? Can’t I just only give the information of my noncustodial, biological mother and father?</p>
<p>bump?</p>
<p>I won’t be adding my stepmother as the “second parent” on FAFSA or CSS. Based on what they’ve asked me on either form, I need only to add my father/stepfather info and mother/stepmother. Would that be alright? Because this is exactly how I filled out each form last year.</p>
<p>UPDATE: My parents finally reconciled and got their taxes and financial documents together. I was finally able to complete the financial aid process and my school was very accommodating to my situation. My package was incredibly generous and I’m very grateful to be going back to school next week. Thanks for all the help on CC, esp. from mom2collegekids, thumper1, and cptofthehouse. Dodged another bullet here, just hoping my luck doesn’t run out.</p>
<p>Great news! Thank you for the update!</p>
<p>Congrats!!! Glad it all worked out. Enjoy your school year!!!</p>
<p>Thanks for getting back to us with the good news!!!</p>