Will bad credit affect FAFSA eligibility and getting aid?

I%26#039;m 23 and paying off debt that I acquired a few years ago. The places I owe are the university i was attending, a bank, some check n go loan places, and few small medical fees and one returned check. I was never able to get Fafsa%26#039;s financial aid before without a parent co-signing for a loan, which never happened (thus all the debt trying to work and go to school....) I was wondering if 1) I%26#039;m old enough to be considered independant and not have my parent%26#039;s income taken into consideration. and also

2) if my bad credit will affect fafsa%26#039;s financial aid, or do you still think i would be able to get a loan to go back to school?

p.s. i live in oregon....ive heard it%26#039;s either 23 or 24 for you to be not counted with your parents for the income thing....

Will bad credit affect FAFSA eligibility and getting aid?

To be considered independent you must be able to answer yes to one of these questions. (Notice none of them ask if you are living %26quot;on your own%26quot; or who claims who on what tax form)

Were you born before January 1, 1984?

At the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year, will you be working on a master閳ユ獨 or doctorate program ?

As of today, are you married? Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you?

Do you have dependents other than your children/spouse who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30, 2008?

Are (a) both of your parents deceased, or (b) are you (or were you until age 18) a ward/dependent of the court?

Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training?

Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?

The only time ive ever seen people not get a federal student loan because of bad credit, it%26#039;s because they were defaulted on a student loan. The cosigner thing is a mystery, perhaps this indicates you were going to a very expensive school and were taking out loans other than federal loans - or the loans you were offered were PLUS loans - ones specifically for parents... or the school you were going to wasn%26#039;t eligible to receive federal fin aid...

Good Luck!

Will bad credit affect FAFSA eligibility and getting aid?

no, I get FAFSA every year and my credit is not the best in the world...it never has affected me getting aid.

Will bad credit affect FAFSA eligibility and getting aid?

As long as you%26#039;re 18 and living on your own then you are considered an independent. Your bad credit will only stop you from getting a private loan but not a federal loan, which is okay because federal loans are better.

Here%26#039;s what you need to do to get a federal loan:

1) Fill out the FAFSA. This will determine if you are eligible for financial aid. Go here:

http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

2) Once you are eligible for aid, choose a government-based student loan. The best loan to get is a Federal Perkins Loan. These have low interest rates and the government will help you pay it back as long as you stay enrolled in school. You also don%26#039;t need a cosigner or good credit for it. For more info go here:

http://www.studentfinancedomain.com/stud...

3) The next best loan to get is a Subsidized Stafford Loan. This has many of the same benefits as a Perkins Loan. Learn more here:

http://www.studentfinancedomain.com/stud...

4) You can also try to get a grant or scholarship, which is free money that you won%26#039;t have to pay back. You can read about them here:

http://www.studentfinancedomain.com/fina...

And here are some good sites to check out:

http://www.fedmoney.org/

http://www.findtuition.com/scholarships/

http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss...

http://www.freegovmoney.net/

http://www.educationplanner.com/educatio...

http://www.studentawards.com/

http://www.college-scholarships.com/

Good luck!