That lack of parent involvement is why I wasn't able to get assistance from FAFSA myself.

When I was a teenager, my mother refused to get it for me, so I couldn't be approved for help from FAFSA.

@wgrune: Exactly! I had the same problem in Canada, my parents made too much for me to be eligible for OSAP, but it in no way takes into account the fact that they were supporting a family of 7 on that income. Not to mention that since my siblings and I are all close in age, there were 4 of us in University at the same time.

I lucked out when my father got a job at the university and I got a large portion of my tuition waived, but if he hadn't, I would not have a bachelors degree right now, and my younger brother and sister would likely not be in school at all.

I wonder if they could come up with a way to have your parent swear an oath that they are not contributing to your education. I imagine I would not be considered an independant if I was still living with them, but their ability to feed and shelter me does not mean they can also pay my tuition.

However, the FAFSA and related websites SUCK! They just need to give the entire government FAFSA system and overall.

What?

I do hope these changes make it easier for students to become "indepedent" versus "dependent" in status. In my case, most of my students have absolutely relationship or contact with their parents and I have to jump through bureaucratic hoops for a status change.

It will be complicated again by then.
That's how these things work. ;)

Also, I second the comment below suggesting that if the FAFSA is too hard, college may be as well.

I have never found it all that difficult anyway but it being shorter will be nice. I am also a single, independent student, so no I am not filling it out with my info and parental info.

@Jesse: That's what happened to me...my father made well over six figures but did not contribute one penny to my education, health, or well being after I turned 18. That's why it still stings that I got burned because the gov't took it for granted that I had a loving father active in my life and supportive with my education...which he most certainly was NOT.

@ShachiAssaracus:

What?

I totally agree about the cost-of-living disparities skewing the FAFSA results. We live in a New England metro area where housing costs a small fortune, plus we have to pay flood insurance even though there hasn't been a flood on our street in more than 100 years. So it's very expensive. But we're being compared to people with similar incomes in, say, the Midwest where housing is half or less the cost of ours. Annoyingggg! Still, we have filled it out and qualified for some aid, and in another year it will be better because we'll have two in college.

You've obviously not used many poorly written web forms. That's one of the first things I test in a UI, and it's not uncommon for them to have maxlength values that aren't long enough for common values.

You actually can. In fact, all you need is a letter from your parents saying that they refuse to fund you, and you can get an increase in your loans. That's a crummy situation, though. I'll never forget or be able to repay my parents for all they've done for me.

This form is just a waste of time anyway. It is a federal form and therefore skews agains those of us who live in areas where the cost of housing is so much higher.

Because my family's income in other parts of the country would make us VERY comfortable, here on LI, where taxes and housing costs are higher, not so much.

BTW, I never found this form that difficult to do....
a waste of time, because it would cheerfully announce that our EFC was around 30k!

I have no intention of continuing. Back! Back I say to thee foul professor who wants me to be thy doctoral lackey. Get your own coffee!

@Jesse:

Yeah, same here. Just because my parents have a (somewhat) large combined income doesn't mean they are giving me one red cent.

The first question no one can probably say yes to. But "Are you homeless?" can be answered as "Hell yea, I don't own a home, I am 18." i.e. "Yes"

kthx taxpayers <3

***however, i would hope the parents had to authorize the release of their tax info.... i understand some parents are well, horrible and uncaring, but is a matter of privacy.

I've seen worse forms than the FAFSA. I've seen job applications that look like they're written by someone who can't read. At least with an online form you don't have the problem of a form that doesn't give you enough space to fill in the answers.

Ah well, in a couple decades it'll be nice that it's simple for the chitlins.

too bad..I loved spending those hours filling in the numbers and answering endless questions, only to be told I am expected to contribute $59,000 to *each* of my three kids' education.
I *gotta* be doin somethin wrong..

At least they do have a feature (not easy to find) that allows you to transfer financial info from one application to another.

And no, the FAFSA isn't the worst fin aid form ever....the CSS/Profile is like a million times worse and longer. But you need to fill that one out if you want any private institutional aid...

I remembered having to fill these out during my undergrad years.

The next step is to find a way to remove that expected parental contribution when your parents are making you pay for 100% of your tuition and books. That screwed me over in terms of having to take out unsubsidized loans. Although, I see the potential for abuse if the let people do that.

love the federal financial aid but that fafsa is just insane.