Confused about FAFSA parent vs. sibling contribution - who needs an account?

This is a common question! For FAFSA purposes, your brother claiming you on taxes doesn't automatically make him your "contributor" for financial aid. FAFSA specifically wants PARENT information unless you qualify as an independent student. Do any of these apply to you? - You're 24 or older - You're married - You have children you support - You're a veteran - You're an orphan/ward of court/in foster care after age 13 If none apply, you need your biological/adoptive parents' info - even if they don't support you.

omg i had the EXACT same problem!!! fafsa is so dumb sometimes, like they don't understand real life situations. they rejected my app 2x before i figured it out

You need to apply for a Dependency Override. This is specifically for situations where you can't provide parent info due to circumstances outside your control. You'll need to document: 1. Why you can't provide parent information 2. Proof of your living situation with your brother 3. A letter from your brother confirming he supports you 4. Any legal documentation about your situation 5. Possibly a third-party letter (counselor, social worker, etc.) Contact your school's financial aid office immediately - they make the final decision on dependency overrides, not FAFSA itself. Each school handles these differently.

FAFSA MADE ME DO THE SAME THING!!! I got so frustrated I gave up for like 2 weeks. The whole system is designed for "normal" families with 2 parents and it's RIDICULOUS. Some of us have complicated situations! Why should I have to hunt down my dad who hasn't contributed a PENNY to my life just to fill out some stupid form?? The system is broken.

Went thru this last yr. You NEED a dependency override or ur screwed. I tried making up info (BAD IDEA) and ended up delayed 3 months + verification hell. Don't do what I did lol. Just go straight to ur school's fin aid office.

Financial aid counselor here. This is a common scenario that requires specific steps: 1. You CANNOT substitute your brother for a parent on FAFSA, regardless of tax dependency status. The system won't accept it. 2. You need to pursue a dependency override through your school (not directly through FAFSA). Each institution has different documentation requirements, but typically you'll need: - Personal statement explaining your situation - Letter from your brother confirming the situation - Supporting documentation (court records, etc. if applicable) - Third-party documentation (teacher, counselor, social worker) 3. Important: You should still SUBMIT your FAFSA now, even incomplete. You can note that you're unable to provide parent information, then immediately contact your school's financial aid office about the override process. 4. If approved, your school will manually override your dependency status in the system.

To answer your follow-up question - schools vary widely in how they handle dependency overrides. They're generally understanding of legitimate situations, but documentation is key. They need sufficient evidence to justify the override according to federal guidelines. I've seen approvals for situations like yours, but they required solid documentation. Your brother's tax returns showing you as a dependent will help, but aren't sufficient alone. The personal statement explaining the situation with your parents is particularly important.

Ok so my situation was a bit different (grandparents raised me) but I had to do a dependency override too. One thing nobody mentioned yet - CALL YOUR FINANCIAL AID OFFICE FIRST before submitting anything! I submitted my fafsa without parent info and it got stuck in this weird limbo status that took forever to fix. Different schools want you to handle this differently.

When I was trying to reach the FSA helpline about my dependency override last semester, I kept getting disconnected after waiting 2+ hours. Super frustrating. I finally used Claimyr.com to get through to an agent in about 15 minutes. They have this service where they wait on hold for you and call when an agent is available. Saved me so much time and stress! They have a video demo of how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

side note but why is fafsa soooo outdated?? like they make everything 10x harder than it needs to be. my friend in canada said their system is way easier and doesn't make u jump thru all these hoops

One last piece of advice: document EVERYTHING. Save copies of all communication with your financial aid office, FSA, and anyone else involved. Take notes during phone calls with names and dates. If you need to appeal later (which happens frequently with dependency overrides), having this documentation will be crucial. Also, be prepared that you might need to repeat this process annually. Sometimes dependency overrides need to be renewed each aid year, depending on your school's policies.

I just wanted to add that if you're having trouble getting all the documentation together for your dependency override, don't panic! I was in a similar situation where I couldn't contact one of my parents, and my financial aid office was actually really helpful in suggesting alternative forms of documentation. They accepted a letter from my high school counselor who knew my situation, plus some old court documents I thought were irrelevant. The key is being completely honest about your circumstances - they've seen it all before and want to help you get the aid you need. Also, start this process ASAP because it can take 4-6 weeks to review, but don't let that discourage you from applying!

Just want to echo what everyone else is saying about the dependency override - it's definitely the right path for your situation! I went through this exact process two years ago when I was living with my aunt instead of my parents. The documentation seems overwhelming at first, but it's totally doable. One thing that really helped me was calling my financial aid office and asking them to email me their specific checklist for dependency overrides. Every school has slightly different requirements, and having that official list made sure I didn't miss anything important. Also, if you have any old documentation from when you first moved in with your brother (like school enrollment changes, insurance changes, anything showing the change in your living situation), keep those handy - they can be really helpful supporting evidence. Don't get discouraged by the process! It might take a few weeks, but schools deal with these situations more often than you'd think. You're not alone in having a non-traditional family situation.

Hey! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now and this thread has been SO helpful. I'm 20 and have been living with my older sister for the past two years after my parents basically disappeared from my life. The FAFSA system is so confusing when your actual family situation doesn't match their cookie-cutter assumptions! I wanted to add one thing that might help - when I was gathering documentation for my dependency override, my school's financial aid counselor told me that utility bills or lease agreements showing your brother's address as your permanent residence can be really strong supporting evidence. Also, if you've changed your address with any government agencies (like for voting registration or driver's license), those records can help establish the timeline of when you started living with your brother. The whole process is definitely intimidating, but reading everyone's experiences here makes me feel like there's actually hope for people in our situation. Thanks for starting this conversation - I'm bookmarking this thread for reference!