FAFSA Help

<p>Hello. I was looking over the FAFSA and was a bit confused about the info. I'm currently a sophomore in high school trying to get a head start in understanding financial aids. Here's the scenario I'm in: I live with my father and stepmom. They are not married so my stepmom receives federal aid (food stamps). My father works at a restaurant as a manager, but he and my stepmom switches work schedules. Like my stepmom would work 2 days a week, and my father would work 3 days a week. They share their income with each other and live in the same household. My biological mother lives all the way in Asia but is a US citizen while my guardians are not. I was wondering if I only fill out my father's information or do I include my stepmom's too?
Oh and I know I don't fill out my FAFSA until Jan. 1st of my senior year; I'm just trying to get a head start in processing the information in my brain.
Thanks.</p>

<p>Your father is your custodial parent. Unless your dad and your step mom are married to each other then you would just use your fathers income. You must use his income and assets on the FAFSA, even though he is not a citizen/permanent resident. You would just use 000000000 for the social security number.</p>

<p>Keep in mind that the only thing the FAFSA does is qualify you for federal aid (which in most cases will not be enough to pay for college). Schools that give out large amounts of institutional aid, will require the CSS profile and the non custodial profile or their own financial aid forms asking for both the income and assets of both of your parent.</p>

<p>Even though your father is not a citizen, he should take the steps to get a taxpayer ID # and file taxes. Your mother should also be filing taxes, even though she no linger lives in the US. Your family’s income will be verified through the date retrieal tool linked to the IRS or an IRS transcript. If this cannot be done, you will not receive any actual money.</p>

<p>I’m not sure how citizenship works. But my father has lived in the U.S. for 9 years and I have lived here for 7 years. We both have a green card and social security number. So what does that mean?</p>

<p>Your dad has a green card and is a legal permanent resident. You will use his SSN on the parent part of the FAFSA, and his tax return information.</p>

<p>You have a SSN, use that on your part of the FAFSA.</p>

<p>Your mom is a US citizen, so you need to find out why you aren’t. If she was a citizen when you were born, it would be very unusual for you to not acquire citizenship from her at that time. If she naturalized after you were born, it would be very unusual for you to not acquire citizenship at the same time that she did. Get hold of an immigration lawyer, and find out what the deal is. You may be a citizen and not know it (yes, this does happen). Many things will be easier for you if you are a citizen, and getting the paperwork sorted out before you turn 18 will make the paperwork easier.</p>

<p>If your dad has had a green card for five years, he can apply for naturalization. Start reading about it here:
[USCIS</a> - Citizenship](<a href=“http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=a2ec6811264a3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=a2ec6811264a3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD]USCIS”>http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=a2ec6811264a3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=a2ec6811264a3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD)</p>

<p>My mom used to live in California and applied for citizenship 2 years ago. However, I didn’t live with her and visited during the summer only. But that wasn’t enough time to process all the paperwork for me to obtain citizenship. My dad is planning on getting a citizenship soon (hopefully).</p>

<p>Talk with your mom’s immigration lawyer, and see if your paperwork can be fast-tracked based on your status as a minor, and her citizenship. That still might be the best way to go.</p>

<p>

How old were you when your mom became US citizen? If you under 18 then, you could be US citizen already. See [USCIS</a> - Citizenship Through Parents](<a href=“http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextchannel=32dffe9dd4aa3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD&vgnextoid=32dffe9dd4aa3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD]USCIS”>http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextchannel=32dffe9dd4aa3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD&vgnextoid=32dffe9dd4aa3210VgnVCM100000b92ca60aRCRD)</p>

<p>However, LPR & US Citizen are treated the same for FAFSA</p>

<p>So I do not need to state any information regarding my stepmom? Should I include her in the number of people in the household? On the food stamps she fills, she uses another address instead of ours. So will they know that she resides in our household or no?</p>

<p>See <a href=“https://fafsa.ed.gov/fotw1314/help/pnumInHousehold.htm[/url]”>https://fafsa.ed.gov/fotw1314/help/pnumInHousehold.htm&lt;/a&gt;

You decide if you should include your stepmom in the household.

I would encourage you to file FAFSA as honestly as possible.</p>

<p>Also is your bio. mom divorced from your dad officially?</p>

<p>“They are not married”</p>

<p>Unless you live in a state that recognizes common-law marriage, and your dad and your “step-mom” meet the requirements for being considered to have contracted a common-law marriage, she isn’t legally married to your dad. Which means that she isn’t legally your step-mom, and her financial information doesn’t get included in the FAFSA application.</p>

<p>You will file it with your dad’s tax information, and you will count only yourself and your dad as belonging to your household, for a total number of two in your household (unless your dad also has other children who live with him).</p>

<p>If your dad and your not-legally-a-mom-but-clearly-considered-to-be-a-mom do get married (or qualify for common-law status in a state that recognizes common-law marriage), then her financial information will also be necessary, and your household size will be three (or more if there are other kids involved).</p>

<p>Just a heads up: You will only confuse matters and muddy the waters by referring to your father’s girlfriend as your stepmother when discussing FA or submitting FA forms. While your relationship may be very close and you may have thought of her as your stepmother for a long time, she isn’t married to your father and doesn’t bear that title for any legal or official purpose. As for her food stamps, living in one place and using a different address for food stamps certainly sounds questionable (I have no clue, though), but it’s her issue and there’s no reason to bring it up with anyone or discuss it further.</p>

<p>Ohhhhh I understand now. So basically I’m not obligated to bring up any of my dad’s girlfriend’s information on the forms even though she lives and shares income with us. Ok I think I got the hang of it, thank you everyone.</p>

<p>

You may want to give some thought on this FAFSA question:

</p>

<p>Ahh…I’m a bit confused now. If I include her in the income question, then do I have to add her to the household too? Some of you guys are contradicting each other and I’m not sure who to fully believe.</p>

<p>You do NOT include the girlfriend on the income section or as a member of your household…but if she pays for things on your behalf, you would need to include that amount under THAT question.</p>

<p>

Do not treat this forum as an authoritative source of knowledge on FAFSA. Get help from this web site [FAFSA</a> Help](<a href=“http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/help.htm]FAFSA”>http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/help.htm). You have a complicated family -

</p>

<p>You only need your dad’s income info. Your dad’s GF is free to contribute to the household, but she cannot be considered in the HH size. In addition, if she contributes money, you do NOT have to include it anywhere. That is only for students who are considered independent for FAFSA purposes. Dad’s GF is not giving “gifts” to the OP, but rather she is helping to pay for the household expenses - and in the case of unmarried people living together, as of now (not sure if it might change in the future), the money contributed by the other person to the household is not reported on FAFSA. If she were to flat out pay the OP’s tuition, the amount would be reported on next year’s FAFSA as a gift - but only if she actually pays her own money for OP.</p>