FAFSA dependency override when mother refuses to provide info and no contact with father

She absolutely has options! The financial aid office is being lazy and uninformed. She needs to pursue a dependency override immediately. Here's what she should do:\n\n1. Document EVERYTHING about her situation with her mother - text messages showing she's blocked, any evidence of the mother refusing to provide info, documentation of the alcoholism if possible (police reports, rehab records, etc.)\n\n2. Get a letter from a qualified third party who can verify her situation - this could be a counselor, therapist, pastor, or even a high school guidance counselor who was aware of her family situation.\n\n3. Write a detailed personal statement explaining why she has no contact with either parent.\n\n4. Request a meeting with the financial aid DIRECTOR (not just any advisor) and bring all this documentation.\n\nI've been through this exact process with my niece. The key is persistence and proper documentation. Dependency overrides exist precisely for situations like this. Don't let them tell her otherwise.

Thank you so much for this advice! I've sent it to her and she's already starting to gather documentation. She said the financial aid advisor she spoke with seemed really dismissive and kept saying \

they told her to find her dad?? thats insane! i had a similar situation but with my mom gone (passed away) and dad in prison. financial aid office said i needed his tax info which was IMPOSSIBLE. took me 3 tries at the fin aid office before someone finally told me about the dependency override!! first 2 people just said \

That's exactly what happened to her! The first person just flat-out said there was nothing they could do. Did you have to provide specific evidence about your dad being in prison? She's worried because she doesn't have any recent documentation about her father since he's been out of the picture for so long.

Unfortunatly the financial aid people are right in a way. Dependency overrides are EXTREAMLY hard to get. Being blocked by mom and not knowing dad probably wont qualify her by itself. The federal govermnet has super strict rules. Basically you need to prove abuse or abandonment when you were a minor, not just that they wont help with college. \n\nTell her to try anyway but dont get her hopes up to much.

This is misleading information. The Department of Education specifically lists these as potential reasons for a dependency override:\n\n- Abandonment by parents\n- An abusive family environment (including alcoholism)\n- Inability to locate parents\n\nHer situation checks multiple boxes here. While it's true overrides aren't automatic, this case has multiple qualifying factors. The key is proper documentation and persistence.

Ok but theyll say she wasnt abandoned as a minor since mom was on previus FAFSA applications. Its all about timing. Just trying to be realistic not crush hopes.

I work in a financial aid office (not at your friend's school), and I can tell you this ABSOLUTELY qualifies for a dependency override consideration. The key word is \

This is incredibly helpful! She's actually drafting her formal request letter right now. Question - does she need to submit the dependency override request to her school's financial aid office or directly to Federal Student Aid? And how long do these reviews typically take? She's worried about missing deadlines for next year's aid.

THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST STUDENTS LIKE YOUR FRIEND! I went through this EXACT situation with my son two years ago. His mother (my ex) refused to provide info and told him

While I understand your frustration, I want to clarify that financial aid offices don't create these rules - they're federal requirements. Schools have some discretion in professional judgment cases, but they're audited regularly and can face severe penalties for improper overrides.\n\nThat said, your persistence paid off, which is what matters. The system does need improvement, especially for students with complex family situations.

They hide behind

I've been helping students with FAFSA issues for years, and I'd recommend your friend try using Claimyr to get through to an actual FSA agent to discuss her specific situation. Financial aid offices sometimes don't have the most up-to-date information, but Federal Student Aid agents can provide clear guidance on dependency override criteria directly.\n\nThe phone lines at FSA are notoriously backed up, but Claimyr (claimyr.com) will wait on hold with the FSA and call you back when an agent is ready. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ\n\nYour friend needs specific guidance on what documentation will satisfy FSA requirements for her situation, and getting this information directly from FSA is often more reliable than from individual school financial aid offices who may be overly conservative in their interpretations.

This is super helpful, I didn't even know you could talk directly with FSA agents! She's been trying to call them but said she kept getting disconnected after waiting 40+ minutes. Will definitely check out that service. Do FSA agents have the authority to approve dependency overrides, or do they just provide guidance that she would then take back to her school?

hey also tell ur friend to look into

This is good advice, but there's an important distinction: Professional Judgment can adjust elements of a completed FAFSA, but her friend can't even submit a FAFSA without parent information unless she gets the dependency override first. \n\nHowever, once she gets the override (or if by some chance she gets parent info), then Professional Judgment could further help adjust her SAI based on current circumstances.

ohhh that makes sense! i got confused cuz my cousin had some info from his dad just not everything they wanted. different situation i guess!

UPDATE: You all are amazing!! My friend met with the Assistant Director of Financial Aid this morning (she asked specifically to meet with someone senior after getting nowhere with the first advisor). \n\nShe brought a letter from her therapist documenting her mother's alcoholism, screenshots of being blocked on phone/social media, and a detailed personal statement. The Assistant Director was MUCH more helpful and said her case \

This is EXCELLENT news! I'm so glad she was persistent and asked to speak with someone more senior. That often makes all the difference. The documentation she gathered sounds perfect - especially the therapist letter. Looking forward to hearing the final outcome!

Thank you! She said she felt so much more confident going in with all the specific advice from this thread. The Assistant Director even commented that she was impressed with how prepared she was with her documentation. Fingers crossed!!