[Found-18567]

On the fafsa application there are questions that ask about your "dependency". One of them is if you are married, another is if you have kids who live with you and you provide support to. You need to answer "YES" to this question. You do have children you support, you put them to bed, take care of them when they throw up, clean up after them, wash their laundry and read them a bedtime story! Trust me, you work!! This will make you not have to report your parents income. Where it asks on worksheet B is anyone "Paid anything on your behalf" then you might consider putting any monetary amount your boyfriend paid for you or your children to support them. Or another option is to list yourself as common law married, then you would not have to include your parents income and you would then report his income on your fafsa (along with your children - 5 people in the household). YOU SHOULD NOT BE PENALIZED FOR NOT GETTING MARRIED or staying home to take care of your kids! If you have more questions call the Dept of Education directly at 1-800-4FEDAID and they can talk with you one on one more in detail about your specific situation. Don't let some "clerk" behind the fin aid counter at a school hinder your desire to go to school. Even if they talk with you in great length and still make you report your parents income, (which can be appealed through your schools finanical aid office by the way) you will still be eligile for student loans if your parents make a lot of money.