Apologies in advance if this is the wrong sub for this kind of question, but I'm at a total loss. Mods, feel free to remove if this is not allowed.
Background: I spent most of 2016 living out of my car, jobless, and did not have any taxable income in the months prior to homelessness. (Odd jobs, temporary server/retail positions, etc.) I am estranged from my parents for several reasons, and currently receive no financial help from them with the exception of the fact that I am still on my father's health insurance plan. I believe they still list me as a dependent on their taxes, but I am unsure and have no way of finding out. My parents would not sign for the FAFSA if asked, and as far as I know I am not eligible to apply without parental consent/information. I will not be applying for student loans because if I were ever to become homeless again I would not be able to pay them off. (Irrational, but important to me after going through that period of my life.)
Currently, I make about $15/hr at a job I've had since April. I am paid weekly, and have put away money from every pay check into a separate account with the intention of saving for classes. Despite a few minor setbacks, I have managed to save exactly $4,000, and after reaching that milestone I decided to apply for enrollment at the local community college for the spring 2018 semester.
When going through the enrollment process, I selected two options: financial self-sufficiency, and no taxable income during the previous year. However, when I received my student information, there was a hold on my account saying that I could not register for classes without presenting a form (which I have filled out) and my 2016 tax records.
I've contacted the student services office but have received no response. I am, however, extremely concerned. The terms of enrollment stated that if I knowingly falsified data on the forms I would be charged out of state tuition fees rather than in state tuition fees, which I cannot afford. Is there precedence for a situation like this? Are there documents that I can supply in lieu of my 2016 tax records? I am overwhelmed and anxious, and feel like all of the optimism I had for my immediate future has been sucked away. I have had little to no guidance throughout the process of "adulting" and am unsure if I have made the right financial choices--much less what I should do next.
Thank you very much for your time.
EDIT: Thank you so much to everyone who responded. I have a better idea of what to do next, and so many of my worries have been assuaged. You're all wonderful, thank you.
Submitted October 18, 2017 at 09:27AM by irlGyro http://ift.tt/2hOVDqn
