How You Can Help Your Parents With The FAFSA And Financial Aid Process

If you are fortunate enough to have your parents help paying for college, you have a responsibility to help your parents maximize your financial aid eligibility. Remember, your parents aren't helping you pay for your education because they have too. Your parent's only motivation for helping you is they love you and want what's best for you. Often that means going into debt so you can have a bright future.

If you're interested in helping your parents with the high cost of college focus on your academics or what we call student positioning. The more attractive you are to the college, the better your chances of receiving a good financial aid award. Also let your parent know there is professional help available to maximize your financial aid eligibility. Let your parents know for a very small fee they can receive professional help with the FAFSA, free college scholarships, student loans and the entire financial aid process.

How You Can Help Your Parents

• Track down free college scholarships to supplement your financial aid award.
• Improve your SAT test scores and your ACT test scores.
• Tell your parents about our financial aid service. Our financial aid service helps you maximize your financial aid eligibility and we complete virtually all your financial aid forms and application including the FAFSA for your parents so they won't make any mistakes or miss any deadlines causing you to lose financial aid.

Dependents Vs Independents Students

You may be considering becoming an independent student in hopes of receiving more financial aid. You may be thinking if you live on your own that your parent's income and assets don't need to be reported on the FAFSA and you'll be eligible for more financial aid. It's true if you are an independent student, your parents income and assets would not be reported on the FAFSA. If your parent's income and assets don't have to be reported on the FAFSA you might qualify for more financial aid and you considered an adult student. However, to qualify as an independent student you must answer yes to at least one of the following questions:

The Six Qualifying Factors:

1. Are you 24 or older?
2. Are you Married?
3. Do you have a child of your own?
4. Are you a veteran of the armed services?
5. Are you pursuing a graduate degree?
6. Are you a ward of the state?

The qualifiers listed above are the only considerations for determining your status for financial aid purposes. There are no other considerations for determining who'll need to complete the FAFSA or the CSS PROFILE. Whether or not your parents claim you as a dependent on their tax returns has no impact on your status for financial aid purposes. If you did not answer yes to any one of the 6 questions you are a dependent student even if you don't live with your parents. But don't worry, there are many other strategies available if you know the rules and regulations that govern financial aid.

How You Can Help Your Parents Afford To Send You To The College Of Your Dreams

You've heard the saying the more you learn the more you earn. That's because knowledge truly is power. Understanding how to use the financial aid rules to your favor helps you emerge victorious. Understanding the rules and regulations governing the financial aid process and how to properly complete the FAFSA and the countless other forms dramatically enhance your chances of receiving every dollar you're entitles to.

Many people hire tax attorneys or CPAs' to help them reduce their tax burden. Our financial aid service is similar to the service of a CPA or tax attorney. In much the same way as these professionals help their clients pay as little in taxes as legally allowable, we help our clients pay as little for college as legally allowable by maximizing their financial aid eligibility. If you have any questions about how we can help you and your parents through the entire financial aid process have them contact us.