Were you still a dependent for your parents at 24? Did you still live with them? Or did the application like not required that information at all? I mean as long as you didn't cheat or trick the application etc i think its fair game even if you parents could support you with their income etc doesnt mean they should when your 24 and no job lol. 12000 per semester is high if tuition is 2000 something she probably lied about it or something i know nobody that got more than 3-4k in refunds even if they go to cheap community colleges. You said you live with a family that is above the threshold so you probably don't understand the extra costs that come with college though as ur parents paid for it. A student who lives with a single parent and no job definitely can't be supported without that huge refund(although i never heard of a 10k refund thats insane) if you think about it. commuting, books, insurance etc can't really save up that much.
Yea I still lived with my parents throughout college. Housing around campus was pretty expensive depending where you wanted to be. The application didn't require me to include my parent's information which was why I was able to receive financial aid. I didn't lie or cheat on the application. Everything on it was fact, the only difference, like I mentioned, was that once I was able to exclude my parent's information I was able to get the FA. I don't know if the amount she recieved was including loans though, and she was living in a single parent household which entitled her to more, apparently? I'm just saying the system is broken.
