If the parents are filing married filing separately…and they are claiming to live in separate households…it is very likely they will need to prove it. They would need to have two different addresses on their tax returns…and would need to be filing as single…or head of household.
Otherwise…BOTH tax returns will be required…not just one.
If the parents are living in the SAME household…it doesn’t matter HOW they file their tax returns…BOTH incomes are required on the FAFSA. BOTH.
If they are filing “married filing separately” the schoo,will want to know where the other parent info is…or they will require proof that these parents are indeed separated.
This will be a verification target…especially if the student is Pell eligible or has an auto $0 EFC.
@mom2collegekids when you file married filing separate you have to include your spouse name and ss# on the 1040. That’s what makes me think every thing isn’t on the up and up with this either.
Do both of your parents live in the same home…with you?
So what? It is federal fraud to get federally funded need based aid by willingly filing a FAFSA with inaccurate information. This can result in loss of admission to the college, loss of any financial aid…or,having to repay any that has been disbursed to the student, and a fine.
I don’t think we should be even tacitly encouraging students to do this…just because it seems hard to find this out. With the guideline of having to link to the IRS Data Retreival Tool, the tax information is far more accessible to the schools than before.
And if the parent is filing as single or head of household when really married…they have IRS issues that could be bigger than the financial aid ones.
@thumper1 They shouldn’t be filing head of household at all. If you are married you only can file married filing jointly or separate. But since they are willing to defraud Fasfa they might be willing to defraud the IRS.
Sorry, I had to start making my dinner before it got too late!
@happymomof1
There IS a CC I can commute to - a few, actually. I live in California. This entire thing isn’t even about a University but about a CC - the tuition isn’t exorbitant, really, but, they really just don’t have any money from last year anymore. Truthfully, they just made a lot of frivolous electronic purchases and it all added up.
@sensation723
Yeah, I didn’t know a lot of this info about taxes until I started reading you guys’ replies. My mom will be giving me her tax return sometime today or tomorrow, so, I’ll look over it and see how she is filing them.
@thumper1
They both live in the same home with me. It is actually likely my mom is using a separate address on her tax returns, honestly - she often uses her P.O. box address for everything as opposed to the actual house address. I’m not sure if she is claiming, to FAFSA, that my dad doesn’t live with us OR just trying to say that he has no income. But, I feel like the IRS wouldn’t overlook a P.O. box as a real place for someone to live.
If you are going to college in the 2016-2017 school year…the one starting in the fall…or after…the deadline for the Pell Grant for that school year is actually any time before your school year ends, I believe. June 30, 2017…but I believe it all has to be filed and processed before your academic year ends.
Even so…unless you are attending a CA community college, the Pell isn’t going to fund your costs. It is federally funded aid…and willingly providing false info to get it is federal FRAUD. That is a crime.
When ARE you enrolling in college? January 2017?
You do realize that if you only attend college for one semester of the academic year, you are entitled to only one semester worth of Pell…which would be half of the amount for the full year.
@thumper1
Yes, I think you’re correct, as well, but… Like I have said, discussing things with my parents just doesn’t go well.
Unless I can get my hands on my fathers taxes somehow and I can use them together, I think I’m just going to tell them I applied and was still denied and work from there. I don’t want to commit any crimes, even if I wouldn’t get caught.
FWIW, 5 of the 6 schools that my son applied to required us to send in tax returns and/or use the IRS data tool. That requirement wasn’t apparent when the FAFSA/CSS Profiles were submitted; they all showed up in the respective financial aid portals for each school after they received the FAFSA/CSS Profiles. There isn’t anything unusual about my financials; I think it’s become more of a standard practice.
@thumper1
Yes - they want me to just make a username and ID for them and do it all. My dad doesn’t have the time to complete it and my mom just… she just doesn’t want to, tbh.
If the income is too high for Pell or they might also have high assets, are they going to lie about those too, then you can take out a student loan of $5500, that might cover tuition if you can commute.
there is NO WAY you will get a Pell grant with your parents income.
they are indulging in “magical thinking” and their delusions and obfuscation regarding what is required to apply for FA THESE days is going to hurt both you and them I’m sorry to say.
Well…you really aren’t supposed to get the username and password for your parents. They are supposed to do that.
And you can make it clear…you can’t complete it without BOTH tax returns. If they are so clueless about this…just tell them your colleges require both…which is true in your case.
I had to submit a copy of our federal tax return for almost every single college my daughter applied to, so it seems to me it’s not uncommon, and in fact is very likely! For a lot of schools you have to submit the FAFSA even for merit aid – so it is better to submit it. Just submit it honestly-there is really no way to do it dishonestly and get away with it anyway.
@mommdc
Yeah, I know it’s too high. I don’t think they have very many assets, though, but well. In any case, I’m going to end up discussing loans with them most likely.
@thumper1
Yes, I’m aware, but, she just refuses to do it. “You need to do things for yourself,” she says. I’m almost turning this thread into a rant page, forgive me, u-u
I told them colleges require both. What I think they want to do is just say my dad didn’t file because he had no income/a job. He didn’t/doesn’t have a ‘job’, but he does real estate deals and all that.
It’s just dawned on me fro all you guys wonderful suggestions that there really isn’t any talking to them. I’ve run through it with them already and just refuse to listen to me to any degree.
Tell them you can just take out the student loan if it turns out you won’t get Pell and they can claim a tax credit next year on their joint return. Wouldn’t they like free money?