Mom returning to school - Student or Parent form for FAFSA?
My mom (48) decided she wants to finish her bachelor's degree this fall after working for the last 20 years. She's been helping me with my FAFSA all through college, but now she's confused about her own application. Does she fill out the FAFSA as a student only, or does she need to fill out parent information too? She's technically supporting herself but I still live at home when I'm not at college. Not sure if this matters but she's divorced from my dad for 8+ years. Any help would be appreciated!
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FireflyDreams
Your mom will fill out the FAFSA as an independent student. Since she's over 24, she doesn't need to provide any parental information - she'll only include her own financial data. The parent section is completely skipped for independent students. Also, her marital status (divorced) is relevant but only HER financial information matters, not your dad's.
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Oliver Weber
•That's great news! So she doesn't have to worry about getting my dad's tax info or anything? And it doesn't matter that I'm her dependent on taxes?
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Natasha Kuznetsova
Your mom will apply as an independent student. Since she's over 24, she'll automatically qualify as independent regardless of whether you're her tax dependent. The application will actually skip all the parent sections completely. She'll only need to report her own income and assets. This is one of the few straightforward parts of the FAFSA process!
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Oliver Weber
•Thanks so much! That makes things way clearer. So even though I still live with her part-time, that doesn't affect her application at all?
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Javier Morales
my mom went back 2 school last yr and ya she just did the regular student one. they dont care about parent stuff when ur over 24. she got pretty good financial aid 2
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Emma Anderson
Hey there! Just to add to what others have said, your mom will fill out the FAFSA as an independent student (no parent info needed). BUT, here's the important part many people miss - she WILL need to include YOU as part of her household size if she provides more than 50% of your support, even if you're away at college. This could actually HELP her get more aid by showing she has dependents. Make sure she lists the correct household size!
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Oliver Weber
•Oh wow, I didn't even think about that! So she should count me in her household size even though I'm at college most of the year? That's super helpful, thank you!
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Malik Thompson
Okay I'm going to disagree with some people here. Yes your mom will file as an independent student BUT if she's claiming you as a dependent on her taxes, she DOES need to include you in her household size AND as a college student in her household. This affects her Expected Family Contribution (now called SAI) calculation and could get her MORE aid because the formula accounts for having a dependent also in college. So don't skip that part!!!
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FireflyDreams
•You're not actually disagreeing with anyone. I said she doesn't need PARENT information, not that she shouldn't include dependents in her household. Those are different sections of the FAFSA. The household size and number in college questions are separate from the parent/independent determination.
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Isabella Ferreira
When I tried helping my aunt with this last year, we were on hold with FSA for FOREVER trying to figure out the dependency questions!!! It was an absolute nightmare and we kept getting disconnected after waiting for like 2 hours each time. Finally someone told me about Claimyr.com which got us through to an agent in like 10 minutes. They have this service that holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is ready. Saved us so much frustration! There's a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ
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CosmicVoyager
•does that actually work? i've been trying to get through to fafsa for days about my verification issue
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Isabella Ferreira
•Yes! Totally worked for us. My aunt got all her questions answered about her independent status in one call instead of being on hold forever.
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Javier Morales
btw tell ur mom to apply for grants too cuz older students sometimes get special ones that younger ppl dont qualify for
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Oliver Weber
Update: Thanks everyone for the great advice! Mom filled out the FAFSA last night as an independent student, and it was actually way easier than she expected. The application automatically skipped all the parent sections after she entered her age and that she's not married. She made sure to include me in her household size since she claims me as a dependent. Now fingers crossed for a good aid package!
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Emma Anderson
•That's great! Just make sure she also indicated you're in college in the "number in college" question. That will significantly reduce her SAI calculation!
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Oliver Weber
•Yes, she did! The financial aid advisor at her school also suggested she look into the Lifetime Learning Credit on her taxes next year too.
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Kiara Fisherman
Congratulations to your mom on going back to school! That's really exciting. Just wanted to add one more tip - since she's returning after 20 years in the workforce, she should also check if her school has any special programs or scholarships specifically for adult learners or non-traditional students. Many colleges have these programs with additional financial support that goes beyond federal aid. Also, some states have grants specifically for adults returning to complete their degrees. It's worth asking the financial aid office about these opportunities!
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