FIRST TIME FAFSA

My son is a High school senior. He has autism. I haven’t work since 2016. My mom put him on her taxes. I heard grandparents can’t do fafsa for him. I’m trying to figure out how to do fafsa before it’s too late. His councilor is new. She has only been there a year and a half. So she isn’t much help. We recieve SSI, Medicaid and Child support. How do I go about helping him apply?

Well, he’s yours unless your parents have court ordered guardianship , and if he did not spend more time with his dad than you in the last year.

Did you file taxes in 2019? That’s the info used used for FAFSA. If you did not file taxes , you should get your proof of income together (SS Statements, List of child support payments, other income) and verification of non filing from the IRS that you did not file. You might want to hold on to that verification in case you are asked for it. If you did file, the IRS retrieval tool will bring over the info onto FAFSA.

No he hardly goes to his dad’s house. No I didn’t file 2019 taxes. The list of child support payments for what year?

Start gathering your documents now

Get an IRS non filers statement (you will need this before any actual aid is disbursed). I would recommend getting letters for 2018 and 2019

Get a copy if your Social Security award letter (if you don’t have a recent one). Again I would recommend getting documentation for 2018 and 2019

If you receive any kind of SNAP or PA benefits get a copy of your budget letter

Your FAFSA will use 2019 income You will have to put the child support received on The FAFSA.

You will most likely end up with a 0 EFC

What us your home state? See if you son is eligible for vocational and rehabilitation services, which may include funding fir college.

Texas

And to clarify, it doesn’t matter who declares your son on their taxes for FAFSA purposes. If he lives with you, it’s your income and assets that matter.

Make sure you have all documentation because if your income is really $0, the colleges will rightfully want to know how you are paying your living expenses. You will likely be selected for verification. As long as you are honest, and the forms are completed accurately, this is not something to worry about.

The advice from @sybbie719 is spot on. Get those non-filer statements.

Clarify whether the SSI needs to be reported as income. I believe it is not reported.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is not reported on FAFSA as “Other Untaxed Income.”

@thumper1 is correct in that you should have supporting documentation for your parents’ income and other Info even if it isn’t going on the FAFSA. It can hold up aid if you are asked for verification. It than take a lot of time, especially these days to get those documents.

Okay I’m so confused. So now I need my parents information? I thought they only needed mine? We did the FAFSA already I put 0 as income and skipped all those questions. I tried to log on right now to try to add stuff and I can’t. I thought I needed ssi income letter? We pay rent with that. Child support is used for light bill and Medicaid. We get Snap for food. I request the irs forms for non filers for 2019.

You are not an independent student. That being the case, the parent section needs to be completed even if the fields are $0.

The FAFSA has a parent section and a student section. Did you complete both? If so…that’s all you need.

You don’t need the grandparent financials.

No, I apologize. I forgot you are the parent. I meant the student’s parents. Just saying that proof of your income should be kept at hand as well as the non filers form in case it is requested. Child support should have been reported as income, however.

I can’t change the FAFSA application because its already being processed. After its completed could I add the child support information?

Yes. You can correct it. It isn’t likely to make a difference but, as you can verify by googling the question , child support is required to be reported.

Once your FAFSA has processed, you can amend it to include the child support and resubmit it to your schools.

It says my son’s was successfully processed so I try to go on and make changes and it didn’t let me. Then I logged into mine and I said it was still being processed we did it at the same time.

Have your son log on using his FSA ID with your help.