Dependent or Not Dependent: Why I Hate the FAFSA
Tax time is in full swing, and as usual, I’m sitting around waiting for my last few pieces of paperwork to come in so that I can do my taxes. Every year, I strive to get my own taxes, and my mother’s, done as quickly as possible so that I can fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), a bane of my existence, in hopes of getting as much aid as possible (not that it has really helped in any of the previous years).
I have a special hatred in my heart of hearts for the FAFSA. I think it’s a broken system indicative of greater problems in the US Department of Education, but its own problems are great enough to set my teeth on edge every time I hear someone sound out “Faaaph-sa.”
Who’s Your Daddy?
The FAFSA puts a special emphasis on everyone being a dependent, which often scams a lot of students out of aid that they might otherwise receive. Got rich parents that refuse to pay for your schooling at all? The FAFSA doesn’t care - it doesn’t even ask if you live with your parents, just when you were born, whether your parents are alive, and whether you yourself have a spouse or dependents.
Here’s a fun example: my situation for this year’s taxes and FAFSA. The IRS does not consider me a dependent of my parents, because I am over 19 and was only enrolled in school for 4 months of 2007 (you become a dependent when you’re enrolled for 5 months of the year). However, the FAFSA doesn’t even ask if the IRS considers you a dependent - it just assumes I am. Left hand, do you even know there is a right hand, let alone what it’s doing?
I’m sorry if this comes off as an angry rant - I’m steamed, but in the same calm, already-beaten-down demeanor that I have every year when dealing with the FAFSA. I know it’s broken, but I also know that I have to comply with their awkward regulations and just do it, if I want any financial aid at all.
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes (Refusing to Face the Strange)
The information the FAFSA uses to assess financial need for the 2008-2009 school year comes from your (and most likely, your parents’) 2007 income. Therefore, things like sudden job loss or disability or divorce are not taken into account, if they happened late in 2007 or early 2008.
Your combined incomes on paper may be $150,000, but if they’re suddenly dropped for any of those reasons, the FAFSA just doesn’t care - your financial need is that of a family making $150,000, not what you’re really making.
Siblings? What Siblings? We Don’t See Any Siblings!
A good friend of mine had smart parents who knew that the fact that they made a good living would make it hard for their three children to get financial aid. So they put aside a good chunk of money to send the kids off to college when the time came.
So when my friend, the oldest of the three, filled out the FAFSA, and found that it only asked how many siblings he had in college. He checked none, and the FAFSA assumed that all of the money his parents had set aside was for him. The story is different this year, with his two sisters both enrolling, but the financial gouge that first year caused to him to have to put off going to his first choice school, and attend community college for two years instead, and then transfer.
Which is not, by the way, to knock community college. For my friend, it was the best choice and seems to have served him well and he’s very happy now that he’s at his first choice school. However, this happy ending for him can not necessarily be replicated by everyone.
I, for example, couldn’t have done anything like that. I was gearing up for film school, a heartless program with few general education credits. If you spend two years at community college, it won’t save you a single moment in film school (at least at the one I attended, and many others) - no, the program is set up to take you a full four years, no matter what. But as I’m fond of saying since I dropped out of film school - it’s not for poor kids.
All In the Family
Odd family configurations are foreign to the FAFSA calculation. Sure, there’s considerations for divorces and non-parental guardians, but it doesn’t go far enough. This is one of FAFSA’s more ambiguous quirks: for some people, it’s actually helpful, but for other’s, it’s just another knock against them.
Got legal guardians who don’t actually provide you a home or any financial support at all? The FAFSA counts their incomes all the same. Have a non-legal guardian, such as the unrecognized same-sex spouse of a parent? Oh, well, the FAFSA doesn’t count them, unless they provide more than half of your support. (The take-away here? Not having marriage equality means children of same-sex couples may be getting a greater boost in financial aid - think about that!)
So What’s to Be Done (Other Than Seethe)?
On the personal level? Fill out the form diligently, and take your own initiative to talk to your school’s financial aid office about the particulars of your own situation. Also, put a certain amount of effort into seeking out private scholarships.
On the large scale, well, it’s all about Department of Education reform. Ask your representatives what they plan to do about the broken FAFSA - after all, you are their constituents!
Does anyone have a FAFSA or financial aid nightmare to share?
Photo credit: Bent Tree News
[?]Why I’m Going Back to School
I Don’t Have a Budget
Financial Aid Results
Time for Poorer Than You to Get a New Look?
Back to Basics #0: Introduction
I had to deal with this all through college. My parents were not able to help me pay for anything, but I was still considered a dependent. When tax time came around, they were given “education credits,” because of the tuition that I was paying. Fortunately, they were cool enough to give me the difference.
Comment by Erik — February 6, 2008 @ 3:59 pm
I hate the FAFSA. For my husband, there was no way to indicate that his parents were not able to give him ANY help (on paper, they made a moderately low income, but had a ton tied up in debt - they declared bankruptcy his senior year).
In my case, my parents were perfectly willing to contribute whatever their “expected contribution” was (I am grateful beyond words) - but the FAFSA hurt them when my dad took early retirement and they divorced in the middle of my education. The FAFSA doesn’t care that an income that used to provide for one family under one roof is now providing for three people, each under their own roof. Oh, and my dad retired Dec 31 of that same year, so that wasn’t taken into account, either.
I have no idea where they came up with the money for that year of education - I have a sneaking suspicion it came out of their home equity.
Comment by Anitra — February 6, 2008 @ 4:24 pm
Asking if anyone else has FAFSA nightmares is akin to a rock band coming out on stage and saying “Who wants to ROOOOOOCCCKKKK???”
The FAFSA is a government form - guess what? You may not see eye to eye with the federal government on everything. But, at the end of the day, there are a lot worse ways that aid could be determined. You said that the FAFSA doesn’t take into account changes in your income going forward (job loss, change in marital situation, etc.). Neither does the 1040. The FAFSA takes a snapshot of your family’s finances on the day you file the form. If you know that - then you should plan for that. You wouldn’t head down to the Sears Portrait Studio to have your picture taken with your hair mussed and your clothes wrinkled. Well, why do people do that for their financial pictures?
Without nitpicking through every point (and you do have some valid ones) - I can only say that when you say “Got rich parents that refuse to pay for your schooling at all? The FAFSA doesn’t care” - I really have to wonder if you think that whatever limited resources are available should go to children of the wealthy, whose parents just refuse to pay for their educations. Do you think that a system that would reward that with aid has any likelihood of being abused?
I think your last comments were the most valid - and it is a shame that they got buried at the end of a rant. You need to work with the financial aid office at your campus to explain special circumstances. Every year, every financial aid office has to deal with special circumstances. There may be a committee that decides appeals - it may be the Director of Financial Aid or the VP of Enrollment Management (depends on how your school is set up). Your best bet is to be honest and straight-forward with them when you explain your situation (in writing) and meet with them in person. Embellished stories will not likely win you favor with those that can help you.
Lastly, I am very familiar with programs that are underfunded by financial aid (like your film school situation). Your comment was that “it’s not for poor kids.” Well, to some extent, that is true. It may sound harsh, but it really does boil down to the old adage that life isn’t fair. Not everybody gets to be an astronaut (or whatever your idea of the ultimate cool job is) when they grow up - and no one said that money should be provided for full funding for all programs.
It’s sad…but, it’s true. Good luck with your education - and I hope that you can get the message out to help people get financial aid.
Comment by The Travelin' Man — February 6, 2008 @ 8:30 pm
@The Travelin’ Man,
Thank you for your comments - I was trying very hard to list the issues with the form without it becoming much of a rant, so I’m sorry for the parts where I did fail at that.
I suppose the main reason why I care about the “rich kids” who’s parents won’t pay is that I’ve had friends whose parents abused this. One friend, her parents wanted her to live at home and commute to a school of their choosing. They refused to pay for any other school, knowing full well that their high income and assets would make it, frankly, impossible for her to stake out on her own and go where-ever she should choose.
I know that a lot of people think that this IS fair, since the parents are footing the bill. But I feel that they are taking advantage of a bias in the system, one that simply assumes that all rich parents are going to foot the bill, and makes it extremely difficult for anyone under a certain age (23 seems to be the magic number for the FAFSA) to declare themselves independent of their parents.
Now, I’ll also admit that I don’t exactly have a solution - it’s not as if I have some better form with a better calculation sitting on my desk here, waiting for the DoE to adopt it. But, I would like to know that they A) Know of the problems and B) Have people working on them.
Comment by Stephanie — February 6, 2008 @ 9:35 pm
I am so so so happy I don’t have to fill out a fafsa anymore! (unless of course I decide to go back to school) I was pissed about being considered a dependent! I moved out of my house when I was 18 and was supporting myself for about 2 years before I went to college. My mom wasn’t even in the same state as me anymore!
The only good thing was that my mom made no money and had no money, so in the end, only my info counted. But I still had to go through getting all her info every year and…the worst…verification. Every year I had to go through it (she had no income, just took care of my grandma, so she didn’t have to file taxes) Get called to financial aid, call mom, have mom find away to get to fax machine, sign form, and send back. And if you knew my mom, that is about 50% harder then it sounds.
But thats not as bad as it could have been. I had a friend whos parents refused to fill out the fafsa. They didn’t want her going to school to effect them financially in any way. Lovely.
Comment by Nicole — February 7, 2008 @ 1:43 am
Travelin’ Man - the 1040 and the FAFSA are both financial snapshots… but the 1040 is specifically for the year that just passed (assessing taxes), while the FAFSA uses the info from the past year to determine FUTURE aid. Major changes to income (divorce, illness, death) can’t be planned for. In the end, they penalize you twice - once in the year when your income drops (can no longer afford the same level of financial aid you could at the beginning of the year), and then AGAIN the next year (because the drop isn’t fully accounted for).
I think the other points you make are good. The FAFSA isn’t the endpoint - most schools’ financial aid offices are willing to help out students to allow them to stay.
Comment by Anitra — February 7, 2008 @ 2:25 pm
You post brought back memories for me. I totally agree that the FAFSA system is flawed.
Comment by S.B. — February 11, 2008 @ 10:09 am
I dropped out of school two years ago, moved 600 miles away, became employed full-time, and am now ready to go back to school. Now I’m f***ed on the FAFSA because my parents both work and my own income was just over 30k… I haven’t filed yet but am pretty sure I’ll get dick.
Comment by P.A. — February 18, 2008 @ 7:41 pm
My mother makes less than 20K a year.
My father and I haven’t spoken since I was sixteen.
Easily the most book-smart of us children, I went to college at the young age of 16 on a government grant for two years.
I’m 25 now - Quite honestly, I could have had my masters by now, if it weren’t for the FAFSA.
Even IF they only considered my mother’s income, I’d still be a dependent, even though I’ve been on my own since I started college.
How ridiculous, right?
Comment by Amphritrite — February 21, 2008 @ 12:41 am
@Amphritrite - No, you would not be considered dependent. For the purposes of financial aid, you are considered independent when you reach the age of 24. If you are already 25 y/o, then you are considered independent for the purposes of financial aid.
That said, even if you are considered independent, it doesn’t mean that you won’t have an EFC, and it doesn’t mean that the school you are looking to attend will guarantee to meet need beyond the point of your EFC.
Lastly, the rules for financial aid at the graduate level are very different for the rules for undergraduate studies. You may want to consult the financial aid office at the school(s) you are considering. Honestly, the best opportunities for graduate financial aid come from the academic departments at your school - grad assistantships, research opportunities, etc.
Comment by The Travelin' Man — February 21, 2008 @ 11:27 am
@ The Travelin’ Man,
You’re right about the grad school aid and the over-24 issue, but what I think Amphritrite was trying to point out was how they considered both of her parents’ incomes during her UNDERGRAD studies, even though she was independent of them.
Comment by Stephanie — February 21, 2008 @ 11:39 am
I am in a situation where my parents flat out refuse to help me with fasfa. My father, who is the wage earner in the house, has not had a job for four years, and told me the only reason why he has filed taxes before so is I can get financial aid.
now he’s not going to, and im not going to be eligible for aid. I agree with your article 100 percent.
Comment by Kavita — February 28, 2008 @ 2:22 am
As a financial aid employee, I can certainly empathize with your situation and feelings, but of course want to point out a couple of other things that Travelin Man - who seems to be really knowledgeable about this too- didn’t mention.
First of all, the ONLY money on the federal level that you are eligible for as an independent is $4000-5000 more in UNsubsidized loans per year. Is another $20k of interest earning debt really worth the headache of wishing you could be considered independent? (of course the alternative of $20k of private loan debt is much worse…)
Secondly, a big reason this rule is in place is because people are dishonest. Even if a student could prove that they support themselves and claim that their parents wouldn’t help, there is no way to know this for sure unless the feds or your school monitored your wallet or your bank account. I don’t think anybody wants this.
Unfortunately I agree that federal financial aid is a system in need of help, but in the face of rising college costs and enrollment plus our doomsday economy, it’s going to be difficult to come up with successful alternatives to what we do now. I strongly encourage anyone upset with the process to develop a positive relationship with their financial aid counselor and/or office. If you put in the time and effort into this instead of complaining, you’re likely to be treated much better, and possibly be considered for certain opportunities over others first.
Comment by CHB — February 28, 2008 @ 10:58 am
I have had this issue every year that i’ve been in school. I have 10 more months until the fafsa considers me an independent based on my birth year alone. I have been on my own since I was 18, and have been working full time and going to school ever since. But i’m a dependent? PLEASE!
I don’t understand why the government would not help people that actually need help. I’d get more help if I had a child, or got married, and those are things I’m not ready to do. I’m also not a minority, so I don’t get any of those benefits either.
Something should be done for the rest of us!
Comment by Tiffany — April 1, 2008 @ 6:01 am
I was searching the web for what to do after filling out the FAFSA and being told I’m not eligible for grants…and low and behold I found a fellow student with the same angst for the FAFSA that I have.
My parents have in the past paid for school, and took the $5250 tuition reimbursement from my job as payment. [Though, the $5250 is for one calendar year, so if I turn in my grades in january and get all of that money back, there's no reimbursement for that Spring or fall semester that follows].
Recently my parents have fallen on hard financial times, while I’ve moved out and become independent by IRS standards. So for the first time ever, I filed my taxes seperate from those of my parents.
I had filled out the FAFSA the summer of 2003 after graduating high school and was told I’d get nothing fromt he government, so when it was time to fill it out again (now that tuition falls on my head and my head alone) I expected a larger payout since only my income was supporting my education.
Unfortunately enough, I wasn’t born before January 1, 1985 and thus had to include my parents information.
Once again, the government has bent me over and laid in without lube. ::painful::
I’m struggling to find scholarships whose deadlines have not passed, and are open for part time students; since I’ve held a full time job since 2003 at the same company.
I agree, the FAFSA is broken, they should ask if you filed taxes seperate frm your parents, whether you are financially independent from them otherwise. Your school’s financial aid department can’t do anything for you except give you a sheet of paper that has websites full of scholarships that require you to be a full time student or incoming fershman.
What about the adult learner?
What about the people who just want their degree?
Another punch to the face of the middle class…thank you FAFSA…and thank you Uncle Sam.
Comment by Crystal — April 8, 2008 @ 8:30 am
I just found this too.
I’ve been devating on this since I’ve filed my FAFSA again after dropping out of college for 3 years and moved state and now returning again on fall(I’m 21 and will be 22 by fall) on the state that I reside now.And parents refuse to help with my tutition since theres no LAW forcing them and Legally, they plainly dont have to.
I’m one of those students that been on their on for years without parental help.Hell, I’m even 21 and almost 22 years old; which passes the age of legally minority and I’m still considered “dependent”. This is a insult thrown to my face and more reason for me to hate this goverment and future criticism points when it comes to its downfall.
Really, does the goverment wants our legal Adult age to be 21 or 24 or older? Make your fucking mind up, please. To me and most people, a Adult is a independent humain being. Thus 21 is the minimun age to have and be awarded that definition BUT the FAFSA thinks otherwise.
Now I’m stuck with my only choice of loans. And taking loans is a step forward and backwards at the same time.
I might as well hold out, take a cheap loan and do 2 classes a semester until I’m of age. Yessh. Talk about torture.
My only option to speed things up is declaring “Abandoment” from my parents. And yea you have to go through court and lawyers for that, so its better to do the waiting game.
Comment by Robert — May 13, 2008 @ 2:29 pm
My mother got re-married to a very bad person and I left at 18 and haven’t had contact with them since then.
I work 50+ hours a week and go to college full time. I’m struggling like heck to keep my grades up.
I really can’t afford to pay for my entire college out of pocket. I’m physically drained and I still can’t even afford to buy my school books.
Yet according to the FAFSA I am a dependent.
I hate the goddamn FAFSA.
Comment by Jane — August 31, 2008 @ 10:05 pm
I’m in a similar situation, of age to be declared financially independent by all other standards but FAFSA. My parents didn’t help me pay for school even when I lived with them, but since I was still technically a dependent I had no complaints. However, now I don’t live with them, in fact we live on two different coasts, and am working temp jobs just to get by. Yet I’m a dependent. I have no idea how I’m going to make tuition payments. Thanks FAFSA.
Comment by Morgan — September 5, 2008 @ 8:47 pm
The federal govt assumes your family has the responsibility for meeting your college costs. They were the ones that had you and could have been trying to save up all this time.
If there is ever any changes in your parents marital status or financial status, contact your Financial Aid dept at school. I work in the financial aid office at a college, and we always take unusal circumstances into consideration, but we don’t know about them unless you tell us!
There are a lot of aspects of the FAFSA that do not work for everyone. However, coming from the other side…I see a LOT of people trying to scam the FAFSA.
The FAFSA asks parents age so they can take the retirement factor into consideration. If your parent takes an early retirement, you must let the FA office know at your school.
The rich parents thing: See how many parents make over $200,000 per year and still feel entitled to grants. This country doesn’t have the money to send everyone to college - free of charge.
If students could become independents and get grants just because they don’t live with their parents, then all kids would move out before starting college, and they would all be independents. There has to be limits.
The IRS - Internal Revenue Service - is an entirely different entity than the Department of Education. Just because it’s the govt, doesn’t mean they have anything to do with each other. One office deals with income / the other, education.
It does not matter how you file your taxes. It could be that you do live with your parents, but work & claim yourself. It could be that you don’t live with your parents, and they still claim you. Your parents may be split up and have had joint custody of you the previous year, and only 1 parent claim you on their taxes - you could have a different parent file the FAFSA. So the Dept of Ed doesn’t care how the taxes are filed - it has nothing to do with dependency for financial aid purposes.
I see a lot of BLAME being put on the FAFSA. No one has to fill it out. It’s not a requirement to go to school. Just to request financial aid.
I want to go over all the topic s and replies, but it would take forever. I would definitely tell Jane to go to see her FA advisor. She could be considered estranged from her mother and then be an independent.
They do set a limit with the age because, again, there has to be some guidelines. That is also why the individual schools do take extraordinary situations into consideration.
The complaint that someone with parents in a same sex household may get more money. I understand that. There are also people who live with their mom & her boyfriend / or parents getting separated - just because of the FAFSA. Not all schools ask for court documents on the separation. Our school does not. We just need separate W2s so we can separate the income & change the FAFSA to only one parent.
Comment by Judy — October 8, 2008 @ 2:03 pm