Fed Financial
Financial aid and child support?
I'm currently going to a community college and get full financial aid. I live with my mother and my father pays child support. We are extremely poor and I REALLY need financial aid to get through. My question is: I'm going to apply for private college, they ask if i receive child support on the financial aid portion of the application. My financial aid office told me to not put that down on fafsa because it isn't on the tax forms. Should I leave that question blank?
Public Comments
- Im not sure but help me get up to 1000+ views =] its worth ur time i promise! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCk4a8xdtQ4
- google it.
- There should be a financial aid officer at your community college who will help you with this question. One note: from my experience, the financial aid officer is the best friend you can have in administration...they really like helping people get their money.
- If your financial aid office told you not to put it don't put it. The would not tell you something that is going to harm you in any way because they are there to help. So do what they say and you will be OK
- There are things that go on your FAFSA that aren't on your or your parents tax forms. Example: Worksheet B - (Page 8) "Enter yearly amounts - Child support received for all children. Don’t include foster care or adoption payments." Perhaps you misunderstood, sometimes there is a difference between what Dad is "suppose" to pay and what he actually pays. You would include here what he actually paid in 2007 on worksheet B. You can't leave it blank if your mother receives child support. That would be illegal.
- You should ask what will happen if the private college finds out you falsified the application -- will you have to pay back all the aid you've received -- will they bar you from any financial aid in the future? Is this risk worth it? I question the integrity of a college financial aid office who suggests you lie on your application -- after all, if you get caught, he/she doesn't have to pay; and, they have left you out to dry by yourself. Do you get enough child support to really make a difference in the amount you will receive? You may be worrying about a very small amount of financial aid in return for not having to always make sure your "story" is straight, and fear of getting caught.
