FAFSA question about orphan/ward status for 18-year-old with deceased mother and absent father

Since your niece is already 18, she wouldn't be considered under legal guardianship even if her grandmother has custody of the younger siblings. For FAFSA purposes, she would qualify as independent due to being an orphan (both parents deceased/absent), but the specific classification depends on when this occurred. To be classified as an orphan, both parents must be deceased, or the student must have been in foster care or a ward of the court at any time since age 13. In your niece's case, with one parent deceased and one parent's whereabouts unknown, she may not technically fit the "orphan" definition for FAFSA. I recommend selecting "None of the above" for that specific question, but make sure to answer "Yes" to the independent student questions that ask about having no living parents or being unable to locate parents. There should be a separate question addressing her specific situation.

Went through this with my cousin last yr. If 1 parent is dead but the other one is just missing (not legally declared dead), she's not technically an 'orphan' by FAFSA rules. She should pick 'none of above' for that question. She'll still get independent status bc of her situation but through a different question on the form.

This is an important distinction for FAFSA purposes. Here's exactly what she should do: 1. Answer "None of the above" for the orphan/ward/legal guardianship question 2. On the separate dependency questions, she should indicate that both parents are unavailable (one deceased, one whereabouts unknown) 3. She may need to get a dependency override from her school's financial aid office to confirm her independent status 4. She should gather documentation - death certificate for her mother and perhaps a letter from a professional (counselor, social worker, etc.) confirming her father's absence The system is designed to catch these situations, but sometimes requires additional documentation. The key is answering accurately - don't try to fit into a category if it doesn't precisely match her situation.

my fafsa got messed up bcuz i checked orphan when i shoulda picked 'none of above.' got flagged for verification and had to go thru a whole process with fin aid office. trust me dont put orphan unless BOTH parents are gone

The FAFSA dependency questions are INCREDIBLY confusing! I spent 3 days trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid to clarify a similar situation for my brother. Constant busy signals and disconnections. I finally tried Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to a live agent in under 10 minutes. They have this cool system that holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration! They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent confirmed that for orphan status, BOTH parents must be deceased. In your case, "None of the above" is correct, but she'll still qualify as independent through other questions.

I work at a college financial aid office, and this is a common situation. Here's what we advise: 1. For the specific orphan/ward/guardianship question: select "None of the above" 2. She will still qualify as independent due to having one deceased parent and one absent parent, but through different questions 3. IMPORTANT: She should prepare for a possible Special Circumstances review. Many schools will request additional documentation for her situation, especially since it's a recent change from her previous FAFSA 4. Her SAI (Student Aid Index, formerly EFC) calculation will be based solely on her income/assets without parental information Financial aid officers have discretion in these cases, so she should contact her college's financial aid office directly once she submits her FAFSA.

dont colleges also look at ur grandparents income if ur living with them? my friend got denied more aid cuz his grandma had too much $$ even tho she wasnt giving him any

Update: We went ahead and selected "None of the above" for the orphan/ward question and made sure to indicate that her mother is deceased and father's whereabouts unknown on the other questions. We also added details in the comments section as suggested. I'm so grateful for everyone's help! This has been an emotional process for her on top of the usual FAFSA stress. She's determined to get through college despite everything that's happened. Thank you all for the guidance - it really means a lot to both of us.

I'm so glad to see this worked out for you and your niece! As someone who's helped several students navigate similar situations, I wanted to add one more tip: keep copies of everything you submit and any correspondence with the financial aid office. Sometimes schools will ask for the same documentation multiple times, and having everything organized will save you both time and stress. Also, remind your niece that she may be eligible for additional state aid programs for students in her situation. Many states have special grants or scholarships for students who have experienced parental loss or are aging out of care systems. It's worth checking with her state's higher education agency. Your niece is lucky to have such a caring advocate helping her through this process. Education can be incredibly healing and empowering after experiencing such losses. Best of luck to both of you!

I'm really glad to see so many people helping with this situation! As someone who went through something similar a few years ago, I wanted to add that it's also worth checking if your niece's college has an emergency aid fund or hardship grants available. Many schools have these funds specifically for students dealing with unexpected family crises like loss of a parent. Also, once she gets her aid package, don't be afraid to appeal if it doesn't seem adequate given her circumstances. Financial aid offices often have more flexibility than people realize, especially for students who have experienced recent traumatic changes in their family situation. The fact that she has you advocating for her makes such a huge difference. Having a supportive adult who understands the system can be the difference between getting the help she needs and falling through the cracks. Keep being her champion!

This thread has been so helpful to follow! I'm a financial aid counselor at a community college, and I see situations like your niece's more often than people might think. One thing I'd add is to make sure she applies for FAFSA renewal each year and keeps her contact information updated with the school - sometimes students in transitional living situations miss important financial aid communications. Also, if she's planning to attend a community college first, many have specific support programs for students who are independent due to family circumstances. These programs often include not just financial assistance, but also academic support, counseling services, and help with basic needs like food and housing. Your niece is incredibly fortunate to have someone like you helping her navigate this. The combination of getting her FAFSA right and connecting with the right support services at her school will set her up for success. Don't hesitate to reach out to the financial aid office early and often - we're here to help students exactly like her.

I'm a college student who went through a similar situation when I was 17 - lost my mom and had an absent father. Just wanted to share that while the FAFSA process can feel really overwhelming (especially during grief), getting it right is so worth it. The independent status opened up way more financial aid for me than I ever expected. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple folder with copies of all my documents - death certificate, any court papers, letters from counselors, etc. I ended up needing these same documents for multiple schools and scholarship applications, not just FAFSA. Also, don't be surprised if different colleges handle her situation slightly differently. Some were more proactive about reaching out to help, while others required me to initiate contact. The key is being persistent and not being afraid to ask questions. Your niece is so lucky to have you helping her through this. Having someone who cares enough to research and ask the right questions makes all the difference. She's going to do great!

I'm new to this community but wanted to chime in as someone who works with students in transitional situations. Your niece's case is actually more common than people realize, and it sounds like you're handling it exactly right by selecting "None of the above" for the orphan/ward question. One additional resource I'd suggest looking into is the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) website - they have great explanations of dependency status rules that can help you understand exactly why certain answers are required. It might give you both more confidence in your FAFSA responses. Also, many states have "former foster youth" or "homeless/unaccompanied youth" liaisons in their education departments who can provide guidance even for students who don't fit those exact categories but are in similar transitional situations. These folks often know about additional funding sources and support programs. You're doing an incredible job advocating for your niece during such a difficult time. The thoroughness you're showing in getting this right will pay off when she starts receiving aid packages.