Can I take out student loans myself?
My parents refuse to cosign for any student loans or fund my education in any way because I am not going where they want me to go. Can I take out enough student loans to pay for my years at college? If I was emancipated and then applied for loans would that be better? I will be 19 in October.
You can apply for a Stafford loan without needing your parents to be co-signors. However, depending on how much financial aid you are receiving and what your COA (Cost of Attendance) is at your school, it may not be enough given the loan limits (www.finaid.org/loans).
If you cannot answer “Yes” to any of the following questions:
were you born before January 1, 1984
are you a graduate or professional student
do you have children you support
do you have legal dependents
are you an orphan or ward of the court
are you active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces
are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces
then you will be considered a Dependent student and require your parent(s) information to determine your financial aid each year. You can talk to your financial aid office about appealing your status and making you Independent, but, unfortunately, unless there is an extreme reason why you can’t provide your parental information (incarceration, institutionalized, etc.) your appeal will most likely be denied.
You should talk to a financial aid officer at your school for more information/guidance. Good luck!
