Filed fafsa as indpendent this year and efc says i dont qualify for pell grant?

Question

this is my third year in school.. for the past 3 years i have filed as a dependent and gotten the full benefit of pell grant. This year i filed as indpendent and got turned down. It probably had something to do with my parents welfare benefit. My question is, can i correct my fafsa by adding my parents information even though im considered indpendent so i am eligible still for financial aid. im transfering out this year to a state college and it will be more expensive. How do they determine eligibility...because they turned me down and i cant afford tuition at the state college. do i have to work my butt off double shifts? so confusing

Answer 1

You can really only correct something when it's entered wrong in the first place.  If you are considered "independent" on the fafsa, then you cant correct it unless it was a mistake.  Technically you can go in and add their information, but it would still not be considered in determining your Pell eligibility because you are 24 years old, married, have kids, or meet one or more of the other "independent" criteria.