how can i get financial aid 4college if im only 20 and my parents wont give me their financial info 4 my FAFSA

My parents wont give me their financial info to fill out my FAFSA for school. We just dont get along well. Is there any way i can still get financial aid?? Im only 20 and not married with no kids, i think that makes a difference, if your married or not....HELP!!

Public Comments

1. I had to get signatures up to age 24, I was married and I had two kids -- and my parents stil had to sign. First, see if the financial aid counselor will call them and get the info. Maybe a third party would make it easier for your parents. If that doesn't work, their should be another type of aid you can qualify for. Good luck, I know it is frustrating. My parents never wanted to sign either and I had to fight with them everytime I needed their info.
2. If your parents do not claim you, that is they don't claim you as a dependent of theirs, then you can claim yourself as an independent. That way when you fill out your FAFSA all you need is your own information. But you have to make sure that they don't claim you on their taxes. The FAFSA website should have all the info you need for that..or you can call them directly and make sure.
3. They stink as parents.
4. Some parents misunderstand the process and think that filling out the form means that they are agreeing to pay for their student's schooling. Try explaining to your parents that by filing the FAFSA you're trying to fund your education by *yourself* (they should see that as a good thing) and that, by providing their information on the form, they are NOT on the hook for anything. The loans that would be awarded to you based on this form would be YOUR responsibility and ONLY yours, so this should be a no-risk scenario for them. If they don't listen to reason and you can't think of any other way of getting them to sign the form, you may be out of luck: The Federal Student Aid regulations specifically say that a parent's refusal to pay is NOT grounds for a student being claimed as independent. You may, however, be able to talk to your Financial Aid Office to see what other means they have for considering you independent so that you wouldn't have to include their information on the form. Some schools are more lenient than others in this regard. Most schools will make exceptions in cases of abuse or the death of the students' parents. Many schools will also make exceptions if you can document that you truly are completely self-suffient. You will need to submit proof that the following statements have been true of your situation for a while (usually about 2 years)... * your parents don't claim you on their tax return * you pay for your own housing, food, utilities, etc. * you pay for your own health insurance * you pay for your own transportation (and, if you have a car, the car insurance) * you don't receive any other in-kind support It's still worth checking to see if the schools allows dependency overrides for other reasons. You'll never know if you don't ask.