No Family... Can I get financial Aid?

Question

I was reviewing the paperwork for financial aid and it says that guardians are not eligible to be used on a financial aid or FAFSA application and that only legally adopted parents can be used.

I was given away at birth via a court grant and my parents were only gifted guardianship until I was 18 and I'm now 20 I still live with my mom (guardian) and I have no contact or information about my real family. So how does this situation work?

Answer 1

My wife's parents passed away and she was considered an orphan even though she was over 18 and got a ton of financial aid because of it, even though she had a bunch of money from the life insurance. I would follow that path too.

Answer 2

I think you can file as an independent student. To be sure, you may need to contact the FAFSA people. I know a few people who live with other relatives and are in your same position.

Answer 3

You should go to http://fafsa.ed.gov to read the instructions as to how to proceed, given your circumstances.  

The above website is a wealth of information, and if you cannot find the information you need, you should call them at 1-800-4-FED-AID to inquire.  

Also, may I suggest filing your FAFSA online at the above site, versus filling out a plethora of paperwork / waiting for your financial aid office to enter it appropriately from your forms, at their leisure :-(.