FAFSA nightmare: Custodial grandparent but parent won't complete their section

Your granddaughter might qualify for a dependency override, which would allow her to file as an independent student without parental information. The school's financial aid office has the authority to make this determination on a case-by-case basis. She'll need to document why she can't provide parental information - things like court documents showing your custody, statements about the mother's absence, and documentation of the father's refusal to participate. Have her contact the financial aid office at her college ASAP and ask about their specific process for dependency override requests.

been there done that!! my nephew went thru similar bs. dad would NOT do his part of fafsa. we ended up having to do the special circumstances form. took FOREVER but it worked out eventually. good luck!!

Unfortunately, having a parent who refuses to provide information is not, by itself, grounds for a dependency override according to FSA guidelines. However, there are three potential paths forward: 1. Special Circumstances: Your granddaughter can submit the FAFSA without parent information. She'll get rejected for federal aid initially, but can then work with each college's financial aid office on a professional judgment review. 2. Dependency Override: This is only applicable in extreme cases (abuse, abandonment, incarceration) and requires significant documentation. 3. Unsubsidized Loans Only: In some cases, students with parents who refuse to provide information can still qualify for unsubsidized Direct Loans, though not grants or need-based aid. Start by having your granddaughter contact the financial aid offices at each school explaining her situation. Each school handles these cases differently.

have u tried calling the financial aid ppl?? sometimes they can help on the phone b4 u submit all the paperwork stuff

When I was dealing with a similar FAFSA nightmare trying to reach someone at FSA about my son's dependency situation, I discovered a service called Claimyr that completely saved us. Instead of waiting on hold for hours, they held our place in line and called us back when an agent was ready to talk. Saved hours of frustration! Their site is claimyr.com and they have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Once I actually got to speak with someone at FSA, they walked me through exactly what documentation we needed for our situation. For us, it was worth it just to get clear answers directly from a federal agent rather than guessing or getting different answers from each school.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST NONTRADITIONAL FAMILIES!!! My niece went through this exact nightmare last year. The financial aid office at her first-choice school kept sending us in circles about the "special circumstances" form, then denied her anyway! We appealed THREE TIMES before they finally processed her as independent. They acted like we were trying to cheat the system when we were just trying to get her the education she DESERVED. The FAFSA is designed for the perfect nuclear family that barely exists anymore!!

One critical thing to understand is the difference between a "dependency override" and a "professional judgment" review. Both might help in your situation, but they're handled differently: 1. Dependency Override: Changes a student's status from dependent to independent, removing the need for any parent information. Very difficult to obtain and decided case-by-case by each school. 2. Professional Judgment: The school can adjust the FAFSA information or choose to accept a FAFSA without parental information in special circumstances. For your granddaughter, I'd suggest preparing a packet for each school containing: - Your legal custody documentation - A personal statement from your granddaughter explaining her relationship with both parents - Documentation of any attempts to contact her father for FAFSA purposes - A letter from you explaining the situation - Any additional supporting documentation (counselor letters, etc.) This way, you're prepared when speaking with financial aid administrators.

one thing no one mentioned!! if ur grandaughter is close to 24 she might just wanna wait til shes legally independent by age? my cousin skipped a year and went back when she didnt need her parents for fafsa anymore

As a follow-up to my earlier comment: For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, there are some new provisions that might help your situation. The FAFSA Simplification Act created a new category called "provisional independent students" that includes situations where contact has been lost with parents. For your granddaughter's specific situation, I recommend a two-pronged approach: 1. Submit the FAFSA marking the "Cannot provide parent information" option 2. Immediately contact each school's financial aid office with your documentation 3. Specifically ask about both dependency override AND professional judgment options 4. Request consideration under the new provisional independent status guidelines if applicable Each school will have different forms and processes, so she'll need to work separately with each institution she's applied to.