A friends parents refuse to pay for college and also refuse to release any information that a community college requires to provide finicial aid, what can she do?
2006-10-30 05:10:43 · 7 answers · asked by Tyson 3 in Education & Reference ➔ Financial Aid
I'm assuming that your friend is a dependent (she is supported by one or more parents). Therefore, she'd need their information in order to file for FAFSA.
If she were self-supporting and filed taxes, she wouldn't need their information.
She'll need to do a great deal of personal fundraising. Check out all potential scholarships and their requirements. The good thing about this is -- she now has a story. Colleges LOVE hard-knock stories. Even better if she was a former gang member, drug addict, and cancer survivor.
When writing her personal statement/cover letter/scholarship entry information (depending on what's asked for) -- this makes for a good survival story. Colleges can claim they're helping poor and doing good. They get more grant money. They look better. Plus, it makes her distinct. Sure, ANYONE can get into college with a GPA of 4.0. But that's pretty boring.
If you're a 3.1 student who was homeless the entire high school period . . . you've got a story. A story that one day . . . you will probably become infamously rich and tell in your published journals. A story that mentions how one single college changed your life.
Schools -- like any career -- want to know how YOU'LL improve them. Frankly, they don't care how much they'll improve you. You want them to know you're not like any other student. You're different and those differences make you a survivalist. You're determined. You're hard-working. You'll be a feather in their cap.
Now she has her very own story: being alienated from her family, financially and emotionally . . . but determined to make something of herself. Don't you feel warm and fuzzy, already?
You can't sidestep FAFSA. You CAN write to FAFSA and say, "I don't know how to further fill this out since I'm no longer speaking to my family." But they're not going to help you out much.
They know that most family fights don't last forever and sooner or later, mommy and daddy will be there letting her have credit cards and a checkbook and here FAFSA is . . . finding a way to finance her education as well . . . which theoretically takes away from a more needy student.
She'll either have to work a year, living on her own, and then claim THAT . . . and then apply next year for FAFSA and school. . . OR she'll just have to do without FAFSA her first year.
Fortunately, there are many other ways to shake money out of the government. Tell her to start looking up grants. Grants through her potential colleges, grants from the community (churches, especially your own, LOVE to send their kids to Godly scolleges). Ask financially stable businesses to contribute. I'll sign a 4 year contract, working for YOU, if you pay x amount of money toward my college career.
Businesses, especially law firms, love doing that. They get a paralegal . . . who they can train . . . and will probably went up working for them as a lawyer upon retirement.
Hope this helps.
2006-10-30 05:30:30 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You don't need parental information if you are an independent student. You can join the Navy at age 18 and get money for college when you are through.
2016-05-22 11:49:35 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go straight to the community college she chooses then, inquire directly from that school, it the school counselor finds out that she is qualified for a financial aid then they would grant her the aid. Also, ask a friend or a guardian ( a close relative) whom she trust and tell the counselor to send all mails to that friend/ or guardian. I finished my college and post grad studies on my own with out parents knowing it. It can work for you too:)
2006-10-30 05:25:54 · answer #3 · answered by Rochelle5969 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I paid for my college without any help from my parents. Now this was years ago. Maybe some stuff has changed but even without the parents information we were still able to file for both grants and college loans. Maybe this is an option for your friend.
Good luck!
2006-10-30 05:19:10 · answer #4 · answered by Girl named Sue 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
She needs to go to a financial aid counselor. They should file her FAFSA as dependent without the parents taxes
2006-10-30 07:43:59 · answer #5 · answered by sunshine23511 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Why would your "friends" parents refuse anything to their child? What has "she/he" done? responsible students would have earned their respect/trust, and said parents would gladly support them until they are on their feet and contributing to the well being of our USA. Financial aid is totally available, but it takes quite a while to look for it and receive it....It does work though. Good luck to your friend.
2006-10-30 05:34:54 · answer #6 · answered by lin 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
wait till she's 18, live on her own (or share housing with a friend) , work (have a job), and attend school one course at a time and pay off each course before she starts the next one.
2006-10-30 09:30:12 · answer #7 · answered by sophieb 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋