Did everybody fill out their FAFSA?

[JaceTheAce]

Tomorrow (March 1st) is the deadline for CA students and usually the deadline that most universities tell you to submit it by anyway. I just submitted mine on the web...had to wait for my mother's tax info so that I could finish filling it out. So if you haven't submitted it and need financial aide, you better do it tonight or early tomorrow morning.

My EFC number was estimated (Expected Family Contribution amount that calculate for you online) at a whopping 6236. That's $6,236 that my mother who barely makes any money is expected to pay for my education. I only made $30k last year and can barely afford the rent here in San Diego. How the hell are they supposed to expect my mom who lives 500 miles away from me support me when I'm on my own? Since I'm only 23 I am still considered a dependent.

Has anyone ran into this issue where they didn't receive enough Financial Aide through Grants and Gov't Loans, and had to resort to going to a third party lender for their school money?

 

[Mustang17c]

You can go to the school and describe your situation. They might give you an extra few thousand. Also if you are 23, you should claim yourself independent, it might work out better for you in the long run as opposed to your mother claiming you as a dependent.

 

[Silverhawk]

I second that.. . I am putting myself thru grad school now and just claiming myself last year for the first time I was suprised to see they gave me more than enough each semester with about the same income... give that a shot and see what happens.

 

[kellwolf]

My EFC wound up over $8000, and I'm independent, married and made about $30K last year. I think you basically have to live in a box and be unemployed to get a pell grant now.....

 

[JDMcFly]

I think my EFC for the fall semester is going to be '0', and I'm not kidding

 

[JaceTheAce]

Whoops! I can't believe I don't even know my own age... I'm only 22, but will be 23 next month. You have to be turning age 24 after January 1 of this year in order to be able to claim yourself as an independent.