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Senior Member
Somebody explain to me the reasoning behind the rules pertaining to a person under 24 years old not being able to get Federal Student Aid or Grants unless they base it on their parents income.My neighbors daughter is trying to go a community college,she is 20 years old,has worked and lived in her own apartment since she was 18 years old.She files her own separate income tax return,gets little if any support from the family,but according to Federal FAFSA guidelines she cannot file on her own under age 24 because they donot consider her an adult.
Her parents are not wealthy,but both work and are above Poverty Levels considered Middle Class if there is such a thing at around $40,000 (29,000 taxable)last year for a family of 3 not counting the 20 year old.Because of this she will not be eligible for assistance either because it's over the cutoff line.The only exception to the 24 year old rule is if she gets pregnant,married,or joins the military.
Basically, what I gather from all this is that some lazy family that lays around and doesn't work can send their kids fully paid to college,but a contributing tax payer that is above the line and can't afford it does without.Shows how screwed up this country is and how the Democratic Communist Socialization will only make this worse.
Senior Member
SHE does qualify..........did her parents claim her.......if they did, then she is dependent.
If not then she needs to go to the court house and MAKE sure she is emancipated. Once she had done that, she can REAPPLY with a change of status, and get AID..........
I KNOW..........I helped my neice and am setting my own daughter up that way for next year.
PROVING that you're actually independent is what is it all about.
Later,
Geo
Senior Member
Well, I just went through the worksheet on the gubments website, and you're right......BASED on the worksheet she does not qualify.Originally Posted by GeoFisher
I think if her parents have not claimed her on their taxes, she doesn't live in their home, and she files her own taxes, I bet she can take her case to the financial Aid office of the school and get some aid.
In my nieces case, she was married, so she qualifies........but not I'm not too sure about my daughter...........
Later,
Geo
Member
there are also "overrides" she would have to go to the office and ask, but there are ways around it. these situations are put in place to try and prevent the people who don't need the assisstance from taking it from those who do. HOWEVER, these checks and balances often times exclude those who do actually need it. as for the overrides, im not very familiar with it because my fafsa came through with some (not much), but i have heard of it being done. and you do have a legitimate complaint, there are plenty of people that go to college, for free, and don't take advantage of it. there have been instances where people get extra money to go to school, and they blow that on partying, which in turn leads to poor academics. then another common thing to do is sign up for "X" number of classes, wait for the money to come in, then drop them in time for a refund, essentially stealing money from the "fafsa well".
in regards to your friend, i wish her the best of luck, and i hope that this doesn't discourage her. she could also write to Obama and tell her story to him, at one point he vowed that if someone wanted to go to college, they should have the opportunity. i'd try the office first.
Senior Member
It all is based on her being a dependent on her taxes. Most college students (and probably the case here) are still covered under their parents insurance until the age of 25, as long as they remain a full time student. That alone probably is having her listed as a dependent, and falling back to being based on parent income. If she is employed somewhere and has her own insurance, or provides her own independent insurance (such as Cobra), and her parents are not claiming her as a dependent on their taxes - she probably should have no problem appealing.
I went through a similar situation but backwards. I needed to stay a full time student in order to keep current insurance under my parents plan. You can imagine the hours I piled up being a full time student for almost for almost seven years - many classes I took was just to remain a full time student. Appalachian music is still the best class I ever had, my two bowling classes were a close second.
I was in the same boat in a sense as well - not wealthy enough to afford all of college, but didn't qualify for aide - had to get some student loans. The ONLY good thing about student loans, is that if she takes graduate courses while gainfully employed from the bachelors degree, even one a semester - you can get them deferred. I did this and was not required to make payments, however, I paid as much as could, when I could, and took a big chunk out of them.
Senior Member
Also, there are some college tax credits, that her or her parents can take...but if she REALLY is on her own, and paying the bill herself, I'd MAKE sure she took them and not her parents...........
Senior Member
I don't know if this will help in the young lady's case but, in my state, there are State Lottery Scholarships that students may apply for. They must have had good grades in high school and maintain good grades in college; if they don't they lose their scholarship.
Last week I heard of one of my husband's relatives who had a four-year scholarship from the State Lottery and went to college for two of those years. She thought it was more important to sling hash at the "greasy spoon cafe" and party than to study. She flunked, lost her scholarship, and was kicked out of college. I haven't heard if she will have to repay the money she wasted on the first two years.
Do you know if the person you mentioned has applied for a Pell Grant? I know a woman in Virginia whose husband makes around $70,000/year. She applied for and received a Pell Grant and graduated from nursing school; she is now an LPN. I'm sure she did more than a little bit of lying to get the grant which also paid an extra $1,200 cash at each renewal, to help out with other expenses which were not specified. Pell grants are for low income students who can't afford a college education; I think the woman in VA should have to pay back every dollar she received since she caused a deserving student to be denied an education.
Suggest that your friend check into State Lottery Scholarships and Pell Grants.
Senior Member
Bug,the best I can tell a Pell Grant is based on the same criteria as a Student Loan.
This girl barely squeaked through high school from what I'm told,she graduated 2 years ago and moved out of her parents and lived on her own since.She files her own tax return,pays her own bills,but doesn't have Health Insurance they said,she works as a waitress at a Frisch Big Boy so I don't know if they offer insurance or not.
My neighbors asked me if I knew about it,but I've never had to deal with it as my son had a full ride academic scholarship and I had put up Educational IRA's and savings for my younger children.
I guess they want her to go get pregnant to be eligible,stupidest crap I ever heard of,as far as I'm concerned a child becomes an adult at age 18,they may not act like one,but a court of law will sure treat them like one.
The financial aid officer at the school told them they could try as her being independent,but she said ever time anyone did that they were denied by FAFSA or whatever Dept handles student aid.
Senior Member
Another thing.........if she's a fulltime student, most campuses offer a pretty reasonable individual group insurance plan for their students......she might want to look into that.
Later,
Geo
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