<p>I am married and will be filing separately and only made 16k last year which was just enough to get by and go to school. I am transferring to a better more expensive school and really need help from FAFSA. My wife makes 55k a year and has a lot of debt from her 8 years of college. She does not help me at all financially and definitely does not help me with college finances. Will fafsa automatically add her income to mine even though I am filing separately? I owe 300 on my taxes right now if I file and will not get the education credits because I am filing separately. I don't know what to do and I really want to continue my education but if FAFSA gives me another 5k (from filing together last year to go to state college) instead of the money I will need after my transfer (university) I wont be able to go...HELP!!</p>
<p>You are married. Your wife’s income and asset information is REQUIRED on the FAFSA form. Your IRS tax filing status has nothing to do with this. It doesn’t matter if you file jointly or not…your wife’s info is required. As a note…FAFSA does not give money. The FAFSA is a form that basically determines your eligibility for federally funded need based aid. I do not believe your family income of $55k will allow you to receive a Pell grant. You will be able to take a Direct loan, and I believe the amount per year is about $9000 for independent students. I could be wrong…so you will need to check.</p>
<p>I am curious as to why you are filing separately. By giving up the education credit, I would think you are losing money doing so. Are the two of you separated?</p>
<p>*She does not help me at all financially and definitely does not help me with college finances. *</p>
<p>You’re married so both incomes are used. Just because you two have an arrangement of keeping finances separate, means nothing to the FA process. That’s a personal decision. You have to include your wife’s income. </p>
<p>BTW…are you sure that your wife doesn’t help you at all…even indirectly? Do you each pay half of the rent, utilitites, food, car releated expenses, insurance, etc?</p>
<p>Why are you transferring to a more expensive univ? </p>
<p>How much do you earn each year? </p>
<p>“but if FAFSA gives me more money…” </p>
<p>FAFSA doesnt’ give money. It’s just an application for federal aid. If your EFC is low enough, you’d get a Pell Grant (not likely because of your wife’s income).</p>
<p>We have been separated all through 2012 but recently have been talking about getting back together. Legally married the whole time though. I know they do not give people money. They are loans for the most part. The university has the degree i am after.</p>
<p>If you have been separated and are not together at the time you file your FAFSA, you should file as separated. In that case, you would just use your income. However, if you reconcile before you are verified, you will have to list her in your household size … at which point you will then be asked for verification of her income - and could lose grants you originally had been awarded. The problem would be that even if it works out for this year, if you do get back together you will have to include her income next year. Of course, you must do what is best for you personally.</p>
<p>They are loans for the most part</p>
<p>Well, you can get those whether you’re together or not. The amount of loans that you can get won’t change as long as they’re below COA, which it sounds like they would be. </p>
<p>As a junior, you can borrow about $11,500 I believe.</p>