BT, That's very hard if you are under 25. There's a certain age threshold where they will look at the parent's finances, and it does not even matter if those parents have cut the student off from any and all support. I knew someone who went through a similar situation.That seems intensely stupid to me.
It's also not quite true. There is a formal procedure involving the court system that the parents can use to disavow financial responsibiliy for their children, and the children themselves can sue to establish themselves as independent on the same basis. But it's very unusual and it involves a lot of procedural hoops. It's not nearly as simple as saying "we aren't giving you money.
So if you're estranged from your parents you can't apply for financial aid until you're 25?!I can't say I'm surprised though.
If you're truly "estranged" you can apply to the courts.
The reason this is the case is because the parents have the primary responsibility to pay for the education, and their refusal to pay is not considered justification for aid, as if it were justification everybody would refuse to pay.
Weird. I never took a penny from my folks for my school or my support from 18 on, but I guess things are different now. My folks paid for my sister's BA so it would make sense in her case, but not mine.
It seems kind of unfair to people who don't have any contact with their parents or know their whereabouts.
EDIT: Oh. Barring an involved court process.
Granted, this doesn't apply to me, because I'm not estranged from my parents, and therefore cannot initiate such a court process.
Granted, this doesn't apply to me, because I'm not estranged from my parents, and therefore cannot initiate such a court process.
Of course.
Does this mean you can't go to college until you're 25?
Not quite. I can go next year, when the financial information needed is for 2013 and not 2012.
I already live apart from my parents, and they haven't supported me since last March. Next year it'll have been long enough since the settlement for it not to be asked about at all. I just have to wait a year and restart the process .
I do have some remedials I need to take (I didn't pay enough attention in high school), and I reckon that, with a full time job, I can afford a couple classes on the side to cover those remedials, starting with the winter quarter.
The Midwest is a nice, cheap place to live. Jobs are an issue over here, but that depends on your skill set (you don't want to be IT trained around here for example). Schools are nice and on the cheap side, the lowest I know of is less then $100 per credit which might have changed since I left college.
As for the LGBT... avoid the boonies and small population areas. Otherwise, most people just won't care or will vaguely curious so long as you don't shove anything in their faces. But that's my personal experience so don't take my word on it.
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[STEELY GLARE AT IMPOSTER]
Well, my sister and I went and talked to the guys at the school today, and it turns out this whole thing was hilariously overblown. The school made it look like they were freaking out about the confidential financial data and wanted it disclosed, but that wasn't it. Their issue was when my mother said my stepdad had workman's comp. I listed my parents as divorced and provided Mom's information, and never mentioned my stepdad. Didn't know I had to. So, the college didn't know there was a stepdad. So, when she used the words "my husband" on the income certification, they couldn't figure out who she was talking about. Now that it's cleared up, there hopefully won't be any more issues.
[/STEELY GLARE AT IMPOSTER]
Okay. All of this that people is telling you is good and all. But take it from somebody who is on the lower end of the economic spectrum and was struggling to just get a job. You need to go to the place with the best prospects of getting gainful employment that you can stand. The job market is far, far harsher than many people realize. I was in the position of applying for the same job as a 100+ other people at the very least multiple times.
Economic insecurity is rising hugely across all demographics. It'd be nice to live next to the coast, or in an open minded community but if you want a job that will pay a decent wage that is probably not going to happen. Those jobs are for baby boomers with degrees. Our jobs are two part timers on opposite sides of a city with no insurance.
If you don't think that will work for you, the next best option is to get a single part time job that pays nothing to at least build up some work experience and then use financial aid and straight up loans to attempt to patchwork a solution to go to college and hopefully maybe, possibly not have a crushing debt burden on the other side.
Also be willing to live with roomates to cut down on costs. I live with two ladies, and me as the only guy in a house. It's wonderful and without it I would not be able to even afford an apartment on my current salary. Even with financial aid you are going to have a massive shortfall that working can only do so much for, unless you are planning to graduate from a community college and then maybe it can work.
I know this sounds like a bummer. But this is the new reality out here. Just trying to tell the truth, rather than all the starry eyed 17 year olds at my job that I see who want a liberal arts degree.
Okay. All of this that people is telling you is good and all. But take it from somebody who is on the lower end of the economic spectrum and was struggling to just get a job. You need to go to the place with the best prospects of getting gainful employment that you can stand. The job market is far, far harsher than many people realize. I was in the position of applying for the same job as a 100+ other people at the very least multiple times.
Economic insecurity is rising hugely across all demographics. It'd be nice to live next to the coast, or in an open minded community but if you want a job that will pay a decent wage that is probably not going to happen. Those jobs are for baby boomers with degrees. Our jobs are two part timers on opposite sides of a city with no insurance.
If you don't think that will work for you, the next best option is to get a single part time job that pays nothing to at least build up some work experience and then use financial aid and straight up loans to attempt to patchwork a solution to go to college and hopefully maybe, possibly not have a crushing debt burden on the other side.
Also be willing to live with roomates to cut down on costs. I live with two ladies, and me as the only guy in a house. It's wonderful and without it I would not be able to even afford an apartment on my current salary. Even with financial aid you are going to have a massive shortfall that working can only do so much for, unless you are planning to graduate from a community college and then maybe it can work.
I know this sounds like a bummer. But this is the new reality out here. Just trying to tell the truth, rather than all the starry eyed 17 year olds at my job that I see who want a liberal arts degree.
What I've got right now is a good outlook for a full ride at the local community college. I want to transfer to a university in a couple years. There will be debt from university if I don't get a Calgrant, but it probably won't be too bad. I am a liberal arts major, but that's because my community college uses the liberal arts major as a "We can't offer you a degree in this, but we can get you transferred to a univeristy after a couple years" program. I'm studying to be a scientist or engineer (I'll pick which in the spring quarter).
[STEELY GLARE AT IMPOSTER]
Well, my sister and I went and talked to the guys at the school today, and it turns out this whole thing was hilariously overblown. The school made it look like they were freaking out about the confidential financial data and wanted it disclosed, but that wasn't it. Their issue was when my mother said my stepdad had workman's comp. I listed my parents as divorced and provided Mom's information, and never mentioned my stepdad. Didn't know I had to. So, the college didn't know there was a stepdad. So, when she used the words "my husband" on the income certification, they couldn't figure out who she was talking about. Now that it's cleared up, there hopefully won't be any more issues.
[/STEELY GLARE AT IMPOSTER]
Good luck!