As a newly divorced parent just joining this community, I can't thank everyone enough for sharing such detailed and practical advice! I'm in the exact same boat - recently divorced, custodial parent providing majority support, and trying to navigate Excelsior for my son who'll be starting college next year. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly reassuring. I was really worried that my ex's income might count and push us over the threshold, but it sounds like as long as I follow the same parent rules as FAFSA and have all my documentation organized, we should be okay. I'm definitely taking everyone's advice about getting all the paperwork ready now - divorce decree, custody agreements, tax returns, expense tracking, and that brilliant one-page summary sheet idea. It's so helpful to know what to expect with the verification process and timeline. This community is amazing for providing real-world guidance that you just can't find on the official websites!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to express my gratitude for this incredibly informative thread! I'm also a recently divorced parent facing the same situation with Excelsior for my daughter's upcoming college enrollment. Reading through everyone's real experiences has been so much more helpful than the confusing official resources. It's reassuring to see multiple confirmations that Excelsior follows FAFSA's same-parent rules for divorced families. I'm definitely going to implement all the organizational strategies mentioned here - creating that documentation folder, expense tracking, and the one-page summary sheet that several people recommended. The timeline expectations and verification process insights are invaluable for planning ahead. Thank you all for creating such a supportive environment where parents can share practical advice about navigating these complex financial aid programs!

I'm a current college student who went through this exact same situation last year! My parents took out a Parent PLUS loan for $10,000 that went directly to my university, and I was completely stumped by these TAP questions too. After reading through all these responses, I'm so glad to see everyone confirming what I learned the hard way - you should definitely answer YES to both questions! The key thing that helped me understand it was realizing that TAP cares about WHO is providing financial support for your education, not HOW the money gets from point A to point B. Your dad is legally obligated to repay that $14,500 loan specifically because he wanted to help cover your education costs. That makes it financial assistance from your parent, period. The fact that the money went straight to your school's bursar office doesn't change the fundamental relationship - your parent took on debt to support your education. I answered YES to both questions on my TAP application and everything went smoothly. Trust me, it's so much better to be honest and accurate upfront than to risk getting caught up in appeals and verification processes later. You're making the smart choice by asking for advice before submitting!

I'm a new community member dealing with this exact same Parent PLUS loan confusion on my TAP application! My mom took out a $9,500 Parent PLUS loan that went directly to my school last semester, and I've been stressing about these questions for weeks. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been incredibly eye-opening - it's clear that I should answer YES to both questions. What really helped me understand it was the way several people explained focusing on "who is legally responsible for the debt" rather than getting caught up in where the money physically went. My mom is the one who will be making loan payments for years to come specifically because she wanted to help cover my education costs, which definitely counts as financial assistance regardless of payment logistics. I'm so grateful for this community! As someone completely new to TAP applications, I was feeling really overwhelmed and worried about answering wrong. But seeing how many students have successfully navigated this same situation by answering YES honestly has given me the confidence to move forward. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - especially the financial aid professionals who provided such clear explanations. I'm submitting my application today with YES marked for both questions!

Hi everyone! I'm brand new to this community and this thread has been absolutely incredible to read through - thank you all for sharing such detailed and helpful experiences! I'm currently exploring a paralegal certificate program at my local community college (16 months, 45 credit hours, around $9,600 total cost). As someone looking to transition from administrative work into the legal field, understanding FAFSA eligibility has been crucial for my planning. Reading through all the advice here has given me such a clear action plan: - Contact the paralegal program department directly for specific eligibility details - Ask for the federal school code and verify PPA status - Check both Pell Grant and loan eligibility separately - Look into state workforce development grants - Use the College Scorecard tool to research employment outcomes I'm particularly encouraged by the systematic approach everyone has developed and the tip about appealing decisions if initially denied. The fact that so many of you have successfully navigated this process for various certificate programs gives me real confidence. One question for the group - has anyone had experience with legal studies or paralegal certificate programs specifically? I'm wondering if there are any unique funding opportunities or considerations for legal education programs that I should be aware of. This community is absolutely amazing - the level of practical, real-world guidance here has been more helpful than hours of searching official websites. Thank you for creating such a supportive space for people working to improve their career prospects through education! ⚖️📚

Hi everyone! I'm completely new to this community and this thread has been such an amazing resource - thank you all for sharing such detailed experiences and practical advice! I'm currently researching a nursing assistant (CNA) certificate program at my local community college (10 months, 24 credit hours, about $5,500 total cost). Coming from a retail background, I'm really hoping to transition into healthcare and need financial aid to make this possible. Based on all the incredible advice shared here, I now have a clear plan: - Contact the nursing program department directly for specific eligibility information - Ask for the federal school code and verify the program is on their PPA - Check both Pell Grant and loan eligibility separately - Research state workforce development grants for healthcare programs - Look into any local hospital partnerships for tuition assistance I'm particularly encouraged by the mentions that healthcare programs are often prioritized for funding due to workforce shortages. The CNA field seems to have really strong demand in my area, especially after recent events highlighted the need for healthcare workers. One thing I'm curious about - for those who completed healthcare certificate programs, were there any surprise costs beyond tuition that I should budget for? I want to make sure I'm prepared for things like uniforms, background checks, or certification exam fees. This community has been so much more helpful than any official website I've found. The real-world experiences and step-by-step guidance here are exactly what someone like me needs to navigate this process confidently. Thank you for creating such a supportive environment! 🩺💙

I'm so sorry to hear about your lymphoma diagnosis - what an incredibly difficult situation to face while trying to help your daughter with college planning. You've received outstanding advice here, and I want to add one more resource that might help streamline this process for you. Many hospitals and cancer treatment centers have patient financial counselors or social workers who are specifically trained to help families navigate these kinds of financial aid situations. They often have template letters and know exactly what documentation schools typically require for medical hardship cases. If your treatment center has these services, they might be able to help you prepare a comprehensive packet that meets most schools' requirements. Also, as you're contacting schools, consider asking if they have any staff members who specialize in supporting students whose families are dealing with serious illness. Some larger universities have specific counselors who understand both the financial and emotional aspects of these situations and can provide more personalized guidance. One practical tip: when you start making calls to financial aid offices, try to do it during less busy times (mid-morning on Tuesdays-Thursdays tends to work well) when staff have more time to really listen and provide detailed guidance rather than rushed responses. You're doing everything right by getting ahead of this process. Focus on your treatment and recovery - your daughter is lucky to have such a thoughtful advocate, and the financial aid system has these provisions specifically for families like yours. Sending you strength and positive thoughts for both your health journey and your daughter's college future!

I'm so sorry to hear about your diagnosis - my heart goes out to you and your family during this incredibly challenging time. As someone who recently helped a family member navigate a similar situation, I want to offer some encouragement and a practical tip that really made a difference for us. Everyone here has given you excellent advice about the Professional Judgment process, and I completely agree with all of it. One thing that really helped us was creating a simple timeline document that showed our family's financial situation "before" and "after" the medical emergency. We included specific dates, income changes, and medical expenses in an easy-to-read format. Financial aid officers seemed to appreciate having the information presented so clearly. Also, don't underestimate the power of a brief but heartfelt cover letter explaining your situation. We kept it to one page, focused on facts rather than emotions, but made sure to convey how committed we were to our daughter's education despite the circumstances. Several financial aid officers mentioned that they appreciated our proactive approach. You're already doing everything right by researching this early and being so thoughtful about the process. Your daughter is fortunate to have such a dedicated parent advocating for her during your treatment. The financial aid system really can work for families in genuine hardship - stay hopeful and persistent. Wishing you strength in your treatment and success with the financial aid process!

As someone completely new to this community and the FAFSA process, I can't express how grateful I am to have found this thread! My daughter is applying for financial aid for the first time, and we were in the exact same situation - she worked part-time at a local clothing store and made about $7,200 last year, but we never filed taxes since she was clearly under the threshold. I was honestly feeling so anxious about the whole process, especially when the FAFSA started asking about tax information that we didn't have. I kept worrying that we had missed some crucial step or deadline. But reading through all these real experiences from other families has been incredibly reassuring! It's amazing to see how common this scenario actually is - it seems like so many students with part-time jobs find themselves in this exact situation. The "Will not file" option makes perfect sense now that everyone has explained it, and knowing that the system is specifically designed to handle students like ours who are under the filing threshold is such a relief. The practical tips shared here about having W-2s ready and using Box 1 for wage information are exactly what we needed. Thank you to this wonderful community for making what seemed like an overwhelming process feel so much more manageable for newcomers like me!

As a newcomer to both this community and the FAFSA world, I wanted to jump in and say thank you for this incredibly informative thread! My son is also going through his first college application process, and we were in the exact same boat - he worked part-time at a local pharmacy last year and earned about $8,400, but we never filed a tax return since he was well under that $12,950 threshold. I was honestly panicking when the FAFSA started asking about his tax information, thinking we had somehow messed up by not filing. But reading through everyone's experiences here has been such a relief! It's amazing to see how the "Will not file" option is actually the correct and normal choice for students in situations like ours. The practical advice about having W-2s ready and using Box 1 for wage information is exactly what we needed to know. It's so much more helpful to hear from real families who've successfully navigated this than trying to figure it out from the official FAFSA guidance alone. This community is such a valuable resource for first-time parents like me - thank you all for sharing your experiences and making this process feel much less intimidating!