How do I file for financial aid when dependant on my brother now. Though he is not my legal guardian.?

nancy

For the FAFSA, dependency is determined by a series of questions on the application: are you over the age of 24, married, supporting your own dependent, in the military, etc. If you can answer yes to one of those questions, then you are considered an independent student and do not need to include parent information on the FAFSA. (You do, however, need to include any support you receive from someone else, like your brother, as untaxed income). If you can't answer yes to one of those questions, then you are considered a dependent for financial aid purposes and must provide parent information on the FAFSA. This is true even if you do not live with your parent, aren't supported by one, aren't claimed on a parent tax return, or your parent is not contributing to your education. This is because the purpose of the FAFSA isn't to determine what your parent actually does--it's to determine what he/she has the ability to do. So, even if your parent isn't working, and your brother is supporting the family, you would enter your parent's income (even if it's 0) rather than your brother's, because your aid will be based on what your parent is able to do, not your brother. That being said, the FAFSA does recognize that there are situations where parent information may not be available, so there is a process called a dependency override that allows a financial aid administrator at your school to change your dependency status from dependent to independent. This process is only used for serious situations such as a documented history of abuse, abandonment, incarceration, or parents who are mentally or physically incapable of providing information. It cannot be used for situations where the parent simply refuses to provide information, or the student doesn't want to provide it because it will result in less aid. If you no longer live with a parent or have contact with one because of a situation such as I described above, check the box on the FAFSA that asks if you have a special circumstance, and submit the FAFSA without parent information. Then contact your school's financial aid department and they will give you information on what you need to do to be considered for a dependency override.

Gypsyfish

You need to talk to the college about this. If you are under 24, you will need some kind of proof that you can no longer get money from your parents. There is a way to file papers and declare yourself emancipated from your parents- I know people who have done this. You could try asking at your county clerk's office about that process.