Austistic looking for one-time bureaucratic help
July 13, 2022 3:31 AM Subscribe
I have Autism and have terrible problems with filling out forms online, especially complicated serious ones like FAFSA etc. That's what I'm trying to do now.
It's really urgent. I'm in the middle of my degree. Family helped until now but can't help anymore. I think I need to get a new copy of my tax return too. I can't get any help from my school's financial aid office and Office of Disability wants to help but Financial Aid is very well insulated and there isn't a way for them to even help me get special assistance from FinAid. I am about to crash and burn because I literally can't do this myself and I have a tiny social circle of all neurodivergents who can't help me with this. School itself is going great and actually I excel in academics, but this obstacle seems like it's going to take me down.
Is there a service out there who can help me if I pay them a little? If so, what type of service should I be googling? I have almost no money, but it's clear that if I can't find someone to pay to help me with this I am not going to be able to start my next semester and my program is very intensive and scheduled. I can't describe how much of a disaster it would be if I can't solve this and I am in complete meltdown and don't know where to start. I've been part of the Metafilter community since 2003 and this is where I go when I am truly stuck, so any ideas are very welcomed.
Email just in case: greensquirrel1818@gmail.com
It's really urgent. I'm in the middle of my degree. Family helped until now but can't help anymore. I think I need to get a new copy of my tax return too. I can't get any help from my school's financial aid office and Office of Disability wants to help but Financial Aid is very well insulated and there isn't a way for them to even help me get special assistance from FinAid. I am about to crash and burn because I literally can't do this myself and I have a tiny social circle of all neurodivergents who can't help me with this. School itself is going great and actually I excel in academics, but this obstacle seems like it's going to take me down.
Is there a service out there who can help me if I pay them a little? If so, what type of service should I be googling? I have almost no money, but it's clear that if I can't find someone to pay to help me with this I am not going to be able to start my next semester and my program is very intensive and scheduled. I can't describe how much of a disaster it would be if I can't solve this and I am in complete meltdown and don't know where to start. I've been part of the Metafilter community since 2003 and this is where I go when I am truly stuck, so any ideas are very welcomed.
Email just in case: greensquirrel1818@gmail.com
It is possible that you may not need a copy of your tax return. The FAFSA has the IRS Data Retrieval Tool , which allows students and parents who filed a U.S. tax return with the IRS to access the IRS tax return information needed to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form and to transfer the data directly into their FAFSA form.
posted by oceano at 4:29 AM on July 13, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by oceano at 4:29 AM on July 13, 2022 [2 favorites]
I had a neurodivergent friend who told me they used Upwork (I searched FAFSA to list professionals that would probably do what you needed) for outsourcing tasks they found otherwise exhausting.
posted by foxfirefey at 7:54 AM on July 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by foxfirefey at 7:54 AM on July 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
First of all, this sounds like a VERY solvable issue! Just based on what you have written here, I am confident this is going to work out fine and you'll get the FAFSA filled out.
Even though I can see why this is confusing, a lot of schools, including the one I work at, want students to fill out a FAFSA before having an appointment with someone in the financial aid office. BUT there are probably other people at your school who will help you fill out these forms.
I know you already talked to the Disability Office, but depending on how that conversation went the first time, maybe send them an email and ask if they know of anyone who can just sit with you and help you fill out the form--it doesn't need to be someone from the Financial Aid office, just someone who is willing to help you work through the online form. If they don't know of anyone, send me a MeMail with the name of your school and I can see if there is someone you can call for an appointment, and if that doesn't work, I am happy to work with you to fill out the FAFSA over Zoom or something.
If you have never seen the FAFSA before, here's a copy of the questions, just so you know the kinds of things it will be asking. While having a copy of your tax return might be helpful, there's a good chance you don't need it and will be able to use the IRS retrieval tool that oceano mentioned.
posted by mjcon at 8:32 AM on July 13, 2022 [7 favorites]
Even though I can see why this is confusing, a lot of schools, including the one I work at, want students to fill out a FAFSA before having an appointment with someone in the financial aid office. BUT there are probably other people at your school who will help you fill out these forms.
I know you already talked to the Disability Office, but depending on how that conversation went the first time, maybe send them an email and ask if they know of anyone who can just sit with you and help you fill out the form--it doesn't need to be someone from the Financial Aid office, just someone who is willing to help you work through the online form. If they don't know of anyone, send me a MeMail with the name of your school and I can see if there is someone you can call for an appointment, and if that doesn't work, I am happy to work with you to fill out the FAFSA over Zoom or something.
If you have never seen the FAFSA before, here's a copy of the questions, just so you know the kinds of things it will be asking. While having a copy of your tax return might be helpful, there's a good chance you don't need it and will be able to use the IRS retrieval tool that oceano mentioned.
posted by mjcon at 8:32 AM on July 13, 2022 [7 favorites]
I use a VA!
posted by shockpoppet at 10:16 AM on July 13, 2022
posted by shockpoppet at 10:16 AM on July 13, 2022
Several years ago I helped my niece fill out the FAFSA over Skype when we were in two different countries and I have ADHD. It seems overwhelming, I get that, but you are going to be okay!
Please follow the excellent advice above in the very first response, from Sweetie Darling, and in that order. Thank you to Sweetie Darling and the other commenters who have offered help to this MeFite in need. Y'all rock!
posted by Bella Donna at 1:01 PM on July 13, 2022 [3 favorites]
Please follow the excellent advice above in the very first response, from Sweetie Darling, and in that order. Thank you to Sweetie Darling and the other commenters who have offered help to this MeFite in need. Y'all rock!
posted by Bella Donna at 1:01 PM on July 13, 2022 [3 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Another suggestion would be to ask in the subreddit for your college/university; you may find a fellow student or alumnus who could help. There are also parent groups on Facebook for many schools, and I've found those to be incredibly supportive and willing to rally around students who need help with issues like this. You may not be ableto join the group (the ones I've been in don't allow students to join), but you could DM the group admin.
[If none of those options pan out, MeMail me. I'm a mom of a college grad and a current senior, so I've done the FAFSA eight times and would be happy to help you if I can.]
posted by Sweetie Darling at 4:00 AM on July 13, 2022 [7 favorites]