How to Become Independent

[geraldinehdzhdz]

Hello everybody, I am currently an 18 y/o who is seeking to become independent, my dad wont help me more with my tuition nor living expenses. I know that in order for my University to categorise me as an independent student I have to have either 24 or have a court claim saying that I am considered independent. But I have absolutely no idea where to go, or who to refer, or even what to ask.

Thank you in advance for your help,

Geraldine

[flyingron]

Likely your University has no say over it. You're bumping into the FAFSA rules for financial aid eligibility. The fact your parents will not contribute to your education MEANS NOTHING. Your only options are:

1. Be 24 or older.
2. Be going for an advanced degree
3. Be married
4. Have children or other dependents.
5. Join the military

At 18, there's no judicial emancipation open to you.

Sorry.

[geraldinehdzhdz]

Likely your University has no say over it. You're bumping into the FAFSA rules for financial aid eligibility. The fact your parents will not contribute to your education MEANS NOTHING. Your only options are:

1. Be 24 or older.
2. Be going for an advanced degree
3. Be married
4. Have children or other dependents.
5. Join the military

At 18, there's no judicial emancipation open to you.

Sorry.

Thank you. I have got another question, can I do my taxes alone next year? So, there is no way that a Court can claim me as an independent unless I fulfill one of those requirements, right?

[flyingron]

Your taxes are completely independent of this. There's no age limit on doing taxes. You not only can fill out your taxes, if you have sufficient income to hit the filing limit, you MUST. If you had taxes wtihheld, you probably SHOULD.

[Blossom]

I have a sibling who moved out of our parents' home at 16, and was self supporting onwards.

She still couldn't get her college, when she was 18, to find her independent for financial aid purposes, despite her already being on her own for 2 years, and our parents not contributing a penny to her tuition. I dealt with the same thing when I was living on my own and in college, until I turned 24.

I sympathize with you, but you're fighting a losing battle.

I assume you're working, because you asked about taxes. Can you work more hours? Get a work study job on campus? Have you applied for scholarships through the school, in addition to federal financial aid?

[flyingron]

The college has no discretion in the "independent student" thing. It's a federal law. Just moving out doesn't qualify either.
If the school has financial aid for non-qualifying students, they can give that (such exist but it's a tiny subset of the available aid), but there's no amount of demonstration of self-sufficiency that will change the federal determination.