How to Get Emancipated at Age 20 With an Uncooperative Parent

I am 20 years old and have been living on my own for 2 years now.
I had serious family issues at home and had to move out.
I am trying to continue with my college education and am unable to get financial aid established because my financial aid officer has told me that because of my age, I need to get a signature and other information from my mother and she is being uncooperative.
She has not given me any financial assistance since I left home.
How can I get the state of NJ to recognize my independence.
My mother lives in HUDSON county, NJ, and I lived there with her until two years ago, when I was a dependent.
During the past two years I have lived in several different locations in both NY and NJ.
I am now living in Bergen County, NJ, and have been completely financially independent for the past two years.
Because of the nature of the reasons that I left, I do NOT want her to know my current location. This is very important to me.

I would like to return to my NJ state university this next spring semester.
I have been unable to attend for the past year because of these complications and because of other financial concerns.

So I would need to get this completed as soon as possible so that I can get the financial aid ball rolling.

It isn’t New Jersey. It’s federal.

The only thing you can do is speak to the financial aid office at your school. If there are any exceptions to me made, that is where it all starts.

This is the best resource I can give you: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/f...out/dependency

Read through the bottom few questions and see if you can find anything that applies -- but in the end your greatest resource is like jk said your financial aid office. But realize there are a lot of students/parents who try to claim the child is independent to get more free aid, so it is a high bar to get any help.

In order to get financial aid you have to complete the FAFSA. For this purpose you aren't considered independent until you are 24. Before 24 the Feds will want information about your parents income and that's just the way it is. The Feds will not consider you "emancipated" for this purpose.

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Quoting bmg1997

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I am 20 years old and have been living on my own for 2 years now.
I had serious family issues at home and had to move out.
I am trying to continue with my college education and am unable to get financial aid established because my financial aid officer has told me that because of my age, I need to get a signature and other information from my mother and she is being uncooperative.
She has not given me any financial assistance since I left home.
How can I get the state of NJ to recognize my independence.
My mother lives in HUDSON county, NJ, and I lived there with her until two years ago, when I was a dependent.
During the past two years I have lived in several different locations in both NY and NJ.
I am now living in Bergen County, NJ, and have been completely financially independent for the past two years.
Because of the nature of the reasons that I left, I do NOT want her to know my current location. This is very important to me.

I would like to return to my NJ state university this next spring semester.
I have been unable to attend for the past year because of these complications and because of other financial concerns.

So I would need to get this completed as soon as possible so that I can get the financial aid ball rolling.

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Unfortunately the federal financial aid program requires anyone under the age of 24 to have their parent's financial information and signature to determine what financial aid they are qualified for...even if they are completely independent financially.

There are things that would emancipate you from that requirement:

Marriage,
Having a child or children of your own,
Being in the military,
Being a military veteran,
You have other dependents besides children of your own,
You were a legally emancipated minor by court order,
Your parents are deceased,

It might be necessary for you to go part time and pay cash to do so until you are either 24 or meet one of the qualification.
However, please, for everyone's sake don't have a baby or get married just for financial aid.

I think if you get married you would have to include your spouses income as well on the application.