FAFSA dependent status after both adoptive grandparents died - staying with aunt
I work with high school seniors and have a unique situation I've never encountered before. One of my students was legally adopted by her grandparents when she was 3. Tragically, both grandparents passed away within the last year (grandmother in May, grandfather in November). The student is now 17 and living with her aunt, but the aunt hasn't formally adopted her or established legal guardianship. She's trying to complete her FAFSA for 2025-2026, but we're completely stuck on the parent information section. Since her adoptive parents (grandparents) are deceased, and her aunt isn't her legal guardian, how should she complete this section? Would she be considered independent due to being orphaned? Or does the aunt need to provide information even without legal guardianship? Any insights would be incredibly helpful as her college application deadlines are approaching.
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Miguel Silva
In this situation, your student would likely qualify for independent student status. According to FAFSA guidelines, if both parents are deceased (even if they were adoptive parents), the student can file as independent. There should be a question specifically asking if both parents are deceased on the FAFSA. Make sure she answers 'yes' to this question. She'll need to have death certificates available as the school's financial aid office may request documentation to verify her independent status. No parental information will be required on her FAFSA application, which means the aunt's financial information won't be needed.
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StarSailor}
•Thank you! That's exactly what I was hoping for but wasn't sure. I'll have her bring copies of both death certificates to our next meeting so we can scan them and have them ready if the college requests verification. Is there anything else she should prepare for the independent status verification?
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Zainab Ismail
my nephew was in a similar situation except it was his mom who died and dad wasnt in the picture. the fafsa people kep asking for parents tax info even tho we explained multiple times his mom died. sooo frustrating! make sure ur student documents EVERYTHING and keeps copies of the death certifcates
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Connor O'Neill
•This is an important point. The student should absolutely submit documentation during the FAFSA process rather than waiting to be asked. There's a section for special circumstances where she can explain the situation and indicate that both parents are deceased. Including the dates of death is helpful. The school's financial aid office should be notified separately as well.
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Yara Nassar
When were the grandparents legally considered her parents? The FAFSA has gotten really confusing with the rollout of the new SAI formula. Could she get some confirmation from FSA directly? I've been trying to get through to them for my son's weird situation (parents divorced in different countries) and can't ever reach anyone!!
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Keisha Robinson
•Have you tried using Claimyr? It saved me HOURS of wait time when I was dealing with my daughter's verification issues. You just go to claimyr.com and they basically hold your place in line and call you when an agent is available. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. It's the only way I finally got through to resolve our issues with the new FAFSA.
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GalaxyGuardian
She DEFINITELY qualifies as an independent student!!! My son went through this exact thing when my sister & brother-in-law passed. The financial aid office will want the death certificates though and probably a brief statement explaining the situation. But once that's done she'll qualify for way more aid - my son got almost full funding for school because he was considered independent.
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StarSailor}
•That's really helpful to know about the potential for increased aid. Do you remember if your son had to go through any additional verification steps beyond providing the death certificates? I want to prepare my student for everything she might encounter.
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GalaxyGuardian
•Yes! He had to fill out a special circumstances form that the financial aid office provided. And honestly each school handled it differently. One school just accepted the death certificates, another wanted a letter from his high school counselor confirming the situation. It's worth contacting each school's financial aid office directly once the FAFSA is submitted.
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Connor O'Neill
To add some technical clarity here: 1. Your student will select "Yes" to the question "At any time since you turned 13, were both your parents deceased..." on the FAFSA. 2. Since her adoptive grandparents were legally her parents, their death makes her an independent student under federal guidelines. 3. Her aunt's information is NOT required on the FAFSA regardless of who she's living with, as long as the aunt hasn't legally adopted her. 4. As an independent student, her SAI (Student Aid Index) will be calculated based on only her income/assets, not any parent figures. 5. She should prepare a special circumstances letter explaining the situation, along with copies of the death certificates and adoption papers showing the grandparents were legally her parents. 6. Each college's financial aid office will have a process for handling her case, so she should contact them directly after submitting the FAFSA.
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Paolo Ricci
•Wait, does she still need the adoption papers even though the grandparents have passed away? What if those are hard to find after all these years? Could other documentation work if the original adoption papers aren't available?
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Connor O'Neill
•That's a good question. While the death certificates are absolutely necessary, the adoption documentation may not be required by every school. However, it's good to have if available because it establishes that the grandparents were legally her parents. If the adoption papers are unavailable, alternative documentation could include: - The student's birth certificate (if it lists the grandparents as parents) - School records listing the grandparents as legal parents/guardians - Previous tax returns showing the grandparents claimed her as a dependent - Court documents related to the adoption The key is establishing that the deceased individuals were legally considered her parents.
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Yara Nassar
so sorry about ur student losing both grandparents! thats so sad :( does she have any contact with her biological parents? because if they're still in the picture at all the FAFSA might get complicated
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StarSailor}
•No, her biological parents are not in the picture at all. The adoption was full and legal when she was very young. I don't think she's had any contact with her biological parents since then, so thankfully that aspect shouldn't complicate things.
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Miguel Silva
One other important tip: make sure your student completes the FAFSA as soon as possible! Since her situation requires special handling and potentially manual review, it's better to get it submitted early. This gives financial aid offices more time to process her independent status before making aid decisions. Also, she should definitely complete the CSS Profile if applying to private colleges, as they'll want additional documentation about her situation. The CSS Profile has specific sections for unusual circumstances like this.
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Amina Toure
•The CSS Profile is SUCH a headache compared to FAFSA - they ask for so much more info!!! My daughter had to fill it out last year and it took foreverrrr
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Miguel Silva
•True, the CSS Profile is more detailed, but it actually works in favor of students with special circumstances like this one. It gives them more opportunities to explain their unique situation and can result in better institutional aid packages from private colleges. For an independent student who has experienced the loss of both parents, the additional context could help secure more generous financial support.
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StarSailor}
Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I'm meeting with my student tomorrow and now feel much better prepared. To summarize what I'm hearing: 1. She qualifies as an independent student since both her adoptive parents (grandparents) are deceased 2. She'll need death certificates and potentially adoption documentation 3. She should write a special circumstances letter explaining her situation 4. We should contact each college's financial aid office directly after FAFSA submission 5. She should complete both FAFSA and CSS Profile (for private schools) ASAP I'll also make sure she's prepared for the possibility of different verification requirements at different schools. Really appreciate all your expertise!
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Connor O'Neill
•That's a perfect summary! One final suggestion - have your student keep a detailed record of all communications with financial aid offices (dates, names, what was discussed). This can be invaluable if there are any issues or discrepancies later in the process. Good luck to your student!
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