FAFSA Help

[Southern_Weather]

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Dear SDN,

I know there are thousands of threads about FAFSA but I have not the time nor the patience to read through all of them, I apologize. My situation : I am a junior. My stepfather paid for my first two years at community college (my mother does not work) and says that I should be able to pay my way from here on out. He pitched in a little when I initially moved out so I somehow managed my first semester here at the university as I also work full-time and I had a little money put aside. But I am now coming up short. Logically I should fill out the FAFSA but my stepfather, whom is/was my primary provider, refuses to give out his tax information (due to suspicion and fear of someone gettting a hold of it). There is a great deal of animosity between my biological father and I. So I can't fill out the FAFSA. I meet none of the criteria to fill independently. I can't get federal aid or federal loans. I did not recieve any scholarships and I was turned down by my bank for a private loan (great score, 719, little experience). I have exhaused every outlet! I don't know what else to do! I would be willing, albeit it stupid and shortsighted, to accept a loan with astronmical rates just so I can actually continue my education but I don't know where to get those. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[burbbs]

Talk to your school's financial aid office about your situation. If your father does not want to fill out the fafsa then your school should be able to find a way to provide you with some type of aid.

When in doubt talk to your university's office of financial aid

 

[Doctor Strange]

Will your step-father fill out the FAFSA himself? If you set everything up beforehand, it shouldn't take him more than half an hour to fill it out. That way he doesn't have to give anyone other than the government his information. I think you might also be able to use the IRS retrieval tool on FAFSA to grab the information directly from the IRS and transfer it onto FAFSA. All it requires is your step-father's information (SSN, date of birth, address, etc.).

 

[Southern_Weather]

Talk to your school's financial aid office about your situation. If your father does not want to fill out the fafsa then your school should be able to find a way to provide you with some type of aid.

When in doubt talk to your university's office of financial aid

Already did, a couple times. Even spoke with the head of the department. Everything they told me, I already knew. Their advice was a private loan. Which I applied for prior to going to the financial aid office, anticipating their lack of help.

 

[Southern_Weather]

Will your step-father fill out the FAFSA himself? If you set everything up beforehand, it shouldn't take him more than half an hour to fill it out. That way he doesn't have to give anyone other than the government his information. I think you might also be able to use the IRS retrieval tool on FAFSA to grab the information directly from the IRS and transfer it onto FAFSA. All it requires is your step-father's information (SSN, date of birth, address, etc.).

He has issue giving it TO THE GOVERNMENT. He is quite paranoid in that regard. He never releases his social security number unless it is absolutely mandatory which, in this situation, he deems is not.

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

He has issue giving it TO THE GOVERNMENT. He is quite paranoid in that regard. He never releases his social security number unless it is absolutely mandatory which, in this situation, he deems is not.

This is confusing. His SSN was assigned to him BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT shortly after he was born. Big Brother already knows his SSN and assuming his income is reported to the federal government by his employer, they know that too.

The Social Security Administration maintains income data for every American who works. FAFSA probably cross checks the income you report against what SSA has in order to confirm its accuracy. So in this case it is mandatory.

But thanks to Rand Paul, he can be fairly certain that Obama won't hunt him down with a drone...on American soil.

 

[Southern_Weather]

Well regardless of his rationale, he's not giving it out.

 

[doorner]

Well regardless of his rationale, he's not giving it out.

Are you looking for someone on the internet to talk to your step father for you...? 😕

 

[Southern_Weather]

Are you looking for someone on the internet to talk to your step father for you...? 😕

What? No. That would be pretty weird and completely futile. I'm trying to find a way around the FAFSA. I'm willing to resort to high interest loans if only I knew where to find them. Or any other alternative that I may not have thought of yet.

 

[xffan624]

What? No. That would be pretty weird and completely futile. I'm trying to find a way around the FAFSA. I'm willing to resort to high interest loans if only I knew where to find them. Or any other alternative that I may not have thought of yet.

So you have a full time job, do not receive any financial support from your parents but FAFSA still says you are a dependent? 😕

By all descriptions at this point you are independent.

 

[Gauss44]

Dear SDN,

I know there are thousands of threads about FAFSA but I have not the time nor the patience to read through all of them, I apologize. My situation : I am a junior. My stepfather paid for my first two years at community college (my mother does not work) and says that I should be able to pay my way from here on out. He pitched in a little when I initially moved out so I somehow managed my first semester here at the university as I also work full-time and I had a little money put aside. But I am now coming up short. Logically I should fill out the FAFSA but my stepfather, whom is/was my primary provider, refuses to give out his tax information (due to suspicion and fear of someone gettting a hold of it). There is a great deal of animosity between my biological father and I. So I can't fill out the FAFSA. I meet none of the criteria to fill independently. I can't get federal aid or federal loans. I did not recieve any scholarships and I was turned down by my bank for a private loan (great score, 719, little experience). I have exhaused every outlet! I don't know what else to do! I would be willing, albeit it stupid and shortsighted, to accept a loan with astronmical rates just so I can actually continue my education but I don't know where to get those. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Can you estimate his numbers and fill out fafsa with "est." next to the responses for parental information? Look into that. Then, go online to the Martindale database and try to find an education and financial attorney who offers a free consultation. There might be another solution that even the head of financial aid is either unaware of or unwilling to offer. For example, maybe the IRS can give you his numbers, or maybe the financial aid office is allowed to treat you as "independent" but doesn't know which rules apply to your situation.

Private (non-federal) student loans should be a last resort. Private student loans may not be dischargeable in bankruptcy, disability, or death, and some times have unreasonable and inflexible repayment options. For example, they might not allow you to postpone or reduce your payments if you are are ever unemployed or temporarily/permanently disabled.

 

[Southern_Weather]

So you have a full time job, do not receive any financial support from your parents but FAFSA still says you are a dependent? 😕

By all descriptions at this point you are independent.

Unfortunately not according to the federal government. There is a whole criteria, for being able to file independently, outlined on the FAFSA website. I am not going to list them all but essentially I have be 24 years old; have a child; be married; or enrolled in grad school. ( each is an individual criteria, I would only have to meet one of them)

 

[Southern_Weather]

Can you estimate his numbers and fill out fafsa with "est." next to the responses for parental information? Look into that. Then, go online to the Martindale database and try to find an education and financial attorney who offers a free consultation. There might be another solution that even the head of financial aid is either unaware of or unwilling to offer. For example, maybe the IRS can give you his numbers, or maybe the financial aid office is allowed to treat you as "independent" but doesn't know which rules apply to your situation.

Private (non-federal) student loans should be a last resort. Private student loans may not be dischargeable in bankruptcy, disability, or death, and some times have unreasonable and inflexible repayment options. For example, they might not allow you to postpone or reduce your payments if you are are ever unemployed or temporarily/permanently disabled.

The financial aid office did mention that if I could prove that my parents ( stepfather in this case ) abandoned me financially, I would be able to file the FAFSA as an independent. Intrigued, I asked how I could prove this ( although it is not the total truth, I love my parents but I need to do something ). I would have to hire a lawyer and he would investigate EVERYTHING in order to prove abandonment. First of all, he would not be able to prove it because, well, they do send me a little cash every now and again to help with gas or groceries. But more substantially, the cost of this whole process would completely defeat the purpose. I probably could have paid my tuition at least a couple times by the time this would make financial sense.

I really appreciate the advice/ help but I would never want to go behind his back in that regard. Ha if he found out that I essentially stole his SSN, I completely believe that he would literally kill me. No lie. Not a risk I'm willing to take.
I realize desperation leads to irrational decisions but a private loan is my last option and, yes, I am so desperate that I would be willing to get one with astronomical interest rates. I WANT MY DEGREE😀

Thank you for all the feedback. I realize there isn't much else you guys can offer but if something else comes to mind, please tell me

 

[Gauss44]

The financial aid office did mention that if I could prove that my parents ( stepfather in this case ) abandoned me financially, I would be able to file the FAFSA as an independent. Intrigued, I asked how I could prove this ( although it is not the total truth, I love my parents but I need to do something ). I would have to hire a lawyer and he would investigate EVERYTHING in order to prove abandonment. First of all, he would not be able to prove it because, well, they do send me a little cash every now and again to help with gas or groceries. But more substantially, the cost of this whole process would completely defeat the purpose. I probably could have paid my tuition at least a couple times by the time this would make financial sense.

I really appreciate the advice/ help but I would never want to go behind his back in that regard. Ha if he found out that I essentially stole his SSN, I completely believe that he would literally kill me. No lie. Not a risk I'm willing to take.
I realize desperation leads to irrational decisions but a private loan is my last option and, yes, I am so desperate that I would be willing to get one with astronomical interest rates. I WANT MY DEGREE😀

Thank you for all the feedback. I realize there isn't much else you guys can offer but if something else comes to mind, please tell me

For the record, I didn't suggest the part in bold.

The only other good option I can think of would be to seek help from someone familiar with your dad's problems, like a psychologist. Maybe a psychologist could recommend ways to approach your dad about this problem where he would be receptive.

Again, you could look for a free legal consultation, as well, where you might get advice you could use without hiring anyone. They might recommend another meeting with financial aid where you propose a solution that other schools have used for students in similar situations to your own.

 

[Conflagration]

Hey there, OP! Sorry about your situation.

My best advice is if you can't convince your stepfather to fill out the FAFSA, then you could try to get a payday loan or a loan from a pawn shop. It would be some, which is better than what you got right now. ^^

 

[Southern_Weather]

For the record, I didn't suggest the part in bold.

The only other good option I can think of would be to seek help from someone familiar with your dad's problems, like a psychologist. Maybe a psychologist could recommend ways to approach your dad about this problem where he would be receptive.

Again, you could look for a free legal consultation, as well, where you might get advice you could use without hiring anyone. They might recommend another meeting with financial aid where you propose a solution that other schools have used for students in similar situations to your own.

I, in no way, meant to imply that. I really appreciate all the feedback you have given me. I may try that free legal consultation and see where that gets me. Thanks!

 

[Southern_Weather]

Hey there, OP! Sorry about your situation.

My best advice is if you can't convince your stepfather to fill out the FAFSA, then you could try to get a payday loan or a loan from a pawn shop. It would be some, which is better than what you got right now. ^^

Haha that was kinda what I was looking for 😉 A payday loan huh? Where do I go about obtaining one of those? ( yes I can assume the interest rates are astronomical )

 

[Conflagration]

Haha that was kinda what I was looking for 😉 A payday loan huh? Where do I go about obtaining one of those? ( yes I can assume the interest rates are astronomical )

Well, there are places where it's their entire business to do this. I can't think of any national chains, but I'm sure if you Google "payday loans *insert zip code here*" then you'll find something.

I don't know how much they can give you, but the interest is completely insane. Just full disclosure, OP.

If you have some relic in your house that you're willing to pawn, you could do that too. You get the item back if you pay the shop back in a reasonable time. ^^

 

[Doctor Strange]

I don't know if this has been said already, but have you considered trying to get a credit union loan?

 

[Gauss44]

Hey there, OP! Sorry about your situation.

My best advice is if you can't convince your stepfather to fill out the FAFSA, then you could try to get a payday loan or a loan from a pawn shop. It would be some, which is better than what you got right now. ^^

Before doing that, you might consider a credit card with a 0% apr promotion.

Credit Cards:
Some cards will offer you 12-18 months with 0% apr. That at least gives you some time to pay off the balance or transfer the balance before paying interest. If the 0% apr offer applies to balance transfers, you can request a balance transfer check written to yourself which you can deposit into your bank account.

When 0% promotional apr expires: The catch for 0% apr cards is usually if you cannot pay off the balance or transfer the balance to another card by the time the 0% expires, you may get stuck with a terrible interest rate. Of course a bad credit rating can result from unpaid bills including payday loans, credit union loans, bank loans, and credit card bills. Having a bad credit rating could make it difficult or impossible to get certain kinds of student loans in the future.

Some people have been successful at transferring a balance from one card to another over and over again, extending the 0% apr for years. I wouldn't count on that though unless it's a last resort. If you are SURE you could get a private student loan then maybe that would be your back up plan if all else fails.

www.bankrate.com has a box in the upper left corner where you can select "low interest cards." Before using the card or cashing a balance transfer check, make sure you request a copy of the cardholder agreement and read all the fine print.

Credit checks lower credit scores: If you shop around for credit (of any kind), be aware that every time you apply for credit (except for some student loans), they will pull your credit report. When creditors pull your credit it lowers your credit score. There are 2 ways to pull your credit a hard pull and a soft pull. A single soft pull barely impact your score; hard pull may drop your score significantly (probably <30 points though). If you apply for a credit card, try to find one that fits your credit rating and hopefully you'll get approved the first time.

Back to FAFSA:
Although this may seem like a simple solution, the best long term solution would be resolving the fafsa issue.

 

[mcloaf]

This is ridiculous. Payday loans have stupid high interest rates/fees and are not for large amounts of money.

You could try a private loan from a bank or credit union.

Honestly, you need to talk some sense into your stepfather. He is going to cost you tens of thousands of dollars because of some absurd tin foil hat based paranoia.

 

[Gauss44]

I may try that free legal consultation and see where that gets me. Thanks!

And remember, if you do that, the first few attorneys you explain your situation to might say they don't do financial aid. If that happens, you say, "I understand. Can you refer me to someone who does?" or "Thanks for you time. Do you know of anyone who does?"

You will eventually find the right person. If you start out by saying something like, "I'm looking for advice about a financial matter involving college. Specifically..." or even "I'm looking to hire an attorney..." They will say, "Tell me about your case" or "What's going on?" Then you explain. Then they usually suggest some solutions for your problem without charging you. They will not charge you unless you agree to it. And you won't get charged majorly unless you sign an engagement letter. So don't worry, just call around. And use the online Martindale database to find attorneys to begin with (preferably with practice areas in both finance and education, your second choice is just education).

One last word of advice. If you don't want to tell the attorney your full name or every last detail, you don't have to. If they ask for info. you don't want to give, say you would like to withhold, or hold off on giving that information until you establish "attorney client privilege." Or something in your own words. Attorney client privilege refers to a set of rules where an attorney doesn't have to reveal (either almost anything or literally) anything their client said to an outside party. It's a great polite excuse not to tell all.

Good luck!

PS - Also remember what I said about most psychologists being trained to deal with people like your dad. Even a school counselor or helpline operator who is a trained psychologist should be able to give you advice about how to approach him or just use the yellow pages.

 

[Southern_Weather]

And remember, if you do that, the first few attorneys you explain your situation to might say they don't do financial aid. If that happens, you say, "I understand. Can you refer me to someone who does?" or "Thanks for you time. Do you know of anyone who does?"

You will eventually find the right person. If you start out by saying something like, "I'm looking for advice about a financial matter involving college. Specifically..." or even "I'm looking to hire an attorney..." They will say, "Tell me about your case" or "What's going on?" Then you explain. Then they usually suggest some solutions for your problem without charging you. They will not charge you unless you agree to it. And you won't get charged majorly unless you sign an engagement letter. So don't worry, just call around. And use the online Martindale database to find attorneys to begin with (preferably with practice areas in both finance and education, your second choice is just education).

One last word of advice. If you don't want to tell the attorney your full name or every last detail, you don't have to. If they ask for info. you don't want to give, say you would like to withhold, or hold off on giving that information until you establish "attorney client privilege." Or something in your own words. Attorney client privilege refers to a set of rules where an attorney doesn't have to reveal (either almost anything or literally) anything their client said to an outside party. It's a great polite excuse not to tell all.

Good luck!

PS - Also remember what I said about most psychologists being trained to deal with people like your dad. Even a school counselor or helpline operator who is a trained psychologist should be able to give you advice about how to approach him or just use the yellow pages.

Thank you very much for your thorough response 🙂 This advice will definitely be useful considering it will be my first time consulting a lawyer.