How to Deal if Your Parents Can't Pay

My father passed away when I was five, my mom does not work and my step-dad is a self-employed carpet layer. With the three of us, we'll only be able to pay about 5,000 dollars. They're trying the best they can but this economy is not helping. Any tips about financial aid will truly be a blessing. scholarships are just not doing it.

i have read through quickly some of the comments. I agree with all of you. No matter where you turn NO ONE GIVES YOU A HELPFUL ANSWER. Even our State Senators and Representatives, they learn quickly, "Pass the Buck", i don't think there is any parent who really wants the Government to finance our child's education entirely, but i just read the articles on this website, and made to feel like the slime of the earth, because i can't "commit" to a family contribution. My son has worked a year to put money away for school, i promised him i would give him whatever his father and i could, we have an expected family contribution of $8,000 with a family of 5 and two kids now in college. My husband works overtime when he can just to meet our expenses and i work also, between the two of us we barely make $24.00 an hour. We don't eat out often, we don't own two cars, my children who drive don't even have vehicles, we don't have 700 channels of cable, we use Tracphones for cell phones and don't have a land line, our problem is the "Cost of Doing Business on a monthly basis" the cost of everyday living is outrageous.When asking for income to base aid it would be nice if you could do an income breakdown. We don't know from one year to the next what our income will be be because of overtime money and small company bonuses. Overtime and bonuses should not be included in base aid calculations. The Government could also do themselves a favor by passing some legislation, that stops states from raping out of state students for tuition costs. My son is going to an out-of-state college simply because it is the only place that offers an immersion into the Language degree he is seeking to become a Translator. My son his paying twice the amount for tuition that an in-state student pays, so is it his responsibility to pay additional tuition because an Ohio resident doesn't choose to go to that particular college? It's funny a body is a body, he's going to the same college, staying in the same dorm room, attending the same class rooms, using the same professors and facilities as an in-state student, yet he is twice as expensive to teach? Hey FinAid, good old Mom and Dad never said our child was no longer our responsibility after high school, i want to personally thank you for the slap in the face and the larger thank life Looser sign that i now wear, my husband and I didn't hide any financial information, we have no money hidden in Swiss bank accounts, we are just everyday Middle Class Americans, livin the dream and the life. How dare you and the United States Government make me and millions of other loving parents feel like we have ruined our child's future because we chose among our responsibilities to keep a roof over their heads (at over inflated prices), food on the table (at over inflated prices) and clean clothes on their backs (at over inflated prices), and all the while all of our Government Officials are eating "high off the hog", wearing Armani suits, we pay their housing and transportation and health care, and their pretty fat salaries. And they sit in their chairs on Capitol Hill and call me a looser.

rdulisa is totally right! I went to the same small town school all my life and it;s always been the same people, who are the more fortunate in the community who always gets more just because they're the top of the class. While my friends and I are not that far behind academically, yet farther behind finacially, we still don't get all the funding they do. And i know my dad feels the same way towards sending me to college and will do everything he can to give me a good life, but with our current finacial situation, it's really tough. But pray is one thing we won't stop doing because my God has promised His children He will always provide thier needs and i also know He's not one for breaking promises. So all i can do is put my trust in Him and keep my head up even in these bad times

My mom can't help it not that she doesn't want to. Also the FAFSA make you a depend or an independ based on if you live with a parent. It doesn't consider that you are paying some of the bills or the fact that you have younger brothers or sisters that need the money first.

This is to monsterinthenet: Having students work a year or two isn't the end of the world but, it is not the best option because it puts them at a disadvantage of the potential earnings they could be getting if they were in college, getting a degree instead of working right away. If you can't afford for your child to go to a university, just let them go to a community college. College is not a privilege. It's a right. Last I checked, it was in the Constitution that all children are entitled to an education! Students need to and should have a sense of entitlement! Just because you're financing your child's college education doesnt mean that you have to retire 10 years later than expected. If you don't want to retire at 75, then you should find ways to avoid that. Plan, plan, plan! Also, if you started saving money already, you'll have retirement money accumulating. If you haven't already started, then start! Financing college doesn't have to be the end of the world!

this is wrong... i would love to pay the entire bill for my son to go to college..it's his dream.. but how do i live and send him to college when his dad has died and i get only 675.00 a month...i cant get any help on his college..is there a goverment? or is it just snotty people making entirely to much pay tellin us how we are wrong when we cant pay thousands for our kids to get educated to futher thier lives so they dont contiune the cycle of proverty?? can someone help me help my son....please contact me...

what do you do if your parents won't complete the fafsa? They are on disability and I don't even live with them anymore. I want to go to school but they won't help complete any paperwork.

i want to go to college and further my education but money is always on my mind. i dont really want to worry about money and getting into debt at a young age. i want to be stress free while i am in college. Taken out a loan is a big mistake. Too high of interest and penatilies are horrible and not worth it. The governments need to do better on this area.I think that it is rude for the government to say that our parents should be responsible to pay for my education. My parents do make a good amount of money but due to the economic downfall we are struggling to make ends meet.