My parents dont help me with school yet I get no financial aid because of how much money they make?

Question

I was told by FAFSA that I do not get any aid because my parents make too much money. The only problem is my parents don't help me pay for school. I went to the university I attend and asked about becoming an independent but I am not eligible because I'm on my parents health insurance.

I'm about to finish my second year of college with a 4.0. I've already taken out quite a bit in loans. I really don't want to take out any more loans because I have med school to pay for yet.

I'm not eligible for any of the grants/aid on the FAFSA or from my school because of my parents income.

What can I do??

Answer 1

May I please ask which school that you attend?

Answer 2

Same thing happened with me.  I graduated from college and spent 10+ years paying back the student loans.  Now I am in graduate school and will spend the next 10 years paying the loans for that.  I had a 4.0 in college and a have a 4.0 in grad school.  

It may sound harsh, but that's life.  I wasn't on my parents insurance, was independent and I still didn't qualify for assistance.  I worked full time to eat, pay for a car, buy clothes, rent, etc. and went to school full-time....still had to pay 100%.  It's scary to start your adult life with such debt, but it's life.

Answer 3

You are in the same boat as millions of college students.  You are considered a dependent of your parents whether or not they are paying your college tuition, IF you receive other support from them in any form (room, board, insurance, etc.)

and/or if they are still claiming you as a dependent on their taxes.  

It's a catch 22 because if they took you off, they would probably also want to quit paying whatever amounts they are paying for your support.

I recently went through the same thing with my son, now 21.  We just took him off our income taxes this year, but since he is still on our health insurance, it still didn't matter.

Answer 4

I completely understand your pain. In order to file as an independent student, your parents MUST take you off of their health insurance and stop claiming you on their taxes (if they are). Your school may offer health insurance, which can be helpful if your parents remove you from theirs.

Go to your financial aid office and offer to collect letters from people you know verifying what you may have already told them (your parents don't help financially with school). Emphasize your good grades and that you desire to complete undergrad and go on to medical school. Enlist the help of your professors and/or your major's department (i.e. biology, chemistry, etc.).

If you are bold enough, I would request a meeting with the president of the school or the school's provost in the least. The secretary to that office would want to know your reasons for requesting a meeting. I would not say necessarily that you want to meet regarding your need for financial aid. Try saying that you want to interview him for a class project or something clever. You want to get your foot in the door to explain your situation. Just think of how great it would look to the financial aid officers that you have the school's president backing you up!

Don't give up hope. Remain positive and profess what you want to happen. There is a way through this. Best wishes!

Answer 5

I really doesn't matter if your parents claim you on taxes or insurances or what. They key is your age and your marital status according to the Department of Education. You can read about it here http://www.finaid.org/educators/pj/highe...