In the past I have not been able to qualify for financial aid as a dependent student. I probably made a little over the maximum to be considered for aid this year. But I am thinking about going back to school full time ASAP. My mom has not worked in 2 years because she is on disability. If I quit my job to just go to school and fill out the FAFSA what will my chances be? How does it work when you quit your job and have no reported income, but I worked all this year?
Please help... I really need $$ for school.
2006-10-01 18:12:56 · 8 answers · asked by ♥eLizAbEtH♥ 5 in Education & Reference ➔ Financial Aid
Forget it, the amounts count for the whole year.
Why are there so many people who hold their hands up. If 20% of the people who get government aid / disability / welfare really need it I'll be surprised.
2006-10-01 18:18:50 · answer #1 · answered by Vage Centurian 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If you are 18 or older, your Mom probably has nothing to do with it. Does she still claim you as a dependant on her tax return ? If you file a FAFSA now for the 2006-2007 aid, your need for a Pell will be based on your gross income reported for previous year, 2005. When the application for 2007-2008 becomes available, your need will be based on income for 2006. If you make too much for a Pell grant, don't quit your job. You could still get student loans, which are not needs based. It is probably not a good idea to quit working just to get financial aid. There are other kinds of grants and scholaships available. Ask the financial aid dept. at your school; I'm sure they can tell you your best options.
2006-10-02 01:33:46 · answer #2 · answered by Hey Polly 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am going to shoot down most of those answers for you based on personal experience.
According to federal regulations regarding the FAFSA you MUST report all income from the PREVIOUS tax year. It is based on your adjusted gross income from taxes. If you are under the age of 24 (and this makes no sense) you also are obligated to report parental income regardless of how much it was. The only way I know to get out of this is to turn 24 or get married. Here is the IMPORTANT thing to remember. The FAFSA is just a formula. It gives the school an idea of what you qualify for. It is NOT the end of the story. When you get the FAFSA completed and submitted to your school, CALL THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE! They have a lot of freedom and discression as to what they can do with your financial aid. The worst part of your situation is that you are starting in mid-year. Many of the larger universities do not have as much aid available in the spring as they do in the fall.
Quitting your job may actually hurt you in the eyes of the financial aid officers too. Sit down and figure out your actual yearly income. If it is under 25,000 per year, do not QUIT yet. File your forms first! If your parent is unable to work due to illness and is getting SSI, be sure to look for scholarships because they are out there for that situation. In the end, do not be hasty about your decisions. It could come back to haunt you in the end. Go one step at a time starting with filling out the FAFSA. In order to do so you will need your 2005 tax returns and, as stated before, probably your parents 2005 tax returns too.
I know what it is like. I come from a lower-middle class family who could not afford university but was still denied anything other than loans. I paid for my schooling myself using these loans and, although I am not sure how I will pay them back short of winning the lottery or finding a job as a professional athlete, I feel better about it all.
GOOD LUCK, email me if you wish to talk more about it.
2006-10-02 10:45:19 · answer #3 · answered by ThinkingMan2006 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
ur chances r high..so no matter wut just go ahead n fill fafsa out...esp. wit u not workin n u mom on disabilty dat should b major help..but hey even if u get no aid from fafsa thingy..make sure u apply to scholarships or get sum loans cuz it will pay off at the end..dont put ur edu to the side..cuz thre is help..GOOD LUCK!!
2006-10-02 03:38:12 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ur chances have improved greatly..get it done now so you can start in January 07
2006-10-02 01:23:29 · answer #5 · answered by back2skewl 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are turned down, you can file an appeal based on special circumstances.
2006-10-02 02:39:06 · answer #6 · answered by apsuz73 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
fill it out u will get some help
2006-10-02 16:07:03 · answer #7 · answered by Dapper_Don 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ask for a grant to return to school on specal couditions. where you have a mom who is sick . my opion?
2006-10-02 01:23:37 · answer #8 · answered by the_silverfoxx 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋