Ok, I'm 21 years old. I'm returning to school next month. I've been living with my girlfriend, 1000 miles from my parents, for two years now. I speak to them once every two weeks, visit once a year or so.

Why am I still considered a dependent for financial aid purposes??? I'm NOT a dependent for tax purposes. This wouldn't mean so much, except it's the difference in my parents+me income of over $85,000, and my income of $10000-15000. And my qualifying for extra government need-based loan amounts (dependent vs. independent gets less than half with equal situation).

As is, g/f and I are getting married sometime early next year just so we can save $1000s in the long haul on these interest rates. Bah.

Only thing that keeps me going:

http://www.dwsimpson.com/salary.html

I asked my financial aid adviser the same thing. She told me it is because your parents are suppose to pay for college and that financial aid was for students who’s parents couldn’t afford the cost.

That's retarded, my parents didn't want to pay for my college when I was 18, let alone when I'm 21.

I was told I had to pay for mine in seventh grade. So, I know that feeling.

Us MUDers just get the short end of the schtick.

Just another idiotic form of government.

At 18 years old, you can die in Iraq, but you can't drink a beer.

Idiotic is how much they assume your parents can afford to pay. I suppose they expect you to go without food or gas to get to work, in order to pay your child's way through college.

I feel you. I've always worked full-time through school (which might be the main reason for my bad grades - but thats another topic). You are considered independant when you are 24 years old. In someways I'm glad I waited to go back to school, next year I might actaully get a decent amount in aid.

*hug $30k Bar Mitzvah 'nestegg' that's going to get me partially through university*

Yeah.. I was told if I went out of state I wouldn't have help paying for college.. so I decided to go to a college in state that's maybe..6 hours away and now they say they won't help pay for that either.

I need moneys..

I could so give a short speech on why England is better now >.>

Problem being, I can get financial aide to go to college, but not to help me move to England (Or Europe in general.).

Eh.. I'm just banking on a scholarship when I transfer (Freakin Room and Board is more than in-state tuition). Maybe this whole minority thing will work out for me.

As for the dependant thing.. that's really odd, especially since you're supporting yourself. Personally I think the government just wants us all to rely on the military for college money... government conspiracies everywhere!

You're all a bunch of filthy, filthy communists!

Gah! I was kidding! Don't point that AK-47 at me!

My personal savior was National Merit... just study hard kids and get an awesome PSAT score your junior year.

You know I was thinking the same. They are always pushing the whole "we'll pay you to go to college" or whatever thing. I remember this one recruiter actually made me feel bad because I wasn't taking advantage of that.

I got a 222 index - 80 math, 66 Reading, 76 Writing. My grades in my 9th-10th were mediocre (2.9), my grades in college/11th-12th were decent (entirely college classes instead of High School) - 3.65. I was a semi-finalist.

Doesn't help that I'm transferring. I actually refused a full ride to Texas A&M three years ago because I didn't want to go to Texas....

I wish I had been in that position. High school was a totally awful experience for me, especially since I transferred mid-way due to issues staying focused and motivated. I eventually said it and enjoyed my time there (Which got me better grades), but by that time it didn't really do much for me. GPA just mattered more than SAT, which sucked. I can do WELL on a straight test, but in class there are just so many other factors.. so I'm doing comm. college right now to make up for that with about 60 credits before transferring.

I don't think I'd want to go back and change things though.. I've matured so much more this way through sufferring.

And look where it got me .

Yeah.. that's the thing I forgot to sign up for.. -eyeshift-

And this proves my point that high school is just something to get through and not something to take advantage of! (Not saying you aren't, Joli, but the majority of my buddies just said: "Glad school is over" and now they're not doing much of anything unless their parents kicked them out, which forced 'em to join the military.)