I am a DACA student and I wanted to file my TASFA and FAFSA. My parents are immigrants from Mexico and have never filed taxes because they’re afraid they will get deported. My dad is an electrician and makes about 58k a year and my mom is a stay-at-home mom. I do not know what to do about my situation and I do not want to talk to my councilors because I feel like they will judge my parents. I am going to visit UNT and I want to have everything done by then. How can I file for at least FAFSA without needed my parents file return? Also, I work 2 jobs and make about 500 a paycheck and was wondering if I could use that instead.
You might want to re-post this in the Financial Aid Forum. Some people there will have ideas for you. Or send a PM to kelsmom. She is a financial aid officer.
Your parents don’t need to file taxes for TASFA. The application simply asks, “Did your parents file a tax return for 2015 (federal or foreign)?” Just check “no” and move on.
You can also fill out FAFSA without your parents having filed income taxes, though it’s a bit trickier. On FAFSA, you’d have to check a box saying that your parents were not required to file taxes. It is conceivable that a government hostile towards undocumented immigrants could take negative actions based on this “lie.” As it stands, the government doesn’t care because DACA students are not eligible for federal financial aid. You’d be completing the form to get a Student Aid Report to apply for privately funded financial aid.