Miss cutoff for Independent Financial aid by 45 days

Paying for College
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<p>So I’m entering my final year of school. My parents make decent money so I don’t qualify for any grants or subsidized loans from financial aid. And they also don’t make enough to be able to afford to pay for my schooling, so i’ve taken a couple semesters off here and there to work and save money for school.</p>

<p>I thought I would get a break this year upcoming school year (2008-2009) because I turn 24 on Feb 15, 1985 and I’ve read that once your 24 you don’t have to fill out your parent’s income on your financial aid and they just factor your sole income to determine how much financial aid you get. So that means since i made like 25kish last year, I would qualify for a lot better financial aid.</p>

<p>Well I looked into this further and it turns out that the cutoff for filing as independent for financial aid for the 2008-2009 school year is that your bday has to be before Jan 1 1985 and mine is Feb 15, 1985! I mean common, since u file financial aid for for the whole school year (2008-2009) the logical cutoff should be the end of the school year!</p>

<p>Anywho, so i found out you can file a appeal through your school for this. But on the form it says that they only grant independent status for “extenuating” circumstances and your parents not willing to pay your schooling isnt good enough. The appeal also requires a letter from a 3rd party (counselor, social worker etc.) that supports the “extenuating” circumstances. I don’t really have any of this, but I’m willing to get mostly anything to get this appealed successfully, because its simplify not fair that someone who was born 45 days earlier than me is considered more independent than I am.</p>

<p>Anyone have any suggestions? </p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

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<p>I’m afraid that is the way it is. The cutoff has to be set sometime. If they make an exception for 45 days then how is it fair to someone born 60 days after the cutoff. It’s only 2 weeks. </p>

<p>The cutoff is the cutoff. You won’t win an appeal unless you have REAL extenuating circumstances. </p>

<p>Sorry</p>

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<p>You will not get an override. Sorry.</p>

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<p>What’s the difference between someone who’s 17 years, 365 days old and someone who’s 17 years, 364 days old? One is a legal adult and the other isn’t. </p>

<p>In a school system with a Sept. 1 cutoff for birthdates, what’s the difference between a 5 year old born on Aug. 31, and a 5 year old born on Sept. 2? One’s a kindergartener and the other isn’t.</p>

<p>The cutoff is fairly arbitrary, although standard in that it’s a calendar year cutoff, but it is the cutoff. There will always be some arbitrary cutoff, and this year, you just fell on the wrong side of it. </p>

<p>Sorry.</p>