I recently completed the FAFSA, but my mother has not had a job in 2016 and pays no taxes. She got all her support in 2016-2017 from child support and borrowing money from family and her boyfriend. Thus, I filled out the FAFSA as best as I could, but now my school has flagged me for verification.
I don’t have a W2 from 2016 to show them. It says if I don’t have that then I can “submit a signed statement certifying the amount of your AGI and the U.S. income tax paid for 2016”. Problem is, I don’t know how to get actual accurate amounts for this stuff. My mom doesn’t accurately keep track of her money.
If your mother did not have a job in 2016, she does not have a W-2. It sounds like the school is asking you for things that you cannot give them because they do not exist.
You need to get a non-filers statement…and that needs to be submitted to the school. This gives the reasons your mom didn’t file taxes…and was not required to do so.
Now…if she was required to file…and just didn’t…that’s a whole other story!
Did you put an income amount earned for your mom. And if so…what was that amount?
If the parent had $0 earned income, it is likely the skip logic never asked any of the other questions about child support or assets.
It is okay that you’ve been selected for verification. If she didn’t work, her earned income is $0 and she likely didn’t have to file… She should be able to order a statement of non-filer from the IRS. All it says is that she didn’t file a 2016 return. It also appears your school would take a signed statement that her AGI is $0 and that the tax paid was also $0. You don’t need any records for that. Loans and child support are not income.
Make sure they want HER statement of non-filer or signed affidavit and not YOURS. Or did they ask for both?
You are selected for verification by the federal processor, which means that all schools are required to verify you. It is a random sort of thing, but more lower income students are selected because they are the ones who will get Pell.