So a couple months ago I sent an application for fafsa and everything got accepted. My parents are immigrants so under the ssn I put all 0’s for their ssn. They said everything was fine and I just had to send in my parents W2’s and tax returns. So I did so and made copies and sent them to my schools fafsa office. This afternoon I got an email saying online I put that my parents have all 0’s for the ssn, but on the W2 form it has a ssn number! I had no idea what they were talking about and I go back to see my dads W2 form and I see a ssn. I went to ask my dad and he said his employer gave him a ssn when he first started the job years ago. So now I obviously do not wish to continue with fafsa just because that made this more complicated. Now I just wish to not continue with the fafsa process, so how exactly do I fix this/ cancel this…? I’m scared out of my mind that something will happen to us. Will fafsa contact me if I do not pursue the application?
O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!
@BelknapPoint Your post is just flat-out mean. OP was working with what he had, and didn’t realize his dad had a fake ssn. Read between the lines as to why his dad has a fake ssn, and have some compassion as to why OP says he’s scared.
Read between my lines-- I’m not saying that OP has participated in any deception. But someone has, and now it’s coming back to cause some unintended/unanticipated problems.
@BelknapPoint What what you commented before wasn’t helpful in any way when I was just asking what I should do and just saying I was scared on what’s going to happen. There was no need for that comment.
It’s still insensitive to offer an unhelpful reply in what you think is a witty and poetic fashion. Do you understand that his concern is that he has submitted a form to a federal agency, seeking a government benefit, by using a parent’s false ssn? OP says he’s “scare out of my mind that something will happen to us”, and the first reply he gets is your callous response.
Let’s try to help the kids with the situation they’re actually in, and not blow them off because they find themselves in a tough situation beyond they’re own control.
Fafsa info can be corrected. If the SSN is legit perhaps you can ask the school to change it for you seeing as you submitted the correct documentation. You didn’t do anything wrong and don’t let people tell you otherwise.
If that is NOT his SSN, don’t continue to use it.Tell the school that the W2 is incorrect but can’t be corrected.
If you do nothing, the FAFSA will just be incomplete. If you need financial aid, you’ll have to work with the school to get a completed file.
Not intending to be “witty and poetic” – I’m pointing out that this is a cautionary tale that hopefully others can learn from and thereby avoid the same predicament.
Of course I understand that.
Give me a break with your righteous indignation. If you’ve got some actual useful advice for the OP, I suggest that your time and energy would be better spent posting that. My advice for OP is that he or she respond to whoever sent the email inquiry, and truthfully answer any questions that have been asked. This can’t just be “fixed” and the FAFSA that was submitted cannot be “cancelled.” Alternatively, OP could just refuse to respond and hope that everything goes away. The only thing I can say about this course of action is that OP will most likely receive no FAFSA-based aid as long as there is a question about the information that was provided.
@chopsmo Thank you so much for being so kind! It means a lot really. I finally got the answers I’ve been looking for!
@RedLari Thank you for letting me know that! I think I’ll just leave the fafsa alone. We’re financially stable enough but I did want some extra money for books sadly. I’ll just work with the school to see what I can do!
@twoinanddone And we don’t use that ssn, it was just given to him by his employer so he could have the job, but this was years ago so we don’t use it at all, just his ITIN to file taxes. Yeah I’ll just leave the fafsa alone at this point and wait until I don’t live under their roof anymore so I won’t have to put their information down or I’ll just talk to the school about this. Thank you so much!
So…whose SSN is it? That’s a whole completely different issue.
If it’s on your dad’s W2 form…then in actuality he IS using it. He is using those W2 forms when he files his taxes…right?
You can contact the school, and let them know you wish to withdraw your FAFSA, and do not want to be considered for any need based aid at all.
Perhaps your parents can work on getting this straightened out…
moderator’s note
Op has gotten advice on what s/he needs to do as a next step. Closing thread before it goes off the rails.