Can my 18-year-old skip parent information on FAFSA? Didn't qualify for aid last time

Unfortunately the FAFSA system is designed to make parents contribute to their kids' education regardless of how 'adult' they are legally. My son tried to file as independent but got rejected. The rules are super strict - your daughter would need to be 24+ years old, married, have dependents of her own, be a veteran, or have documented evidence of being homeless or at risk. Just moving out or parents refusing to pay doesn't count.

the whole systems rigged. we make 91k and my kid got nothing. total waste of time. they just wanna know how much money u have so they can squeeze more out of u

The dependency override exists but is EXTREMELY rare. As a financial aid administrator for 15+ years, I can tell you these are only granted in cases of documented abuse, abandonment, or incarceration of parents. Normal family disagreements about paying for college don't qualify. Even if parents refuse to provide information or pay anything, the student is still considered dependent by federal guidelines. The assumption is that families have primary responsibility for education costs regardless of willingness to pay. Having a $115,000 household income puts you above the cutoff for most need-based aid, but your daughter should still complete the FAFSA because: 1. She'll still qualify for unsubsidized Direct loans ($5,500 freshman year) 2. Some schools have higher income thresholds for institutional aid 3. Some merit scholarships require FAFSA completion 4. Family financial situations can change (job loss, medical expenses) and having FAFSA on file makes adjustments easier

Have u tried having her emancipated? My cousin did that and filed without parent info. Worth looking into maybe??

I spent HOURS trying to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid last year with this exact question. Kept getting disconnected or waiting forever. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through - they got me connected to an actual FSA agent in about 15 minutes. The agent confirmed what others are saying here - dependency overrides are super rare, but they did tell me about Professional Judgment reviews that financial aid offices can do for special circumstances. You can see how their service works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

Just wanted to say our family went through exactly this. Make too much for aid, but not enough to actually pay $30k+ per year without going into debt. The whole system is messed up! We ended up focusing on schools with good merit scholarships instead since those aren't based on FAFSA. My daughter got $15k/year merit money at her second-choice school which made it way more affordable than her first choice that only offered $5k.

Financial aid counselor here. While the parent information requirement is frustrating for many families, it's based on the federal government's assumption that families have primary responsibility for funding education. However, don't give up completely - here are some routes to explore: 1. Special Circumstances: If you have unusual financial expenses not reflected on taxes (medical bills, caring for elderly parents, multiple children in college), request a Professional Judgment review at your specific college's financial aid office. 2. CSS Profile schools: Some private colleges that require the CSS Profile (different from FAFSA) have more flexible formulas and institutional aid even for higher-income families. 3. Merit aid strategies: Many colleges offer substantial merit scholarships based on GPA/test scores regardless of financial need. Some schools automatically consider applicants, while others require separate scholarship applications. 4. Student loans: Direct Unsubsidized loans ($5,500 for freshmen) are available to all students regardless of need and are in the student's name only. I recommend scheduling appointments with financial aid offices at each specific school your daughter is considering. Aid packages can vary dramatically between institutions even with identical FAFSA information.

After helping both my kids through this process, I learned that the parent information requirement on FAFSA is actually *meant* to distribute limited federal aid resources to students with greatest need. At $115k, your family income is in the top 20% nationally, which is why you're unlikely to qualify for need-based aid. When you file the FAFSA, they calculate your SAI (Student Aid Index, previously called EFC) which is what they estimate your family can contribute. You can still qualify for non-need-based federal loans, which have better terms than private loans.

Thanks everyone for the insights. Still annoyed at the system but at least I understand it better now. We'll look into merit scholarships and those unsubsidized loans. And I'll definitely have her complete the FAFSA anyway just to keep options open. I appreciate all the help!

As someone who just went through this process with my own daughter, I completely understand your frustration! The parent information requirement feels unfair, especially when you're legally adults at 18 but still treated as dependents for financial aid. One thing that helped us was casting a wider net with college applications. We focused heavily on schools where my daughter's stats put her in their top 25% of applicants - these schools were much more generous with merit aid to attract students who would boost their academic profile. Also, don't overlook your state schools - many have excellent honors programs with additional scholarship opportunities. The FAFSA is definitely worth completing even if you don't expect need-based aid. Those federal student loans have much better terms than private loans, and some schools require FAFSA completion even for merit scholarships. It's frustrating that the system doesn't account for regional cost of living differences, but unfortunately that's just how it works right now.

I'm new to this whole financial aid process and feeling pretty overwhelmed! My family is in a similar income bracket and I'm starting to realize we probably won't qualify for much need-based aid either. Can someone explain what the difference is between subsidized and unsubsidized loans? I keep seeing these terms mentioned but I'm not sure which ones we'd actually be eligible for. Also, when people mention "merit scholarships," are these something you apply for separately from regular college applications, or do most schools automatically consider you? Thanks for any guidance - this community has already been so helpful in understanding how all this works!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! My family makes around $120k and we're just starting to navigate the FAFSA process for our oldest. It's so frustrating to feel stuck in that middle ground where you make "too much" for aid but not nearly enough to comfortably pay $30k+ per year out of pocket. Reading through all these responses has been really eye-opening though. I had no idea that completing the FAFSA was still worthwhile even without qualifying for need-based aid - the unsubsidized loan option and merit scholarship requirements make it worth doing. I'm also definitely going to look into that strategy of applying to schools where our daughter would be in the top 25% of applicants for better merit aid chances. One question for the financial aid professionals here - is there a good resource or website where we can research and compare merit scholarship offerings across different schools? It sounds like this varies so much from institution to institution that it would be helpful to have some way to research this systematically rather than checking each school's website individually.

I'm dealing with this exact same frustration! My family's income is similar to yours and I've been dreading the FAFSA process because I know we won't qualify for much. But after reading through all these responses, I'm realizing there are still good reasons to complete it - especially for those unsubsidized federal loans and potential merit scholarship requirements. What really stood out to me was the advice about targeting schools where your daughter would be in the top 25% of applicants for better merit aid opportunities. That's such a smart strategy that I hadn't considered before. It sounds like the key is doing your homework on each school's merit scholarship programs and deadlines, since they vary so much. The whole system definitely feels unfair for middle-income families who are stuck in that gap between qualifying for aid and being able to easily afford college costs. But at least now I have a better understanding of how to work within the system rather than just being frustrated by it. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise!

I'm in almost the exact same boat as you with a similar household income and an 18-year-old starting college next year! The whole system really does feel rigged against middle-class families - we make too much for aid but not enough to easily afford $30k+ per year without taking on debt ourselves. After reading through everyone's responses here, I'm realizing we need to shift our strategy completely. Instead of focusing on trying to get around the parent information requirement (which sounds nearly impossible), we should be looking at schools where our daughter's stats would put her in their top tier for merit scholarships. I had no idea that some schools automatically consider all applicants for merit aid based on GPA and test scores. The advice about still completing the FAFSA for those unsubsidized federal loans is really valuable too - I was ready to skip it entirely thinking it was pointless, but those loan terms are apparently much better than private options. Sometimes you just need to hear from people who've been through the process to understand what's actually worth pursuing versus what's just wishful thinking!

I'm just starting to research this whole process for my daughter who's a junior in high school, and honestly this thread has been more helpful than anything I've found online so far! It's reassuring to know that other families are dealing with the same frustrations about being in that middle-income bracket. The strategy about targeting schools where your child would be in the top 25% of applicants for better merit aid really makes sense. I'm wondering though - how do you actually find out what those statistics are for different schools? Do most colleges publish their average GPA and test score ranges for admitted students, or is this information you have to dig for? Also, I keep seeing references to the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. Should families in our income range be looking at schools that use CSS Profile, or does that just add another layer of complexity without much benefit? Thanks for sharing all your experiences - it's helping me feel less overwhelmed about starting this process!