<p>How do you know that this person would be a full-pay student?</p>
<p>If parents (and student) are not filing a US tax return, there must be equivalent returns in other countries, that colleges must want. I don’t know anything about this, just assuming.</p>
<p>The FAFSA is a US application, for US funds and loans, so if the supposed person is a US citizen, perhaps doing a FAFSA would be a good idea.</p>
<p>Then, colleges usually ask for the CSS Profile, which is more detailed, and/or their own institutional forms.</p>
<p>Some colleges are still giving aid to students whose family income is $180,000.</p>
<p>If the supposed student’s family is very obviously going to pay in full, due to income and/or assets, then this post can just be ignored!</p>
<p>If your income in your current country of residence, plus any US income, is less than the guidelines other posters have given you, then you do not have to do a tax return (but, again, could still do a FAFSA).</p>
<p>If and when you do end up doing a tax return in the US, there are deductions, or credits, that you can claim for a certain amount of the money paid to a college, but the ceiling is quite low compared to the tuition payments themselves.</p>