<p>In the year of 2010, I made less than $7000 working part time. </p>
<p>My mom just filed her taxes, where she is claiming me as a dependent, considering I live at home. </p>
<p>She told me that when she sat down and did her taxes, that she realized that I can still indeed file my own and most likely get a tax return of between $200-$400..of which I would consider I nice chunk of change.....</p>
<p>...however,</p>
<p>a $300 check from the government isn't as good as a few thousand dollars in the form of financial aid...</p>
<p>So I'm not sure what to do here, figuring i'd ask the forums here.</p>
<p>Well you have no choice. By law, you must file your W2s. It would probably not impact your financial aid that much if any.</p>
<p>It won’t make a difference either way. Whether you’re a dependent or not on your parents’ tax forms won’t alter your financial aid award in any way. Your parents’ salary is counted into your financial aid award up until you’re 25 (I believe) regardless of whether or not you live with them or are counted as a dependent on their tax forms. </p>
<p>By law, you have to file. Whether you choose to file as a dependent or not won’t change your EFC (expected family contribution, which is what FAFSA awards are based off.)</p>
<p>You’re not an independent student it doesn’t matter. As a dependent student you will need to file under your parent(s) income.</p>
<p>Hey, so I just did my taxes yesterday…so that’s all good.</p>
<p>However, now i’m wondering about how to go about telling the UCs I applied to. </p>
<p>I still haven’t done my Fafsa, but considering I just got my taxes done (& so did my mom), now is a good time to do that Fafsa…</p>
<p>Aside, concerning the UCs themselves, how do I go about updating and telling each school that I indeed will be filing MY taxes for 2010? </p>
<p>(For example, UC Irvine right now has my mom’s tax info, but not mine. In fact, I believe I told them I wasn’t going to file…but of course, decided to indeed do my taxes…)</p>
<p>You don’t tell the UC’s. I don’t recall anywhere in the UC app where you tell them whether you will file taxes or not. You tell FAFSA.</p>
<p>I was asking considering UC Irvine Fin Aid is asking me to mail in copies of my moms w2’s and 1040s. </p>
<p>So I decided to throw in mine in the same envelope as well.</p>
<p>Well, you don’t give them your w2’s. They only ask for 1040’s. Or maybe it was my colleges that only wanted the 1040’s only. Maybe Irvine wants W2’s as well. But yes, it wouldn’t hurt to throw yours in.</p>
<p>Thank you. </p>
<p>I went ahead and mailed UC Irvine copies of the 1040 and w2’s of both my own and moms. </p>
<p>Guess I’ll just go And do my fafsa. </p>
<p>And not mention to each school specifically about fin aid unless they bring it up first.</p>