Leave of Absence a Special Circumstance?

[Noexperience12]

Hi all. I was wondering what you think of a student trying to get independent status after going on a leave of absence? I left school for mental health reasons. Not for leisure but to focus on my health. I go to USC and they have information regarding my health problem. During the time I did not get help from my parents. I became independent. I even married my boyfriend of 6 years. Now I am 21 almost 22 and I want to go back to school after a year and a half of recovery.

I personally think this is definitely a special circumstance. I plan on presenting it to my Fin-aid office. However, how do I prove my independence to my school? With my job I can pay all my expenses. But I really don’t know how to prove it.

[Madison85]

You are married, that makes you independent for FAFSA, but your school could have different rules for institution-specific aid.

[thumper1]

Run the numbers. Your income and your husband’s income will both be considered if you are an independent student.

Also, check USC policy. Some schools have a policy that whatever status you start at is what you remain with until you graduate. In other words, since you started as a dependent student…they might require that you remain one since you never withdrew from the school.

[sybbie719]

While you will be independent for federal aid, you will not be considered independent for USC institutional aid (in fact, you will just be adding on an additional income if your husband works giving you even less aid).

USC has policies that if you start as a dependent student, you finish as a dependent student even if you have a life event that now makes you independent for federal/state aid. SInce you were not married and an independent student when you started USC, they will not consider you an independent student now.

@USC

Almost all undergraduates are considered dependent, and graduate students are considered independent for the purposes of awarding financial aid.

Undergraduates who meet certain conditions may be considered independent for the purposes of receiving federal and state aid (such as the Cal Grant, Federal Pell Grant, Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford loans.) For complete details, please review the application instructions for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

To be considered independent for the purposes of receiving university financial aid, undergraduates must meet one of the following conditions:

You are at least 26 years of age before January 1 of the year you were admitted to USC.

At the time you complete your FAFSA, and at the time of entry to USC, you are married.

At the time you complete your FAFSA, and at the time of entry to USC, you have children who will receive more than half of their support from you during the award year and the summer preceding the award year.

You are an orphan or ward/dependent of the court.

You are a veteran with at least one year of full-time active duty service for purposes other than training.

**If parental information is required when you are admitted to USC, you will be required to submit parental information throughout your enrollment at USC, regardless of your age, marital status, or other changes in circumstances (excluding the death of both parents). **

http://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/applying_receiving/special/dependencystatus.html

[Noexperience12]

I understand this. And I feel that my post shows I have done the research to know what they can consider me.

I am asking whether you, who ever is reading this, thinks a LOA is a special circumstance.

[thumper1]

A LOA is not a special circumstance in most cases. You would have to discuss this with your school.