1st Generation U.S. Citizen

Paying for College
1

<p>Hey i would like some help, id like to know what i am supposed to do if i want to apply for fafsa and live with both my parents and younger brother (13), but both my parents are immigrants and both get paid in cash and pay no forms of taxes. What form or procedure would i have to go through to apply for financial aid? </p>

2

<p>Even if your parents are paid in cash, they are supposed to file taxes.</p>

3

<p>Do your parents have green cards or are they here illegally? If so: </p>

<p>All U.S. citizens are eligible for federal financial aid, regardless of their parents’ immigration status. If you are a citizen but your parents are undocumented immigrants, you should fill out the FAFSA and include their financial information. If your parent does not have a social security number, use 000-00-0000 as his or her social security number.</p>

<p>Steps for Filling Out the FAFSA for citizens with undocumented immigrant parents
For the parental information section, include your parent’s financial information.
Write 000-00-0000 as your parent’s social security number.
Contact your university’s financial aid office and explain your situation; see if they have university-specific advice or protocols.</p>

4

<p>Do you know approximately what your parent’s income is? </p>

5

<p>If your parents are not US citizens or permanent residents, they must manually sign the fafsa. You will sign using your pin. YOu will then print out a signature page for them to sign and mail their signature page to the FAFSA federal processor. In addition if your parents work, they need to file taxes (even if they are undocumented). there are agencies and assistance from the IRS to help them do so.</p>

6

<p>No my parents do not have a green card and are living here illegally, they do not have a green card, working visa or social security. in addition they also work but get paid cash and get paid by the hour, so i could figure out at least how much their yearly income is. </p>

7

<p>Yes…you will have to figure out their income and report it. BUT they will need to file taxes for 2014 calendar year. Even if they are being paid cash, tax filings are required.</p>

8

<p>Tax payments are due April 15. Don’t forget about the state income tax return too.</p>

9

<p>Depending on what your parents make, they may owe little or nothing in taxes. There should be some services that will help them get their 2014 taxes filed. It may become useful for them in many regards to do this. </p>

<p>Schools will deal with this situation differently regarding their financial aid, so you may have to approach each one individually. However, the directions for the FAFSA are consistent. You are entitled to file as a citizen, and you have to include your parents’ income, and if selected for verification, it can be a huge obstacle if they did not file taxes. It’s a cinch if they do, since the info is just cross checked with the IRS. You will likely be selected for verification if your parents did not file taxes and if income is very low, as schools will want to know what you are living on.</p>

10

<p>Some schools also choose to verify all new freshman/transfers, so depending on where you attend - you could have to provide proof of income regardless. </p>

11

<p>@Cantinflas, check out these links relating to completing FAFSA for federal financial aid for US citizen students with undocumented parents.</p>

<p><a href=“http://blog.collegeup.org/fafsa-tips-for-undergraduate-students-with-undocumented-parents”>http://blog.collegeup.org/fafsa-tips-for-undergraduate-students-with-undocumented-parents&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“How Do You Complete the FAFSA When a Parent is Undocumented? | Fastweb”>How Do You Complete the FAFSA When a Parent is Undocumented? | Fastweb;

<p><a href=“http://www.ehow.com/info_8554663_can-financial-aid-parents-illegal.html”>http://www.ehow.com/info_8554663_can-financial-aid-parents-illegal.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Hope this helps. Please continue to post additional questions. Best of luck! : )</p>

12

<p>Many people in your parents’ situation file their federal income tax returns every year using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. Ask around. It is likely that some of their friends are doing this. Here is the link for more information <a href=“http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Individual-Taxpayer-Identification-Number-(ITIN)”>http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Individual-Taxpayer-Identification-Number-(ITIN)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;