Parental issues and FAFSA

[Elewynne]

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A bit of a difficult situation with regards to providing parental information on my FAFSA . My father is great, after I explained how medical schools require parental info to be eligible for aid he agreed to provide his information.

My mother is a whole different can of worms - long story short, while she and my father are married they file taxes separately and she has her own private account(s?) where she has some unknown amount of money she received from when her father died. When she got the money she required my dad sign paperwork saying he had no interest in the money and it was entirely hers. Result is no one but her knows how much she has, what her taxes are, anything. She doesn't work and hasn't in decades, so this inheritance money is it.

She's had a difficult life, has a host of metal issues that she refuses to acknowledge and therefore can't get treated; as a result she is extremely paranoid and refuses to share financial or personal information with anyone - this includes my father, my siblings, me, and my FAFSA. My dad has tried reasoning with her, and I've assured her in every way I can think of that I have no interest in her money, but it's something that I have to provide or else I can't get school-based aid - but she's not budging so far.

Anyone know if there's any other way through this so I can still get considered for school aid? I'm aware I can get federal aid, but want to be considered for as much as possible, if I can...

 

[xffan624]

I'm a mid-30's nontrad with a bit of a difficult situation with regards to providing parental information on my FAFSA for school aid purposes. My father is great, after I explained how medical schools require parental info to be eligible for aid he agreed to provide his information.

My mother is a whole different can of worms - long story short, while she and my father are married they file taxes separately and she has her own private account(s?) where she has some unknown amount of money she received from when her father died. When she got the money she required my dad sign paperwork saying he had no interest in the money and it was entirely hers. Result is no one but her knows how much she has, what her taxes are, anything. She doesn't work and hasn't in decades, so this inheritance money is it.

She's had a difficult life, has a host of metal issues that she refuses to acknowledge and therefore can't get treated; as a result she is extremely paranoid and refuses to share financial or personal information with anyone - this includes my father, my siblings, me, and my FAFSA. My dad has tried reasoning with her, and I've assured her in every way I can think of that I have no interest in her money, but it's something that I have to provide or else I can't get school-based aid - but she's not budging so far.

Anyone know if there's any other way through this so I can still get considered for school aid? I'm aware I can get federal aid, but want to be considered for as much as possible, if I can...

My parents refused to give me their info as well. They technically have access to a million dollar estate from my grandparents although they have no real access to that money. Either way it would have been reported on the financial aid info and would have likely precluded me from receiving any aid anyway. If your mom has a decent amount of cash, it would likely do the same for you. I wouldn't stress too much about it. It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.

 

[theseeker4]

I'm a mid-30's nontrad with a bit of a difficult situation with regards to providing parental information on my FAFSA for school aid purposes. My father is great, after I explained how medical schools require parental info to be eligible for aid he agreed to provide his information.

My mother is a whole different can of worms - long story short, while she and my father are married they file taxes separately and she has her own private account(s?) where she has some unknown amount of money she received from when her father died. When she got the money she required my dad sign paperwork saying he had no interest in the money and it was entirely hers. Result is no one but her knows how much she has, what her taxes are, anything. She doesn't work and hasn't in decades, so this inheritance money is it.

She's had a difficult life, has a host of metal issues that she refuses to acknowledge and therefore can't get treated; as a result she is extremely paranoid and refuses to share financial or personal information with anyone - this includes my father, my siblings, me, and my FAFSA. My dad has tried reasoning with her, and I've assured her in every way I can think of that I have no interest in her money, but it's something that I have to provide or else I can't get school-based aid - but she's not budging so far.

Anyone know if there's any other way through this so I can still get considered for school aid? I'm aware I can get federal aid, but want to be considered for as much as possible, if I can...

Not sure that there is much you can do...I don't think you can be considered at all for the aid unless you disclose the parental information. You can try talking to your school financial aid office about it, but you likely won't be considered if you don't report your parents' information. Sorry.

 

[Elewynne]

Thanks for the replies. I figure there isn't much I can do, but thought it couldn't hurt to see if anyone had any ideas.

 

[wholeheartedly]

So how do you actually report your parents info? I mean, I think all I do to report my own tax info is click a few times on the FAFSA application and it pulls in my info from my tax filing.

I guess the question is, is there a way to just pull in your parents info and do you actually see that info? I mean if parents are concerned about their kids seeing it, maybe the app should be set up so parents get emailed a link to fill the info in themselves so you never see it.

Elewynne, could you fill out the app with her, then leave the room and let her fill her stuff out herself and then submit it so you don't see it? She can feel comfortable, but you get it done?


Given the changes in modern family structure this can get pretty tricky. I mean my parents never got married and my dad doesn't contribute financially. Not sure if I'll run into trouble getting his info or not.

I still think it'd be worth a good discussion with your financial aid officer.

 

[Elewynne]

So how do you actually report your parents info? I mean, I think all I do to report my own tax info is click a few times on the FAFSA application and it pulls in my info from my tax filing.

I guess the question is, is there a way to just pull in your parents info and do you actually see that info? I mean if parents are concerned about their kids seeing it, maybe the app should be set up so parents get emailed a link to fill the info in themselves so you never see it.

Elewynne, could you fill out the app with her, then leave the room and let her fill her stuff out herself and then submit it so you don't see it? She can feel comfortable, but you get it done?


Given the changes in modern family structure this can get pretty tricky. I mean my parents never got married and my dad doesn't contribute financially. Not sure if I'll run into trouble getting his info or not.

I still think it'd be worth a good discussion with your financial aid officer.

Thanks for the idea - I'll look into if she can report her info independently or automatically with her taxes. I know the FAFSA also requires "asset" information though, so I'll have to see how it works. Good idea!

 

[DrHoffy]

Each year when I applied for financial aid I would send them a letter. In the letter I would state how old I was, how long I had been living independently from my parents, how it would put undue burden on my parents in their "advanced" years to try and assist me etc.

I ended up getting offered a variety of scholarships etc...plus a pell. One year it came out to 7k getting knocked off my tuition.

Also, scour the school website for scholarships or ask the FA for the list. ..you would be amazed at how many go unfulfilled because people do not take the imitative to write the essay etc.

 

[Darth Doc]

Anyone know if there's any other way through this so I can still get considered for school aid? I'm aware I can get federal aid, but want to be considered for as much as possible, if I can...

According to FAFSA information on studentaid.ed.gov if you're entering medical school, you're independent and you shouldn't include your parents information. In your case, you were born before 1991 so you're also independent for that reason. Don't include your parents' information.
http://studentaid.ed.gov/fafsa/filling-out/dependency

 

[wholeheartedly]

According to FAFSA information on studentaid.ed.gov if you're entering medical school, you're independent and you shouldn't include your parents information. In your case, you were born before 1991 so you're also independent for that reason. Don't include your parents' information.
http://studentaid.ed.gov/fafsa/filling-out/dependency

It's not quite that simple. For federal aid from the govt. you're independent, but for anything that goes through your school it's up to the school to decide and criteria differ greatly from school to school. For example at Mayo a couple of years ago, all medical students were considered independent for institutional aid, at U of MN wants all students to submit parental info for any aid other than loans, Harvard last I checked had age ranges for amount of parental contribution expected.


For examples See bottom of this link http://www.meded.umn.edu/financial/introduction.php

And http://hms.harvard.edu/departments/financial-aid-harvard-medical-school/faq

http://hms.harvard.edu/departments/...school/about-financial-aid-hms/financial-need

 

[Amygdarya]

Elewynne, I sympathize with your situation. All I can advise is for you to contact financial aid offices at the schools you consider attending and explain them the situation. Some schools even have forms to fill out for special circumstances.

Not to hijack the thread or anything, just wanted to vent my frustration: at least FAFSA allows you to submit your application if you don't provide info for one or both of your parents. The schools I would die to attend (how would I attend if I died, huh? 😀) require NeedAccess on top of FAFSA. The problem is, NeedAccess won't allow you to submit your application unless you fill out all the forms within its system, which include a student form, a parent form *and* a non-custodial parent form. Now, my mother is really the only person who has ever contributed to my upbringing; my father has never been around (I've never even met him and my mother hasn't kept in touch with him), and my mother has never married/had a long term relationship etc. So I have never had a parental figure other than my mother. As for my biological father, I don't have any information about him except his name, not even his date of birth, current address, marital status etc. - and all of these things are *required* for the non-custodial parent form. So I simply can't fill out the form, and the stupid system won't let me submit my application without filling *all* the forms out!
I've tried calling NeedAccess several times and received automated messages asking me to call back (I was not even directed to voice mail!); I emailed them and am still waiting for a response. Ugh.
Upd: oh, there is a thread about this in pre-allo http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...ion-with-single-parent.1053464/#post-14873859

 

[cabinbuilder]

You should be able to be exempt from the parents info. My parents were deceased/unknown when I went to med school and I didn't have a problem. Talk to the financial aid office, they should be able to help you.

 

[MedPhys2MD]

Wait. So as a 30 something year old adult with my own children I'd still need to submit my parental information?

 

[Amygdarya]

Wait. So as a 30 something year old adult with my own children I'd still need to submit my parental information?

If you want to get some "free money" (need based grants/scholarships), then yes. There are very few schools (Washington University is the only one I know of) that don't require parental info for students over 30 to be considered for those fellowships.

You're allowed not to provide your parents' financial info, but then you're highly unlikely to get need-based aid.

It sucks, but that's the way it is.