Need based aid emergency! Forum

[Fortuitous]

I've been accepted to several schools but need some help with my FAFSFA forms. My parents refuse to disclose any financial information and I didn't pay taxes in 2010 because I earned less than 6K. I've pressed my parents several times on the issue and they are completely unwilling to budge. Please let me know how to best proceed!

[rinkrat19]

Call your schools' financial aid offices and ask for advice.

[t14fanboy]

Call your schools' financial aid offices and ask for advice.

+1.

But what kind of parent does that? I understand it might be a pain but sheesh...

[rinkrat19]

Call your schools' financial aid offices and ask for advice.

+1.

But what kind of parent does that? I understand it might be a pain but sheesh...

This is like the 5th thread I've seen so far this year on the same subject, so it must be more common than you'd think.

[Moriarty]

Are they willing to fill it out on their own? (I know you can do this with Need Access.) Or could you log in, have them fill out the info while you look away or something, and then you sign the form at the end?

I mean, geez. Do they know it's absolutely necessary? (Didn't they fill out the forms for you for undergrad?) I'm sorry that you're having trouble and hope you get this resolved.

ETA: I'm assuming that they refuse to disclose the information to you, not to the schools. If they refuse to disclose to anyone, then I'd definitely call the admissions office.

[Fortuitous]

Call your schools' financial aid offices and ask for advice.

Did that at one school and the person I talked to insisted that forms could not be considered complete without my fam's info. Next school I called seemed to be confused. I know I need to be persistent, but these conversations are sooo embarrassing. "Is your father deceased?" "No, he refuses to disclose any financial information" "Is he unemployed?" "No, he refuses to disclose any financial information." "Well, he has to report his financial information."

LE SIGH.

Uh yes, it sucks. He has a chip on his shoulder because I'm going to law school despite the fact that my entire family has been trying to talk me out of the idea since i was in high school/BEFORE THE RECESSION. eastern european immigrants/strongly opposed to lawyers/the idea of law school/elitism, etc.

[Fortuitous]

Are they willing to fill it out on their own? (I know you can do this with Need Access.) Or could you log in, have them fill out the info while you look away or something, and then you sign the form at the end?

I mean, geez. Do they know it's absolutely necessary? (Didn't they fill out the forms for you for undergrad?) I'm sorry that you're having trouble and hope you get this resolved.

Thanks so much! They do know it's necessary and did not have to fill out forms for undergrad. Unfortunately, it's more a matter of principle for them. By going to law school, I'm rejecting my heritage/family and being "elitist". In case you haven't heard, "there are already too many lawyers!"

Thanks for the support everyone. I avoided posting about this for quite some time because I was just that embarrassed.

[Fortuitous]

Call your schools' financial aid offices and ask for advice.

+1.

But what kind of parent does that? I understand it might be a pain but sheesh...

This is like the 5th thread I've seen so far this year on the same subject, so it must be more common than you'd think.

Haha, really? I need to find these threads!

And yeah, it sucks, but they truly believe it is for my own good. Or at least they tell themselves it is for my own good so they can sleep at night? I was tempted to write a diversity statement on this, but I'm not URM and do not feel generally disadvantaged, so I just journaled instead.

[rinkrat19]

Are they willing to fill it out on their own? (I know you can do this with Need Access.) Or could you log in, have them fill out the info while you look away or something, and then you sign the form at the end?

I mean, geez. Do they know it's absolutely necessary? (Didn't they fill out the forms for you for undergrad?) I'm sorry that you're having trouble and hope you get this resolved.

Thanks so much! They do know it's necessary and did not have to fill out forms for undergrad. Unfortunately, it's more a matter of principle for them. By going to law school, I'm rejecting my heritage/family and being "elitist". In case you haven't heard, "there are already too many lawyers!"

Thanks for the support everyone. I avoided posting about this for quite some time because I was just that embarrassed.

Well, you've got to stand your ground with your parents or the schools, because it's not magically going to fix itself. Either convince your parents to fill the stuff out, or convince the schools that your parents really are an insurmountable obstacle. Don't get "embarrassed" and wimp out at the first automatic 'no'. Calmly, logically and insistently explain about your parents' idiosyncrasies. If calling doesn't work, you might be able to reach someone higher up if you email vs. call: the difference may be the head of the financial aid office vs. the office receptionist.

You are not the first person to whom this has happened.

[The Duck]

Call your schools' financial aid offices and ask for advice.

This, but without your parents info I doubt you get anything. Otherwise everyone would claim this was the case.

[Fortuitous]

Call your schools' financial aid offices and ask for advice.

This, but without your parents info I doubt you get anything. Otherwise everyone would claim this was the case.

I would hope not given the fact that we are applying to law school and character & fitness are not trivial considerations. But I do see your point:/ I actually burst into tears after my last conversation with financial aid because I was so humiliated by the situation and my utter powerlessness to change it. Sign #545 that I should never have kids-can't help but feel responsible for the behavior of people close to me. Anyway, sorry to transform TLS into a self help forum. I'm just at a breaking point on this issue, but hopefully I'll figure something out

[ben4847]

if you are just applying for FAFSA loans, I don't think it will make any difference.
If you are in harvard or yale (any others?) and are eligible for need based aid from the school, you should tell your parents you will never speak to them again unless they give you their tax returns.

[Fortuitous]

if you are just applying for FAFSA loans, I don't think it will make any difference.
If you are in harvard or yale (any others?) and are eligible for need based aid from the school, you should tell your parents you will never speak to them again unless they give you their tax returns.

Still waiting to hear back from Harvard/Yale/Stanford, but feel like I should be eligible for need based aid from Michigan, Berkeley, and possibly Chicago. I received a fair amount of merit based aid from NYU. I would prefer to go to Chicago, but did not receive a scholarship and cannot seem to justify the cost differential.

[Fortuitous]

Thanks to all the supportive and sympathetic voices of the interwebs. Even though I still have no tax returns, I feel a lot better.

[ehall20]

Call your schools' financial aid offices and ask for advice.

+1.

But what kind of parent does that? I understand it might be a pain but sheesh...

Some of us don't have parents that support us in everything we do, welcome to life.

[ben4847]

Call your schools' financial aid offices and ask for advice.

+1.

But what kind of parent does that? I understand it might be a pain but sheesh...

Some of us don't have parents that support us in everything we do, welcome to life.

this isn't about supporting. this is about not sabotaging. OP's parents are real douches. I hope he shows them this thread.

[Fortuitous]

Thanks to everyone that offered suggestions and support. The good news: I was recently accepted to Stanford! The bad news: I fear that I will be out of luck for need-based aid without the requisite parental information. I wonder if explaining my circumstances to finance can possibly help my case?

[Jredelman15]

I am going to be in a similar situation next cycle. My parents make enough money to help out in my undergrad yet they simply did not. It then forced me to work to much and my brother was in a coma for a semester and my first year and a half suffered bc of it. I dont know if I should write an addendum explaining my grades. I dont want to look whiny. My parents will fill out the FAFSA they just wont support me bc struggling builds character in their minds.

[checkster]

Thanks to everyone that offered suggestions and support. The good news: I was recently accepted to Stanford! The bad news: I fear that I will be out of luck for need-based aid without the requisite parental information. I wonder if explaining my circumstances to finance can possibly help my case?

Glad to hear, congratulations. Worst case scenario (meaning having to pay entirely with loans), at least you are going to a school worth the money.

[imjustjoking22]

Thanks to everyone that offered suggestions and support. The good news: I was recently accepted to Stanford! The bad news: I fear that I will be out of luck for need-based aid without the requisite parental information. I wonder if explaining my circumstances to finance can possibly help my case?

Glad to hear, congratulations. Worst case scenario (meaning having to pay entirely with loans), at least you are going to a school worth the money.

This.

[justicefishy]

Thanks to everyone that offered suggestions and support. The good news: I was recently accepted to Stanford! The bad news: I fear that I will be out of luck for need-based aid without the requisite parental information. I wonder if explaining my circumstances to finance can possibly help my case?

Glad to hear, congratulations. Worst case scenario (meaning having to pay entirely with loans), at least you are going to a school worth the money.

This.

+1.

[Fortuitous]

You people are amazing.