FAFSA confusion as legal guardian - Will my grandson qualify as independent with my disability income?

Unfortunately, legal guardianship doesn't automatically make your grandson independent for FAFSA purposes. However, there's good news - under the new FAFSA guidelines for 2025-2026, students who have legal guardians (not parents) DO qualify as independent students! This means your income won't be counted in his FAFSA calculation. He'll need to provide court documentation proving your legal guardianship. Make sure he checks the box for legal guardianship on the FAFSA and be prepared to submit the documentation during verification. Also, Arizona State has good support programs for independent students - he should contact their financial aid office directly.

My niece just went thru this last yr. Legal guardian means he's INDEPENDENT on FAFSA!! Your income won't count AT ALL. But he needs proof so find those papers!!!! Also tell him to apply for the Pell Grant asap its free $$$

I feel your pain! The FAFSA process is so overwhelming and nobody explains it well. Have you called the Federal Student Aid hotline? I tried for 3 days and kept getting disconnected after waiting for hours. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Saved me so much stress and the agent answered all my guardianship questions in like 10 minutes!

Financial aid professional here. A few important points for your situation: 1. For 2025-2026 FAFSA, legal guardianship DOES qualify for independent student status, but documentation is crucial 2. Your grandson should qualify for a full Pell Grant as an independent student with low/no income 3. He should also apply for Arizona's state grants - the deadline is typically April 15 4. ASU has specific scholarships for independent students with guardian situations 5. Make sure he completes the new FAFSA which becomes available October 1, 2024 Additional tip: Have him request a fee waiver for his college applications if money is tight right now.

i went thru somthing similar with my cousin who i have guardianship for... the FASFA people kept saying he was dependent even tho I had papers!! took like 5 callss to fix it and they still messed up his SAI score. he got like way less aid than he shouldve. the whole system is broken imo

As someone who works with non-traditional families, here's what I recommend: 1. Start gathering ALL documentation of your guardianship relationship (court papers, school enrollment forms showing you as guardian, medical forms) 2. Have your grandson create his FSA ID now (even before October) at studentaid.gov 3. Apply for independent status verification through your grandson's intended colleges BEFORE submitting FAFSA 4. Contact Arizona State's financial aid office to alert them to your situation 5. Look into the Education and Training Voucher Program if your grandson was ever in foster care Just be prepared that despite the clear rules, you may need to advocate strongly through the verification process.

Also don't forget scholarships!!!! My nephew got like $10,000 in local scholarships and he wasn't even that good of a student lol. Check with your grandson's high school counselor and also the Chandler community foundation. Lots of scholarships for kids with hardships!!

Another important point - when your grandson completes his FAFSA as an independent student, he'll need to report HIS income only (not yours). If he has a part-time job, he'll need his W-2 form. If he doesn't work, he'll report zero income. He'll still need to answer all the asset questions too - if he has any savings accounts or investments (unlikely, but just in case). Independent students qualify for higher Direct Unsubsidized Loan amounts ($9,500 for freshmen vs $5,500 for dependent students), which might help with covering costs.

To address your follow-up questions: 1. Arizona state grants are found at: https://azgrants.az.gov/ (application opens in January) 2. ASU does NOT require CSS Profile for most aid (only for certain private scholarships) 3. Regarding your grandson's $5,000 income - this will NOT hurt his grant eligibility significantly. As an independent student with income under $12,000, he'll likely qualify for the maximum Pell Grant amount (approximately $7,400 for 2025-2026) 4. About loans - they should be a last resort, but federal direct loans have safeguards like income-driven repayment. The key is avoiding private loans which lack these protections. Your grandson should also complete the FAFSA as early as possible after October 1, as some aid is first-come, first-served.