Thinking about going back to school...

[drivermom]

I recently became unemployed and I'm collecting unemployment. I have filed 13 and had my 341 meeting but not my confirmation hearing yet. I 'm thinking about going back to school and I will need financial aid. How will my 13 affect possibly getting student loans? Currently I can make all my bills and payments on the unemployment and child support I recieve and have some left over. Thank you.

[cso5@]

Wondering, too, about Expected Family Contribution

Hi,
I have a similar question. My daughter will start college next year, and while I have enough, in my 13, to pay for stuff (mostly! -- although she started driving after I filed, and now my insurance is a lot higher, but I am managing without trying to do a plan amendment) -- I am wondering about her financial aid and what will happen to the family /expected family contribution or whatever it's called.

Anyone have any experience in filling out the FAFSA while in a 13?

Thanks!

cso5

[lrprn]

Hi,
I have a similar question. My daughter will start college next year, and while I have enough, in my 13, to pay for stuff (mostly! -- although she started driving after I filed, and now my insurance is a lot higher, but I am managing without trying to do a plan amendment) -- I am wondering about her financial aid and what will happen to the family /expected family contribution or whatever it's called.

Anyone have any experience in filling out the FAFSA while in a 13?

Thanks!

cso5

We filled out a FAFSA pre-bk for our son and post-bk for our daughter. The FAFSA forms have no place to indicate you are in bk. The financial aid counselor we spoke with said whatever your income is looks like it's available to help your student (which of course, it isn't). The counselor also told us they would "take our bk into consideration"....but our daughter ended up having to get a student loan on her own without us because it looked like we made sufficient money on our FAFSA forms to kick her out of the possibility for grant money. The current government student loan process is not set up for parents in bankruptcy, that's for sure.

[sisterfunkhaus]

If you are willing to take stafford loans, BK has no effect of receiving those. You can get those as long as you aren't currently in default on other govn. backed student loans. I don't know about other forms of aid.

[arkienurse]

Hi,

Anyone have any experience in filling out the FAFSA while in a 13?

Thanks!

cso5

I agree with lrprn, they do not take the bk into consideration on the FAFSA. We have survived the first semester on a wing and a prayer, and lots of tiny scholarships that will not renew for the spring semester. I am praying hard about next semester.
DS was just in wreck that totaled his Jeep ( liability only). And the person who's fault it was has NO INSURANCE. Luckily our unisured motorist coverage kicked in. We have decided to hold off replacing his vehicle until after next semester is paid for, then take what is left( if anything) and get him another set of wheels.

[coma]

I just went back this semester for my master's, and we're in a 13. I got stafford loans with no problem. The FAFSA doesn't ask about BK and there is no credit check, just like someone said above, that you cannot be in default on any other govt student loans.

[slfallin]

what if.....

your school loans were included in chapter 13? Can you still a loan? I was behind but not defaulted.
thanks

[SinkingFast]

Stafford loans aren't based on a person's credit rating. It's a regimented $$ amount/yr. So much for freshman year (under 30 credit hours), and so on. Further up in school you get, the more money/year you're allowed to borrow.

Parent Plus and other similar programs are based on credit worthiness. That's where you'd have trouble getting money for a child or yourself for school.