FAFSA and illegal parents!

Hey everyone. I come here searching for help. I am trying to apply for fafsa but my parents are illegal. I am a U.S. citizen and my father makes about 40,000. My stepmom also works at a restaurant but doesn’t make that much. They both file taxes however my dad uses someone else SSN. I am listed as his dependent but since he uses someone’s SSN i am not listed as his daughter. Also i can’t use my stepmom’s taxes because she is not legally married to my dad. when I do my fafsa it asks me to use they’re social. I am not sure what to do because technically speaking my father is unemployed in the united states and he doesn’t have a SSN. Someone told me to put that they filed foreign taxes but I’m not sure. Any help is appreciated.

@kelsmom?

Oh heavens. First of all…your father should NOT be filing taxes with someone else’s SS number. But that’s a whole other issue.

You will need to complete the FAFSA. Because your parent is not a citizen, but you are…you will put 000 for their SS number. They cannot get a FSA ID number so you will have to print out and have them sign whatever it is they need to sign…and mail it in.

Re: the income. If your dad earned income, you need to put that income on your FAFSA. Period. The tax situation needs to be reconciled.

If you are listed as your dad’s dependent on his taxes…what ARE you if you are not his daughter??

If your dad did not file foreign taxes…you can’t say that he did.

@happymomof1 any suggestions??

Re: your step mom. If she isn’t married to your dad, she isn’t your step mom. She is your dad’s live in significant other. Step parents are married. You would not include her income or assets on your FAFSA unless your dad was married to this woman.

I am listed as his niece. However i might have another option… My mom is a u.s citizen and she files taxes but I’m not listed as her dependent nor do i live with her (she lives in another state). For all my college applications and school related information i have always said i lived with my father therefore I’m not sure if i can use my mom’s tax return information.

For the FAFSA, you MUST list the parent who you reside with 51% of the time or more as of you FAFSA filing date… You can’t just pick another parent. So if you reside with your dad…you have to use your dad.

edit: delete, saw this was about your parents undocumented and not yourself

what your dad needs to do is get his own individual tax ID number. If there is ever a path to citizenship for him, what he wants to do is legitimize his status by correctly paying taxes.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/taxpayer-identification-numbers-tin

As others have stated, you can not simply pick a parent. you live with your dad, you must use his income/assets. Since your dad is not legally married to your stepmom, her information is not used on the FAFSA.

You might want to take a gap year during which time you move in with your mother. Your dad’s criminal behavior is irredeemable in terms of college financial aid and it is unfortunate that you are affected by that.

@WISdad23

The OPs dad needs to see someone who can help him correct this tax situation. He is not the first or the last to have a similar “problem”. But it could take a gap year to sort this out.

@happymomof1 who could this person see to get this straightened out.

Unless there is a truly compellingreason to live with dad rather than mom - for example admission to an in-state public U that offers a special program that is only affordable because the student has never given up state residency - the simplest route would probably be to take a gap year and go live with mom. Then mom would be the parent for FAFSA.

@kelsmom might have some ideas too.

If the student lives with dad until HS graduation in May '17, and then lives with mom, s/he might have to wait to file the 2018/19 FAFSA until Dec '17, or whenever s/he meets the requirement for parent on FAFSA, “parent whom the student lived with more days in the 12 months before filing FAFSA”.