Grandson's FAFSA dependency status after mother's death - no father in picture

I'm very sorry about your family's loss. For FAFSA dependency purposes, your grandson would likely qualify as an independent student if he has no living parents. Legal guardians are not considered parents for FAFSA purposes. On the application, he should answer 'No' to the question about having living parents, and he will need documentation of his mother's passing. For the father, if he was never legally established as the father (birth certificate, court documents, etc.), then your grandson would be considered independent.

my sister went thru this with her niece. if both parents r gone, kid is automatic independent. guardian doesnt count as parent for fafsa. makes the SAI way better!!

When I worked in financial aid, we had similar cases. Your grandson qualifies as independent because he's an orphan (mother deceased, father never legally established). BUT he'll need documentation for verification - death certificate for mom, and possibly a signed statement explaining the father's absence. The financial aid office might require additional proof like court guardianship papers or letters from social workers confirming his family situation. COLLECT ALL THIS NOW before applying - verification will almost certainly happen with unusual cases like this.

my cousins kid is in a similar boat and it took FOREVER to get through verification!! they kept asking for more and more documents it was insane. make sure u keep COPIES of EVERYTHING u send them!!!!

I went through this exact situation. FAFSA defines an "orphan" as someone whose parents are both deceased, and it sounds like your grandson qualifies. Since his mother passed away and his father was never legally established (not on birth certificate), he should qualify as independent. This will generally result in a much lower SAI (Student Aid Index), which means more aid eligibility. However, I struggled for WEEKS trying to reach anyone at Federal Student Aid to verify this before submitting. Kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get connected to an actual FSA agent who confirmed everything for me. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. Saved me so much stress knowing we were doing it right.

Isn't there also some special consideration for students in legal guardianship? I thought I read somewhere that students in court-appointed legal guardianships can also be considered independent even if their parents are still alive?

When my nephew filed as independent due to similar circumstances, the college financial aid office was INCREDIBLY difficult about it!! They kept asking for more and more proof of his situation and took FOREVER to process his aid. Start the process EARLY and be prepared for bureaucratic nonsense. The FAFSA system seems designed to be as frustrating as possible for anyone with a non-traditional family situation!

Thank you all for the helpful advice. We're going to gather all the documentation (death certificate, guardianship papers, statement about absent father) and have it ready for verification. We'll also consider using that Claimyr service to speak directly with FSA before submitting. It's a relief to know he should qualify as independent - that will really help with his college options. We appreciate everyone sharing their experiences and knowledge!

I'm a financial aid counselor and want to emphasize something important that hasn't been mentioned yet - when your grandson files as independent, he'll need to report HIS income and assets on the FAFSA, not yours as guardians. This is often overlooked but crucial. If he has savings accounts, investment accounts, or significant income from work, these will still impact his aid eligibility. However, since he's likely a typical high school student with minimal assets, his Expected Family Contribution should still be very low. Also, make sure he understands that independent status means HE is responsible for the FAFSA renewal each year - not you as guardians. Many families don't realize this transition of responsibility.