Parents information for financial aid Forum

[slotwide]

My question regards the FAFSA and university financial aid forms. My parents have refused to give any of their financial information for these forms and I am wondering what to do. They do not plan to help finance my education at all, so they do not wish to disclose ANY of this information. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[sidhesadie]

If they really won't give it to you, I guess I'd put "unable to obtain". If they refuse, they refuse, you can't make them give it to you.

I have no idea how that's going to affect your eligibility, but this is what people do who have no contact with, say, a noncustodial parent.

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bump

[HowdyYall]

im pretty sure you dont even have to declare any of your parents info on FAFSA. i didnt have to

[DeeCee]

This depends on your age, not your parents' discretion, unfortunately. If you want need based aid at most schools, you have to include this.

However, I do not wish to include my parents info, either. I will probably call schools to find out about what I must do for need based aid. I have seen many threads on this in the past few weeks, if I were you I would use the search feature to look into this.

[dodgerboy86]

Parents info is such a rip off! My parents make a sizable income (upper middle class echelon), but it won't do me any good because they have sworn not to assist me with the cost of law school in any way. I got accepted to UCLA via early decision, and with my cruddy LSAT I probably won't get merit aid, so I'm in serious need of need base $. The fact that law schools consider one's parents financial figures is complete and utter rubbish! Broke students are punished for their parents successes; sorry, but I have to say something I haven't said since high school ... THAT'S JUST MESSED UP MAN!

[DeeCee]

Parents info is such a rip off! My parents make a sizable income (upper middle class echelon), but it won't do me any good because they have sworn not to assist me with the cost of law school in any way. I got accepted to UCLA via early decision, and with my cruddy LSAT I probably won't get merit aid, so I'm in serious need of need base $. The fact that law schools consider one's parents financial figures is complete and utter rubbish! Broke students are punished for their parents successes; sorry, but I have to say something I haven't said since high school ... THAT'S JUST MESSED UP MAN!

Better yet one of my parents had their job downsized right after x-mas (a few days before the New Year). So all that income will count for my FAFSA, yet my parents went from being successful to barely paying the bills now, and to top it off they haven't supported me in several years.

FML. Yes, I want to be a special snowflake for just a little bit.

[bistduverrueckt]

Unless a school specifically states you NEED your parents' info on the FAFSA, for law school it's not necessary to include it. This is true even if your parents can still claim you as a dependent on their taxes. For the purposes of FAFSA, you are an independent.

I called several schools' financial aid offices today to verify that the above is true.

Need Access is another story. Parental info is required, sometimes always, sometimes if you are under 30, even if your parents won't contribute a cent to you for law school. And be prepared for Need Access to be arduous to fill out.

[arism87]

Parents info is such a rip off! My parents make a sizable income (upper middle class echelon), but it won't do me any good because they have sworn not to assist me with the cost of law school in any way. I got accepted to UCLA via early decision, and with my cruddy LSAT I probably won't get merit aid, so I'm in serious need of need base $. The fact that law schools consider one's parents financial figures is complete and utter rubbish! Broke students are punished for their parents successes; sorry, but I have to say something I haven't said since high school ... THAT'S JUST MESSED UP MAN!

Better yet one of my parents had their job downsized right after x-mas (a few days before the New Year). So all that income will count for my FAFSA, yet my parents went from being successful to barely paying the bills now, and to top it off they haven't supported me in several years.

FML. Yes, I want to be a special snowflake for just a little bit.

Same kind of shit here! My dad lost his job and for a while was earning two incomes- now hes's only making the smaller one. Also, the forms ask for "household income" which I suppose means I should include my stepmother.... who is MY AGE. Imma start hitting her up for money and see what she says...

[sarahh]

I don't know if it would make a difference to them, but I would let them know that you need their info to qualify for need-based aid and providing it does not obligate them to give you anything.