en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/797863 Comments by Evan Jacobs http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment102831439 You would need to appear before a court judge (a local courthouse would work) and explain that you have been living on your own for 2+ years with no support from family. They should grant you a legal family emancipation so you can file independently. Thu, 7 Oct 2010 14:31:15 +0000 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment102831439 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment102831151 I recommend staying as professional as possible and including things such as a copy of your pay stubs will likely help out a lot. Just explain that you go out of the way to care for your son and that you request that you be given the maximum amount of financial aid to ensure that you can continue to focus your financial energy on him and be able to study and get good grades with less stress. Thu, 7 Oct 2010 14:29:10 +0000 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment102831151 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment102830702 Well, he's an ***hole isn't he? In order to maximize how much aid she can receive, I recommend having her look into getting a legal family emancipation. It basically just declares her legally independent so she can file as such on her taxes and on the FAFSA. Thu, 7 Oct 2010 14:25:43 +0000 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment102830702 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment102830524 Yes Thu, 7 Oct 2010 14:23:59 +0000 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment102830524 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment102830381 You still are required to list their information until you are 24 or meet one of the above criteria. Thu, 7 Oct 2010 14:22:37 +0000 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment102830381 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment102827549 Yes, this should be OK. Thu, 7 Oct 2010 13:57:05 +0000 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment102827549 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment102827417 If your father makes too much money and will not help you with school costs, then yes, I recommend looking into the emancipation process. Thu, 7 Oct 2010 13:55:53 +0000 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment102827417 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/student-loans/college-student-loan-options/#IDComment102512827 What do you think of this post guys? Tue, 5 Oct 2010 18:30:48 +0000 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/student-loans/college-student-loan-options/#IDComment102512827 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment102480341 Can you file just with your mother's information? It sounds like she files as Single anyway, so you shouldn't have an issue if you only list her information and pretend your Dad doesn't exist as far as taxes go. Tue, 5 Oct 2010 14:36:20 +0000 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment102480341 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment102480097 If your parents are resident aliens or citizens as well, then you still are considered dependent until you are 24. If they are not, you can file safely as independent. Tue, 5 Oct 2010 14:34:30 +0000 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment102480097 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment102261394 You would need to appear before a court and ask to be "legally emancipated" and become independent before you are 24. Mon, 4 Oct 2010 13:06:29 +0000 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment102261394 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/financial-aid/federal-parent-plus-loans-in-plain-english/#IDComment101797709 Taking what away? Fri, 1 Oct 2010 15:23:24 +0000 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/financial-aid/federal-parent-plus-loans-in-plain-english/#IDComment101797709 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment101797630 Yes. Fri, 1 Oct 2010 15:22:36 +0000 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment101797630 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/financial-aid/dependent-or-independent/#IDComment101696554 You would need to appear before a court judge and ask to be 'legally emancipated' to be able to declare as independent before you are 24 years old or meet one of the other requirements. Thu, 30 Sep 2010 20:30:10 +0000 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/financial-aid/dependent-or-independent/#IDComment101696554 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/student-loan-links/federal-student-loan-interest-capitalization/#IDComment101540511 Correct. Wed, 29 Sep 2010 19:40:13 +0000 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/student-loan-links/federal-student-loan-interest-capitalization/#IDComment101540511 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/student-loan-links/federal-student-loan-interest-capitalization/#IDComment101540468 That would be an error if you already paid them. Wed, 29 Sep 2010 19:39:52 +0000 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/student-loan-links/federal-student-loan-interest-capitalization/#IDComment101540468 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/private-student-loans/reluctant-cosigner/#IDComment101540274 I believe the co-signer release program is per loan, not as a general policy for the borrower. So your daughter would make the first 12 payments after graduation on time and have you released from the debt, but that wouldn't necessarily mean any new future loans wouldn't need a co-signer. Wed, 29 Sep 2010 19:38:03 +0000 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/private-student-loans/reluctant-cosigner/#IDComment101540274 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/loan-consolidation/confused-about-consolidation/#IDComment101340566 It can, depending on how much your monthly payments amount to and your monthly income. If you have several of each type of loan and your monthly payment is over 20% of your income, I definitely would recommend considering consolidation. You can't consolidate private and federal loans together, but you can at least reduce yourself to 2 payments each month and potentially cut your monthly payment too, at the cost of more interest. There are definitely pros and cons, but if you are struggling to make ends meet, consolidation can help out massively on the monthly payments. Tue, 28 Sep 2010 14:10:57 +0000 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/loan-consolidation/confused-about-consolidation/#IDComment101340566 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment101182185 Hello Lorena, If you and your boyfriend were married, he would be able to file as an "independent" student and not have to list his father's tax information. However, I believe it works on a next-year basis - meaning if you were married this year, it wouldn't take effect on your financial aid until you file in February for the 2011-2012 academic year. Mon, 27 Sep 2010 13:42:41 +0000 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/fafsa/eligibility-for-independent-student-status/#IDComment101182185 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/private-student-loans/reluctant-cosigner/#IDComment101181777 One thing to keep in mind is there are PLENTY of colleges that weigh in under the $10,000 mark per academic year. Many state schools are notably cheap and starting your education at a community college can save thousands of dollars by the end of your degree. Private schools are indeed expensive, but there are much cheaper alternatives for a comparable education. Mon, 27 Sep 2010 13:40:02 +0000 http://blog.studentloannetwork.com/private-student-loans/reluctant-cosigner/#IDComment101181777