<p>(This isn’t my main account, for obvious reasons.)</p>
<p>I was placed in foster care for 6 months around 2 years ago. Despite this, I’m still a very high achieving student and none of my friends are aware of this fact. Problem is, the FAFSA asks the question:</p>
<p>“At any time since you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care, or were you a dependent/ward of the court?”</p>
<p>The answer “Yes” is true, yet I’m wondering if I can get around it and whether I should do so. Can I get away with it? If so, which answer should I choose?</p>
<p>Nobody should share FAFSA info with anyone not directly involved. I fill out my childrens’ forms and I don’t share the info with them. In your case, I would include the info; it might help you. My son’s gf was also in FC for awhile and I told her to look for scholarships that may be geared to fc. If you don’t want your friends to know, don’t tell them.</p>
<p>No, you should never lie (except in unusual circumstances, such as when it is necessary to lie to save the lives of the people you are hiding from the Nazis). </p>
<p>I think the question exists to help determine independent status, as a student who is orphaned, in foster care or a ward of the court is unlikely to be able to expect much of a parent contribution, particularly in the first instance.</p>
<p>NO, you should not lie. It will not grant you an automatic 0 EFC and make you a independent student (shokolade is correct, the question is used to determine whether you are dependent or independent for financial aid purposes). It is going to flag your fafsa for verification where you will have to submit documentation from the courts/children services. </p>
<p>Since leaving foster care, were you returned to your parent’s home or placed in legal guardianship with someone else. If you were subsequently returned home to your parent(s) and you have been with them for the past 2 years, the school will most likely still ask for their income and asset information to determine your financial need.</p>
<p>I can understand your concerns, but in your situation it would likely help you from a financial aid standpoint if you were truthful on the FAFSA.</p>
<p>As was mentioned in another post, being a Ward of the Court WOULD make you an Independent student in the eyes of the U.S. Dept. of Ed…thereby excluding any parental income and asset information on the FAFSA.</p>
<p>The real question is…Will any of the colleges you’re applying to still request the parental income and assets, in order to give out their own financial aid? You generally would expect this at private colleges that require the CSS PROFILE.</p>
<p>In my (16) yrs. experience , I’ve NEVER seen this outcome as being a negative!</p>
<p>First of all, your friends have no business knowing anything about your FAFSA … nor should you know anything about theirs.</p>
<p>If you are in foster care for even ONE DAY after the age of 13, you are automatically independent for purposes of FAFSA. You will NOT need your parents’ information at any time for FAFSA. Some schools may choose to look at your parents’ information, but the FAFSA is for federal aid purposes & you will absolutely not need parent information for FAFSA.</p>
<p>Answer truthfully, because that is what you are supposed to do.</p>
<p>I have seen the outcome as negative in a couple situations where students were working to support themselves & did not end up with 0 EFC’s … which they actually would have had if they had used parent information. This is not common, however. Most students in this situation end up with the same or a lower EFC than they would have had if they had included parent information. But … they could not include the parent info, so that is how it goes.</p>