Comments on: Dependent or Not Dependent: Why I Hate the FAFSA http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/02/06/dependent-or-not-dependent-why-i-hate-the-fafsa/ Money issues for college students and 20-somethings, without being boring. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:22:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Allie http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/02/06/dependent-or-not-dependent-why-i-hate-the-fafsa/#comment-322925 Allie Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:06:14 +0000 http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/02/06/dependent-or-not-dependent-why-i-hate-the-fafsa/#comment-322925 Wow...you should have put down that you support your child 50%. That is common sense. And no, its NOT cheating the sytem. It would have made you independent. In fact, I have 2 children and am an UNMARRIED STAY AT HOME MOM LIVING WITH MY SIGNIFICANT OTHER. My school told me to "put down that I contribute more than 50% to my children." In fact, they said, because we were living together and sharing expenses, we BOTH contributed "half because we lived together and had shared income"....REGARDLESS of what we made together. No offense, but MAYBE instead of complaining about how much the FAFSA sucks, YOU should have contacted an aid advisor. It's the common sense thing to do when you aren't sure. Bc you just screwed yourself out of a free 4 year education. Wow…you should have put down that you support your child 50%. That is common sense. And no, its NOT cheating the sytem. It would have made you independent.

In fact, I have 2 children and am an UNMARRIED STAY AT HOME MOM LIVING WITH MY SIGNIFICANT OTHER.

My school told me to “put down that I contribute more than 50% to my children.” In fact, they said, because we were living together and sharing expenses, we BOTH contributed “half because we lived together and had shared income”….REGARDLESS of what we made together.

No offense, but MAYBE instead of complaining about how much the FAFSA sucks, YOU should have contacted an aid advisor. It’s the common sense thing to do when you aren’t sure. Bc you just screwed yourself out of a free 4 year education.

]]> By: Alex H. http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/02/06/dependent-or-not-dependent-why-i-hate-the-fafsa/#comment-237140 Alex H. Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:46:04 +0000 http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/02/06/dependent-or-not-dependent-why-i-hate-the-fafsa/#comment-237140 My apologies, I believe I missed the checkbox for notification the first time I submitted that. My apologies, I believe I missed the checkbox for notification the first time I submitted that.

]]> By: Alex H. http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/02/06/dependent-or-not-dependent-why-i-hate-the-fafsa/#comment-237138 Alex H. Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:44:50 +0000 http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/02/06/dependent-or-not-dependent-why-i-hate-the-fafsa/#comment-237138 I am 20 years old and started going to college when I was 19. I came from a very abusive family and spent a period of time in the psychward; when I reported the abuse occurring to my sister and I my stepfather and mother took me to a hospital and told them that I was hallucinating all of the incidents. Since I was a minor, I was "treated" for schizophrenia and did not have the situation cleared until I was 18 and able to show some local psychiatrists paper records of their police reports and violent history. I have lived alone for 2 years with no assistance. Since I am 20, have not served in the military, don't have a child, and am not married, I have to file by my parents' information. Since I don't have access to this, I essentially can't file at all. I am not considered for any assistance, because even though I have no parental support I am still considered a "dependent". I currently work 2 restaurant jobs at 70-80 hours a week while attending Mansfield OSU/NCSC in Ohio. I am 20 years old and started going to college when I was 19. I came from a very abusive family and spent a period of time in the psychward; when I reported the abuse occurring to my sister and I my stepfather and mother took me to a hospital and told them that I was hallucinating all of the incidents. Since I was a minor, I was “treated” for schizophrenia and did not have the situation cleared until I was 18 and able to show some local psychiatrists paper records of their police reports and violent history. I have lived alone for 2 years with no assistance. Since I am 20, have not served in the military, don’t have a child, and am not married, I have to file by my parents’ information. Since I don’t have access to this, I essentially can’t file at all. I am not considered for any assistance, because even though I have no parental support I am still considered a “dependent”. I currently work 2 restaurant jobs at 70-80 hours a week while attending Mansfield OSU/NCSC in Ohio.

]]> By: Beltramo http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/02/06/dependent-or-not-dependent-why-i-hate-the-fafsa/#comment-181157 Beltramo Sun, 25 Sep 2011 17:02:47 +0000 http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/02/06/dependent-or-not-dependent-why-i-hate-the-fafsa/#comment-181157 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 too am at the mercy of FAFSA. My father is the only one who works two jobs (has his own small struggling business) and cannot afford to pay for my college. However, it is what FAFSA or the IRS considers as "well off" so basically if your parents are dirt poor, no job then you'll have it made when applying for financial aid. -on another note. "working with your university's financial aid office" is out of the question. Every time I approach them with any circumstance, they put the solution back on my parents. Applying for a student-parent plus loan is the only other solution they ever give me, which is impossible for my parents due to poor credit score & unwillingness to apply for another loan with their name on it....etc It makes me sick every semester. My mom is a minority, but my dad is white so it doesn't matter. This system is a broken joke and pretty much encourages parents to report the absolute bare minimum on their taxes and on the FAFSA. -look at the housing market crash & the build up to that, I strongly believe this System will be looking at a similar future someday. 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 too am at the mercy of FAFSA. My father is the only one who works two jobs (has his own small struggling business) and cannot afford to pay for my college. However, it is what FAFSA or the IRS considers as “well off” so basically if your parents are dirt poor, no job then you’ll have it made when applying for financial aid.

-on another note. “working with your university’s financial aid office” is out of the question. Every time I approach them with any circumstance, they put the solution back on my parents. Applying for a student-parent plus loan is the only other solution they ever give me, which is impossible for my parents due to poor credit score & unwillingness to apply for another loan with their name on it….etc
It makes me sick every semester. My mom is a minority, but my dad is white so it doesn’t matter. This system is a broken joke and pretty much encourages parents to report the absolute bare minimum on their taxes and on the FAFSA.
-look at the housing market crash & the build up to that, I strongly believe this System will be looking at a similar future someday.

]]> By: Rachel http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/02/06/dependent-or-not-dependent-why-i-hate-the-fafsa/#comment-172630 Rachel Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:18:41 +0000 http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/02/06/dependent-or-not-dependent-why-i-hate-the-fafsa/#comment-172630 What drives me crazy is my friends whose parents were poor and they are poor so they get the handout, then spend it one whatever and keep working their low-class jobs, not even thinking about college What drives me crazy is my friends whose parents were poor and they are poor so they get the handout, then spend it one whatever and keep working their low-class jobs, not even thinking about college

]]> By: Pamela Ausejo http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/02/06/dependent-or-not-dependent-why-i-hate-the-fafsa/#comment-152477 Pamela Ausejo Wed, 18 May 2011 01:30:01 +0000 http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/02/06/dependent-or-not-dependent-why-i-hate-the-fafsa/#comment-152477 Yea, that pretty much sucks. I am very sorry that you have that difficulty. I do remember when I was in my early 20's I couldn't get anything from fafsa at all. I also didn't know that I could talk to my financial aid people. But yea maybe according to financial aid,they can't help you because you are under 24 which is really lame. They need to update there rules on this because duh!! there are many displaced young adults wanting to get an education. Let me tell you though. that even if you are getting financial aid, you don't get much. Meaning, I am getting a full pell and cal grant at the moment and always broke because I barely work. If I work more, my disbursement goes down. For this new 2012 year, FAll semester I will be getting half of what i got this year because I made just a little bit more$$ than last year. But Half!! I will have to do work study now. Fine, whatever it takes. So Vanna why don't you just work your ass off and save that money for when you turn 24. Believe me that extra money will come in handy cuz financial aid doesn't cover all of it. But let me warn you. It is possible even when you turn 24 that you won't be eligible because you made too much money. If you make over 12,000 the year before (bec. they look at last years income tax) that is when your EFC number starts to go up BUT they will tell you what you are eligible for. For example I made 15,000 last year 2010, they said I am eligible for only 2880.00 total per semester but they will probably offer me a work study opportunity as well. so that will help too. And try not to worry about your age in all this. I know its hard when all other kids your age are in school. You will still be plenty young if you start when you are 24. You could also study on your own in math and english so that you can get into higher classes when you enter. Your still young and it could be worse. Hang in there! I never went to school and I am alot older. I just can't think about that now. I try to just have a better attitude cuz I just got to do my best with some things you can't control. Are you eligible for the BOG waiver at all? That can help pay for the classes which can help bec. I think its now 26$ a unit now right? So that can save you $156 bucks if your taking 2,3 unit classes. Wishing you all the best. Yea, that pretty much sucks. I am very sorry that you have that difficulty. I do remember when I was in my early 20′s I couldn’t get anything from fafsa at all. I also didn’t know that I could talk to my financial aid people. But yea maybe according to financial aid,they can’t help you because you are under 24 which is really lame. They need to update there rules on this because duh!! there are many displaced young adults wanting to get an education. Let me tell you though. that even if you are getting financial aid, you don’t get much. Meaning, I am getting a full pell and cal grant at the moment and always broke because I barely work. If I work more, my disbursement goes down. For this new 2012 year, FAll semester I will be getting half of what i got this year because I made just a little bit more$$ than last year. But Half!! I will have to do work study now. Fine, whatever it takes. So Vanna why don’t you just work your ass off and save that money for when you turn 24. Believe me that extra money will come in handy cuz financial aid doesn’t cover all of it. But let me warn you. It is possible even when you turn 24 that you won’t be eligible because you made too much money. If you make over 12,000 the year before (bec. they look at last years income tax) that is when your EFC number starts to go up BUT they will tell you what you are eligible for. For example I made 15,000 last year 2010, they said I am eligible for only 2880.00 total per semester but they will probably offer me a work study opportunity as well. so that will help too.
And try not to worry about your age in all this. I know its hard when all other kids your age are in school. You will still be plenty young if you start when you are 24. You could also study on your own in math and english so that you can get into higher classes when you enter. Your still young and it could be worse. Hang in there! I never went to school and I am alot older. I just can’t think about that now. I try to just have a better attitude cuz I just got to do my best with some things you can’t control. Are you eligible for the BOG waiver at all? That can help pay for the classes which can help bec. I think its now 26$ a unit now right? So that can save you $156 bucks if your taking 2,3 unit classes. Wishing you all the best.

]]> By: Vanna http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/02/06/dependent-or-not-dependent-why-i-hate-the-fafsa/#comment-148615 Vanna Mon, 09 May 2011 08:34:23 +0000 http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/02/06/dependent-or-not-dependent-why-i-hate-the-fafsa/#comment-148615 I'm 22 years old and I have been living on my own since I was 18. I live with my boyfriend but because of the state of the economy (especially in the part of California I live in) have not been able to secure a job long enough to pay for my own schooling. I don't have the money to move somewhere with better job opportunities. My parents refused to help pay for any of my college, not even at a community college. I did talk to the financial aid offices at both of the schools I wanted to attend. I actually had one of them tell me that it was impossible for me to get any sort of LOAN with out my parents information. The government automatically assumes that everyone is on good terms with their parents. My boyfriend doesn't make enough money to support us both and pay for college. I don't like the fafsa system. Also I think that it isn't fair to tell people "just talk to the financial aid office and they can help you" because the fact is, where I live they wont help you and it is just not that simple. Of course people want to get a grant rather than a loan. Who wants to be up to their ears in debt? I am going to have to wait until I'm 24 to go to school and hopefully before then I will find some work and be able to save up just in case they find another reason to tell me- "sorry there is nothing you can do to get financial aid." This is especially sad to me because I know people who are supported by there parents, are not living on their own and don't have bills to pay and they get enough aid to continue college each year. I have attended two classes and still can't pay off the amount for just those two classes. I’m 22 years old and I have been living on my own since I was 18. I live with my boyfriend but because of the state of the economy (especially in the part of California I live in) have not been able to secure a job long enough to pay for my own schooling. I don’t have the money to move somewhere with better job opportunities. My parents refused to help pay for any of my college, not even at a community college. I did talk to the financial aid offices at both of the schools I wanted to attend. I actually had one of them tell me that it was impossible for me to get any sort of LOAN with out my parents information. The government automatically assumes that everyone is on good terms with their parents. My boyfriend doesn’t make enough money to support us both and pay for college. I don’t like the fafsa system. Also I think that it isn’t fair to tell people “just talk to the financial aid office and they can help you” because the fact is, where I live they wont help you and it is just not that simple. Of course people want to get a grant rather than a loan. Who wants to be up to their ears in debt? I am going to have to wait until I’m 24 to go to school and hopefully before then I will find some work and be able to save up just in case they find another reason to tell me- “sorry there is nothing you can do to get financial aid.” This is especially sad to me because I know people who are supported by there parents, are not living on their own and don’t have bills to pay and they get enough aid to continue college each year. I have attended two classes and still can’t pay off the amount for just those two classes.

]]> By: Truth http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/02/06/dependent-or-not-dependent-why-i-hate-the-fafsa/#comment-146626 Truth Wed, 04 May 2011 15:10:18 +0000 http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/02/06/dependent-or-not-dependent-why-i-hate-the-fafsa/#comment-146626 I had to drop out of college because of the dependent fafsa bullshit...I live a home but i dont live there 4 free. i've been paying rent and 100% of all my expenses since the age of 17....even fucking groceries, food and common toiletries! But i'm a fucking DEPENDENT. dependent my ass. My mother and cunt of a step dad have ruined my college plans and halted my dreams. My step dad makes alone makes average of $80,000 to $100,000 per year. Since i'm under 24, i have to use their financial information and file as a dependent. I absolutely nothing because they make too much. FAFSA is useless to me.....I blame the Government & Parents. The government would rather finance abortions and spend money overseas instead of helping its citizens. I blame the irresponsibly parents of today that choose to not help their kids financially. They would rather pay for lavish cars and vacations than invest their children's future. ITS SAD.....i would never do that to my children. NEVER!...But we will survive. Im 21 right now and i work 50 hrs a week. I'm taking two classes at a time because thats all i can afford....I shud have my associates in two years. I'll be 23 by then..I'll still have to wait another year to fill as an independent....I'm be 25 when i get my B.S. when most of my peers will be half way thru graduate school...I'm so far behind. THE GOVERNMENT WILL ALWAYS BE NOTORIOUS BUT I WILL NEVER FORGIVE MY PARENTS!.... I had to drop out of college because of the dependent fafsa bullshit…I live a home but i dont live there 4 free. i’ve been paying rent and 100% of all my expenses since the age of 17….even fucking groceries, food and common toiletries! But i’m a fucking DEPENDENT. dependent my ass. My mother and cunt of a step dad have ruined my college plans and halted my dreams. My step dad makes alone makes average of $80,000 to $100,000 per year. Since i’m under 24, i have to use their financial information and file as a dependent. I absolutely nothing because they make too much. FAFSA is useless to me…..I blame the Government & Parents. The government would rather finance abortions and spend money overseas instead of helping its citizens. I blame the irresponsibly parents of today that choose to not help their kids financially. They would rather pay for lavish cars and vacations than invest their children’s future. ITS SAD…..i would never do that to my children. NEVER!…But we will survive. Im 21 right now and i work 50 hrs a week. I’m taking two classes at a time because thats all i can afford….I shud have my associates in two years. I’ll be 23 by then..I’ll still have to wait another year to fill as an independent….I’m be 25 when i get my B.S. when most of my peers will be half way thru graduate school…I’m so far behind. THE GOVERNMENT WILL ALWAYS BE NOTORIOUS BUT I WILL NEVER FORGIVE MY PARENTS!….

]]> By: Pamela Ausejo http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/02/06/dependent-or-not-dependent-why-i-hate-the-fafsa/#comment-134673 Pamela Ausejo Mon, 04 Apr 2011 01:28:32 +0000 http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/02/06/dependent-or-not-dependent-why-i-hate-the-fafsa/#comment-134673 Thank you to whomever gave me the insight to look over my fafsa again. I used the "have questions" link and also called the customer help hotline for help in filling out the form. You may not even know that you are filling out your form wrong and that could hurt you. Since then I had a EFC of 0000. I am in my 2nd semester of school and got a full pell grant and Cal grant. I feel super grateful. To Shana, If you can pay a nice visit up to the folks and just casually look around where they would keep there tax forms and make copies! Make sure they are not home. I hate to give this advice but you know this is just unfair. You then fill the rest out yourself. OR explain to the financial aid that you have been on your own since age 17 etc. Thank you to whomever gave me the insight to look over my fafsa again. I used the “have questions” link and also called the customer help hotline for help in filling out the form. You may not even know that you are filling out your form wrong and that could hurt you. Since then I had a EFC of 0000. I am in my 2nd semester of school and got a full pell grant and Cal grant. I feel super grateful.
To Shana, If you can pay a nice visit up to the folks and just casually look around where they would keep there tax forms and make copies! Make sure they are not home. I hate to give this advice but you know this is just unfair. You then fill the rest out yourself. OR explain to the financial aid that you have been on your own since age 17 etc.

]]> By: Shana http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/02/06/dependent-or-not-dependent-why-i-hate-the-fafsa/#comment-134485 Shana Sat, 02 Apr 2011 17:59:35 +0000 http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/02/06/dependent-or-not-dependent-why-i-hate-the-fafsa/#comment-134485 I hate FAFSA i went and applied for college pats my exams to get in and because neither of my parents would fill out the paperwork so i now cant go to school because of that and you know whats sooooo funny i live in miami fl and they live some where in upstate new york. LOL and i cant declair myself and indepenent!! havent lived with either parent since i was 16 and im 22 now. crazy huh. so i went and took the test for no reason at all!!! wish i could go to school!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANKS ALOT FAFSA I hate FAFSA i went and applied for college pats my exams to get in and because neither of my parents would fill out the paperwork so i now cant go to school because of that and you know whats sooooo funny i live in miami fl and they live some where in upstate new york. LOL and i cant declair myself and indepenent!! havent lived with either parent since i was 16 and im 22 now. crazy huh. so i went and took the test for no reason at all!!! wish i could go to school!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THANKS ALOT FAFSA

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