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How to Deal if Your Parents Can't Pay
They may support you in every other way, but unfortunately, they can't always afford to pay.
By Kathryn Knight
April 21, 2009
Unfortunately, federal aid isn’t distributed on whether or not your parents want to pay for your education; it all depends on if they can. Parents have many reasons for not contributing to their child’s education: can’t afford it; it’s the child’s responsibility; sticky divorce. But your parents refusal actually hurts you more than they may know.
Regardless of your parents’ reasons, the federal government’s opinion is this: paying for a college education is your parents’ primary responsibility. The government will only finance your education if it’s impossible for your parents to pay up. So what should you do? Fill out the FAFSA. Good news: it’s not too late. Bad news: you’re already enrolled in school and still need to convince your parents to fill out a FAFSA.
Even if you don’t qualify for need-based aid, filling out the FAFSA automatically qualifies you for an unsubsidized Stafford Loan. Yes, “loan” may be an icky word, but a federal government loan is the best loan opportunity that you will ever come across. The interest rates are low, 6.8% on the unsubsidized Stafford loan, and the payment plans make it easy to pay off your debt.
Also, by filling out the FAFSA, you may qualify for subsidized Stafford and Perkins Loans as well as Pell Grants, which are even better.
Pitch the idea from the angle that they don’t have to help financially but they can do you this huge favor. Additionally, it’s not a bad idea to go to your school’s financial aid office and present them with your situation. Maybe they can pull some strings or talk good old Mom and Dad into helping. Still not budging? Check out these other tips on convincing your parents to help this one last time.
WalterKovacs
3 months ago
Also my mother tells me to join the military
because she just refuses to help me.
:/
WalterKovacs
3 months ago
Can anyone tell me if parents are responsible for PAYING back anything when they release info on fafsa. I'm trying to go back to school after month after month of doing nothing and my mother always being upset at me doing nothing. I went to the school, by myself, and told the counselor, financial aid director, and dean that this is what I wanted to do. They helped me enroll all in one day. I return home and my mom tells me I dont try. I'm this, I'm that. I'm irresponsible. etc. And she refuses to help. There was a time when I did drop out of school because she was urging me to get a job. (She states otherwise, but that's because she's proud). But we paid cash. She paid. I looked for a job, I tried to give her what I had to pay back, and now, that I'm trying to do something more, it doesn't count. (Because she is, excuse my wording, butthurt).
If anyone can give me a straight answer as to whether or not parents are responsible for any paybacks on the fafsa aid or any other aid, please let me know. I start school soon, I want to do this. She won't see it, but others can including, well, myself.
Thanks.
EdwinaB3
4 months ago
Dear ChristinaC139,
Isn't $200,000 a lot even at age 50 to have in the bank for retirement? What is her college only costs $10,000 a year? Is giving just a small portion of your retirement fund too much, especially for your own child? Paticia has been paying for herself since age 13. The least her mom could have done was save all the money she was getting for child support in a private bank account and let Pat use it for college. That couldv'e helped a lot.
AnhM4
4 months ago
Could someone please tell me how to apply for a government loan?
ChristinaC139
4 months ago
Dear PatriciaR531, I have one question for you. Do you want your mom to come live with you in about 20 years because she didnt save enough for retirement? Thats what you're looking at if she doesn't start looking after herself NOW.
ieller71791
4 months ago
The current federal laws are so retarded. I've been putting my face to the grind stone the last 5 years to go to DigiPen. All the classes I took were focused on going to this school. I was an A and B student the whole time, and took as many honor's and AP classes that would fit with my choosen career as I could. For my senior project I even made a small video game. All I want to do with my life is program, DigiPen offers the best education out there, and the only 2 things stopping me are my parents refusing to cosign and then next year refusing to fill out the FAFSA. I'm working, and can support myself with my salary. Why can't they just change the indepentant status down to 18? Today is my 18th b-day and my mom kicked me out. All I want to do is go to college and do something with my life, and because of current laws, even if I get to go this fall, I won't be able to go next year because I won't be able to get over $10,000 in aid.
PatriciaR531
4 months ago
My mom is kind of selfish. I cannot get any help from the government because she hoards all of her money. She has almost $200,000 in assests not including our house. She says she's saving the money for retirement, but she is only 50. My parents have been divorced for seven years and even the money that my father pays for child support I never see. I have been paying for myself since I got my first job at 13, which includes clothes, food and all other basic nescessities. I think it is unfair that the goverment refuses to help me because my mom has too much money in the bank, and my mother refuses to help.
hkeel
4 months ago
I have filled out the fafsa, but the college i am enrolled at won't give any Stafford loans (unsubsidized or subsidized) to incoming freshman until they have already taken 12 credit hours! Does the federal government allow colleges to do this? My parents' income has been reduced drastically over the past year due to the economy & they cannot afford to send me to college.
cks7088
4 months ago
My education was interrupted by car accident and a very terrible divorce & custody battle. What money I received from buy out of the family home was taken by a lawyer that didn't want to do his
for the children. He held court up to continue to take the money I received to care for my children and to go back to school. Still trying to go back to court to modify the custody of my 5 & 8 old children. My 8 year old told his teacher what was going on at their father's home. Teacher reported it to the school social, principal & DCFS. When DCFS did there interview the case worker spoke to a few of her friends that she knows in our small town. These people that are teachers & use to be friends of mine told the case worker that I told my son to tell the what he said. Currently the Inspector General is involved looking into the conduct of the case worker. The contacted my ex-husband to have him come in to speak with her. He then threatened my 5 yr old daughter to say what he wanted her to say or she wouldn't be able to see me again. My daughter did what she was told to do. The lawyer took me for $100,000. I was never to work or go to school while married to him. He was and still is controlling. The children are afraid to stand up to him. He has ordered to allow the children to call me when they are with him. He refuses to let them and there is only a cell he keeps it on him all the time. I even bought them a phone he takes it away from them so they can't call from that either.
I would like to finish my Criminal justice degre, so that I may be able to get a job to go back to court. The new attorney wants a minumum of $5000. The problem is what income had been coming in has been reduced due to our economic problem. Currently I have $24.45 to my name. My 16 year old son is working a full time job to help with the bills that my husband and I are unable to pay ourselves.
I have 2 passions, my children/family & criminal justice. My children don't deserve to be abused or watch their 1 dog die because he beat it so badly. Now to watch another one to be beaten.
My eldest son's father has been laid now doesn't know when he will go back to work or if there wll be a company. One of the owners wants out.
tarus18
4 months ago
unfortunally,my mom is unemployed,and tring to get her ged.my mom and my biological dad never married. and i no longer receive child support.my mother is tring to get a job to help.my dad is married and i can't get his help.
KimberlyG545
4 months ago
How messed up is this,enrolled for school got accepted,took 2 classes in 2007 my mother refused to fill out my fafsa and now i owe $3000 for half the school year and i only took 2 classes. She would have to pay nothing and she just didn't want to help me. I cried and I still have to pay before i can get my records transfer if i go to another school. That really is unfair.
alexandrabernacchi
4 months ago
I was cheated out of my FAFSA award. My biological father has not helped with any of my school fees. He has not paid child support in over 3 years. My mother remarried 3 years ago, and my step-father is a doctor, so they are looking at his income and telling me too bad, because my mother files a joint return. My Mom is not employed at this time. She lost her business last year due to this terrible economy. My step-father won't sign to help me get a loan for school, because he's afraid something will happen and he will be stuck paying my loan back. This puts a lot of pressure on me and my mom. It’s a good thing my Mom and Step Father live in two different states. I have always dreamed of the day I would go off to college. Now, I don't know what I'm going to do. This country get’s a big F for not taking care of higher educational needs and health care.
mortonj13
4 months ago
What about us in between people?!
My parents make do alright, but they definitely don't make enough to pay for my education out of pocket. All the FAFSA is able to do for me is loans, and I couldn't get enough loan money to cover my entire tuition. We had to pay a lot out of pocket last year. I hope that this year I can get some scholarship money or something to help out.
_MusicIsEverything_
4 months ago
All this is good until you realize you fall in between, which isn't good. My mom is a single parent, working as a middle school counselor and anyone who works in the school system knows that they don't make that money. She counsels else where to get extra money (she has 3 jobs). She gets child support from my dad (anyone who gets this knows it's not much either) but no child support for my little brother who is about to start kindergarten. Every time we fill something out about getting money, she always makes too much. But she's doing EVERYTHING for me, my brother and herself! I don't get how they can say she makes too much.
DillanP4
4 months ago
To ATLYATA, you are 23, but are you "independent" or "dependent" on your parents? IT IS NOT TOO LATE for you to file a FAFSA, either way, even if parents did not file their taxes yet. You can estimate based on last year's taxes, if your parents are willing. The FAFSA form can be adjusted. But the longer you wait, the less funds are still available for disbursement. You should get yourself claimed as dependent, or get your parents to file right away. Talk to your financial aid office right away...again, don't wait on this. There may be work study programs available, and, considering that you are 23, there may be some positions available at dorms that need someone older as RAs.....every little bit helps.