Can 19-year-old get Pell Grant with non-divorce parents where father refuses FAFSA?

u cant get a pell grant if ur parents make too much $$$. doesnt matter if they refuse to pay. thats the whole system. its ur EFC or whatever its called now that matters. if u want free money youre out of luck

For the 2025-26 FAFSA, you need to report the parent who provided the most financial support in the past 12 months. However, this only applies when parents are legally divorced or separated. Since they're not legally divorced, technically both parents' information is required - it's about their legal status, not their living situation or willingness to pay. For students whose parents refuse to provide information, options are extremely limited. Your brother would only qualify for unsubsidized loans, not Pell Grants. Dependency overrides exist but parental refusal to provide information or pay for college is explicitly NOT grounds for an override according to FSA guidelines.

I was literally in this exact same position!!! The new SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation works just like the old EFC - it's based on your parents' income even if they won't help you. It's completely INSANE but you have a few options: 1. Try for a dependency override - BUT this is nearly IMPOSSIBLE for your situation. Parents refusing financial support isn't enough. You need documented abuse, abandonment, incarceration, etc. 2. Wait until he's 24 to be considered independent (realistically not ideal) 3. Get married (not recommending this but it works) 4. Military service (makes you independent) 5. Have him talk to the financial aid office at his school about professional judgment. Sometimes they can adjust the aid package if there are special circumstances. The system is BROKEN!!!

tried calling federal student aid about a similar issue for my daughter. spent 3 hours on hold and never got through. so frustrating!!!

Unfortunately, FAFSA doesn't care if parents are willing to pay - only their legal status and financial capacity. For 2025-26 FAFSA, here are the facts: 1. For legally married parents (even if informally separated), BOTH parents' information is required. 2. The "most financially responsible parent" rule only applies to legally divorced or legally separated parents. 3. Dependency overrides cannot be granted simply because parents refuse to provide information or pay for college. Your brother has a few options: - Apply for institutional aid directly from colleges (many have separate applications for their own scholarships) - Look into outside private scholarships that don't require FAFSA - Consider starting at community college to reduce costs - Work with the financial aid office for a professional judgment review (though this rarely works for parental refusal cases) - Consider part-time attendance while working It's a frustrating situation, but important to understand the limitations within the current system.

tell him 2 check out trade schools! no debt and good $$$. college is overrated anyway lol

I'm seeing some confusion about the 2025-26 FAFSA rules here that needs clarification: 1. The FAFSA does still require information from both legally married parents, regardless of their living situation. The "most financial support" rule ONLY applies to divorced/legally separated parents. 2. For your brother's situation, there is a process called a "Special Circumstance" where students can submit their FAFSA without parental information if parents refuse to provide it. However, this WILL limit him to only unsubsidized loans - no Pell Grants. 3. A Dependency Override is different and requires documentation of complete abandonment, abuse, or endangerment - parental refusal to pay doesn't qualify. 4. Some schools have institutional funds they can use for students in this situation - it varies by school and is completely at their discretion. I'd recommend your brother reach out to his prospective schools' financial aid offices directly. Each institution has some flexibility with their own funds (though not with federal aid like Pell).

Why doesn't your brother just take a gap year and work full time? Save up some money. Maybe your dad will change his mind by next year. Thats what my son did when I couldn't afford to help him

I'm a financial aid advisor and want to add one more option that hasn't been mentioned yet - your brother should look into becoming a ward of the court or having documented homelessness. I know this sounds extreme, but if your parents are truly refusing all financial support AND he's not living with them consistently, there might be grounds for a dependency override based on "lack of parental support and contact." Also, some states have their own grant programs that have different dependency requirements than federal aid. What state are you in? Programs like Cal Grant in California or TAP in New York sometimes have more flexible rules. Another strategy: if he can establish residency in a state with generous need-based aid and lower dependency requirements, that could help. But this usually requires living there for 1-2 years first. The gap year suggestion from @Jamal Edwards is actually really smart - he could work, save money, AND potentially establish more independence that strengthens his case for aid the following year.