Who makes the rules of the FAFSA?

Who makes the rules of the FAFSA?

Some sort of government committee or something? I’m asking because I want to know who to write to to complain.
I think the FAFSA’s means of determining a student’s dependency status is seriously flawed. In my case, for example, I qualify only for an unsubsidized Stafford Loan, because my parents make more than $100k a year between them. However, I do not live with them. I am 18. They did not claim me on their taxes last year, I did my own taxes. I don’t even live in the same STATE as them. But by the FAFSA’s standards, none of that has anything to do with whether or not I’m dependent. You might think there’s some sort of mistake… certainly it asks somewhere on the form if my parents claimed me last year? If I actually expect to receive any money from them?
That’s what I thought, at first. But just so you don’t waste time telling me I’m wrong, here are the exact questions the FAFSA asks to determine if I’m legally dependent on someone(you can skip this if you believe me or have had similar experiences):

Were you born before January 1, 1986?

Are you married?

At the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year, will you be working on a master’s or doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, or graduate certificate, etc.)?

Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training?

Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?

Do you have children who will receive more than half of their support from you between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010?

Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30, 2010?

At anytime since you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care or were you a dependent or ward of the court?

Are you or were you an emancipated minor as determined by a court in your state of legal residence?

Are you or were you in legal guardianship as determined by a court in your state of legal residence?

At any time on or after July 1, 2008, were you an unaccompanied homeless youth as determined by your high school or school district homeless liaison?

At any time on or after July 1, 2008, were you an unaccompanied homeless youth as determined by the director of an emergency shelter program funded by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development?

At any time on or after July 1, 2008, were you at risk of homelessness as determined by the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program?

So… according to the FAFSA, because I am not at least 24 years old, married, or currently going to school for a graduate program, and have never been orphaned, emancipated, homeless, at risk of being homeless, in foster care, or affiliated with the military, I am still dependent on my parents.
I honestly cannot fathom how this computes. Just because I answered no to all these questions does NOT mean that I have sufficient means of paying for college, which after all is what the FAFSA is supposed to determine.

This is pretty much what I’m planning on saying to whoever devised or has the ability to revise the FAFSA. So… who do I write to?
By the way… I do know that writing this complaint letter probably won’t help my case at all, unless I write to Ellen DeGeneres too, she’s always giving away money to people… maybe I should do that…. ANYWAY.
I’m sure lots of people have complained about this already, and I’d just like to add my voice to theirs, in the hopes that before my children go to college, this issue will be handles much better. Of course, this is theoretical; if I had children, I might actually be getting some grants.

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Posted in Affiliate Marketing on Nov 7th, 2011, 4:15 am by admin   

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