FAFSA dependency status for student raised by grandparent without legal adoption - no bio parent contact

Your niece will need to pursue a dependency override with each college she applied to. While living with a grandparent doesn't automatically make her independent for FAFSA purposes, her situation (no contact with biological parents) is exactly what dependency overrides are designed for. Here's what she'll need to do: 1. Complete the FAFSA as best she can without parental information 2. Contact each college's financial aid office directly to request their dependency override process 3. Gather documentation proving her situation (letters from school counselors, social workers, or other professionals who know her circumstances) 4. Submit a detailed personal statement explaining the situation Each school handles these differently, but most will have a specific form. This is one situation where it's absolutely worth calling the financial aid offices directly to explain her situation.

my cousin did this last yr!!! they made him write a letter explaining why he dont talk to his parents and get letters from 3 ppl who knew his situation. took forever but it worked out & he got a good aid package. tell her to start working on it NOW tho cuz it takes time

I process financial aid at a community college, and I can confirm that your niece's situation sounds like a textbook case for a dependency override. However, I need to clarify a few important points: - She should complete the FAFSA and submit it, even without parental information - On the FAFSA itself, she should select the option that indicates she has special circumstances and cannot provide parental information - After submission, her SAI (Student Aid Index) will be calculated without aid eligibility until the override is approved - Each school must evaluate and approve dependency overrides independently For documentation, she'll typically need: 1. Letters from professionals (teachers, counselors, clergy, social workers) who know her situation 2. Any court documents if they exist 3. A detailed personal statement 4. Sometimes proof of her living arrangements Timing matters - many schools have limited funds for students with dependency overrides, so applying early is crucial.

Just FYI - if they deny the dependency override (some schools are SUPER strict) she might have to take a gap year so she can qualify as independent at 24. My brother went through hell with this exact situation and ended up just working until he was old enough to not need parent info. It's messed up but happens.

when i filled out my fafsa they wanted my parents info but my dad passed away and my mom is in jail so i didn't put anything and got rejected. had to do the whole override thing and it was SO frustrating!!!!! i legit gave up for a while cause the financial aid office kept asking for more and more documents

I've been trying to reach FSA for weeks about a similar dependency situation but can't get through - just endless hold times then disconnected! Super frustrating!!! Does anyone know a better way to get actual answers from a human at Federal Student Aid about dependency overrides? The website is so confusing and the phone system is basically useless.

One more important thing I forgot to mention: If your niece has any of these situations, she would automatically qualify as independent without needing an override: - Currently in legal guardianship determined by a court (not just living with grandma) - Was in foster care at any point after age 13 - Is currently homeless or self-supporting and at risk of homelessness - Is married - Has her own dependent children Based on what you've described, the dependency override is still her best option, but I wanted to share the automatic qualifiers just in case.

My twins had a similar situation last year. Their grandmother raised them, but there was never a formal adoption. We followed this process that worked at all three schools they applied to: 1. Submitted FAFSA selecting "special circumstances" for parent info 2. Immediately contacted each school's financial aid office by phone 3. Each school sent us their specific dependency override form 4. We got letters from: high school counselor, family doctor who knew the situation, grandmother's pastor 5. We also included grandmother's tax returns showing them as dependents 6. The twins each wrote detailed personal statements explaining no contact with parents Two schools approved it within 2 weeks, the third took almost 6 weeks and multiple follow-ups. But all three eventually approved it and they got decent financial aid packages. Be prepared to be persistent!

I went through this exact situation 3 years ago! I was raised by my aunt from age 5 with no bio parent contact. The dependency override process was definitely stressful but totally doable. Here's what worked for me: - Got letters from my high school counselor, family doctor, and my aunt's lawyer (who knew our family situation) - Wrote a really detailed personal statement explaining the whole history - Included my aunt's tax returns showing she claimed me as dependent - Applied to 5 schools and got approved at 4 of them (one school was just super strict) The key is being thorough with documentation and following up regularly. Don't let them sit on the application! I called every 2 weeks to check status. Also, start this process ASAP because it can take 4-8 weeks depending on the school. Your niece's situation sounds very similar to mine and she should definitely qualify. The financial aid officers I worked with were actually really understanding once they saw all the documentation. Good luck!

I'm a financial aid counselor and want to add one crucial point that hasn't been mentioned yet - make sure your niece applies for a dependency override at ALL the schools she's considering, not just her top choice. Each school evaluates these independently and some are much more lenient than others. Also, if any of the schools deny her override initially, she can appeal that decision! I've seen students get approved on appeal after providing additional documentation or a more detailed explanation. Don't give up after the first "no" - persistence really pays off in these situations. One last tip: when she writes her personal statement, encourage her to focus on the facts of her situation rather than getting too emotional. Schools want to understand the circumstances clearly, and a straightforward, chronological explanation tends to work better than a heavily emotional narrative.