Should I change info on my FAFSA? Will it make a difference if my dad didn't finish high school?

Question

I am an independent student, over age 25, applying for financial aid. On the FAFSA, they ask stuff about your parents, and for the questions where they ask about your father, I used my stepdad's info, ie, he is a high school graduate. However, my real father did not graduate from high school. Should I change my FAFSA to my real dad's info? I've heard that you may be elligible for certain grants or scholarships (not necessarily federal ones)if your parents are less educated.

What I mean is...I think that some scholarships/grants that are hooked up through the school go by the info on your FAFSA. So will this change make a difference in this situation?

Answer 1

First of all: no, it won't affect your eligibility for aid if your father did or didn't graduate from high school. They use this information for demographic purposes. I've never encountered any scholarship organization that penalized a student because his/her parents didn't obtain a higher education. In fact, there are some scholarships out there specifically geared towards students who are the first in their family to attend college (for example: http://scholarships.hispanicfund.org/applications/subsectionID.1,pageID.113/default.asp ). Just tell the truth and you'll be fine.

Second, in your case, because you are older than 24, you are considered independent for Federal Student Aid purposes. Your parents' information will not be used in calculating your eligibility for student aid.

However, if you were dependent and you lived with your mother and stepfather, you should report their information and NOT your biological father's information. In these situations, the custodial parent and his/her spouse are the only two people whose income information gets reported.

Answer 2

Because you are over 24, they will be using your financial info and not that of your parents to determine grant and loan eligibility. So it shouldn't make any difference about your dad's education. Even if you did qualify, you could still apply without the FAFSA information. They use the FAFSA to let you know about scholarship eligibility, but you can still apply without it.