<p>Alright. I filled out my fafsa as an independent since I was married at the moment of doing my financial aid. Only problem is...I didn't work the previous year and my mom claimed me on her taxes before I even got married. I used her information and my FAFSA was chosen for Verification. They're asking for W2 forms and what not, that I do not and cannot obtain seeing as I did not work all of last year.</p>
<p>What in the world can I do to receive financial aid for this year?</p>
<p>if you filed independent, why did you use your mom’s info? You’re supposed to use YOUR info.</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter that your mom claimed you on her taxes. Although, you may have to indicate how much your mom paid for any college costs last year and your living expenses. Not sure about that.</p>
<p>That may be the problem.</p>
<p>I used her financial information because I didn’t have any financial information of my own because I didn’t work.</p>
<p>That’s not a good reason. Go back and take her info off. You weren’t supposed to use it. </p>
<p>If you had no income, indicate that. Again, you might need to include include the support that your mom provided you.</p>
<p>I didn’t fill it out by myself, my finanical aid advisor assisted me and that’s what he did. They asked for my parents financial information and I provided it. I just don’t understand why it was chosen for verification and I’m confused. I know I should be patient and wait til tomorrow to call and ask…I was just hoping that maybe someone here has been through this situation.</p>
<p>There are any number of reasons why you may have been chosen for verification, including pure randomness. We were chosen this year even though all we were getting was unsubsidized Stafford which is given regardless of EFC. In our case, ALL OOS applicants for any aid are verified.</p>
<p>Regardless, your FAFSA was incorrectly completed. You need to let the school know and you have to provide correct information. That your mother claimed you as a dependent is not at issue here. You need to provide YOUR information as of the date you filled out the FAFSA, and explain the mistake.</p>
<p>That you married a non citizen is not relevant either. Are you a citizen or legal resident? THAT would matter a lot. You are not entitled to government aid if you are not. Also, regardless of whether your spouse is a citizen or legal resident or even a resident, his information needs to be included. Yes, HIS income for 2012 and his assets as of the date you completed the FAFSA need to be provided along with yours.</p>
<p>Is your non-citizen spouse a legal permanent resident? If your spouse is in a different immigration category that will open up a whole other can of worms come tax time next year, and the two of you should spend some time reading through the information at [Internal</a> Revenue Service](<a href=“http://www.irs.gov%5DInternal”>http://www.irs.gov)</p>
<p>You were your mother’s dependent for taxes in 2011 that is what matters for filing the taxes. Now that you are married, you are considered independent for the FAFSA. These are two different things. Lots of people are independent for one but dependent for the other.</p>
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<p>For 2012???</p>
<p>Cpt must have meant his income for 2011.</p>
<p>I don’t know why some FA advisor would tell a married person to incluce parent’s info on FAFSA instead of telling her to include her new husband’s 2011 income.</p>
<p>if this were for med or law school, then that might be a different story (some med/law schools want parent info, even if the student is married.)</p>
<p>If the student indicates that he/she is married, the parent info is not even recognized on the FAFSA … you can put it there, but it is ignored. There is no reason to update the FAFSA.</p>
<p>Just send in what they want, but your household size is 2 (you and your spouse). Number in college is 1 (unless your spouse is in college, also). Your parents do not figure in this at all.</p>
<p>If you did not earn money, then ask the school for a non tax filer form (you may be able to find one on the school website). If your spouse worked, you must also include his/her earnings information. Did he/she work in the U.S. & file taxes? If so, you need to obtain an IRS tax transcript and send it to the school. If you did not include this on the FAFSA, don’t update it — the school will do that when they verify. If he/she worked outside the U.S., you will need to send income information to the school … call them & ask what they want in that case. If spouse did not work, the non tax filer form will be completed for both of you.</p>
<p>Just send in what they want, but your household size is 2 (you and your spouse). Number in college is 1 (unless your spouse is in college, also). Your parents do not figure in this at all.</p>
<p>I wonder if she put that she’s an independent student. Also, if her parents’ household is larger than 2, she will have to change that. Will that be a problem? Earlier, someone said that you can’t change family household size later.</p>
<p>I think they will treat her as independent and ignore the parental information and change everything during the verification process with the information given then. Thanks, Kelsmom, for letting us know how this works when incorrect info is given and you are selected for verification.</p>
<p>If she indicated that she is married, she is automatically treated as independent for FAFSA purposes (unless the school overrides it — like if they find out that she did an earlier FAFSA for the year that had her listed as unmarried). </p>
<p>If HH size is requested as a verification item, the HH size at the time the verification form is completed is indicated … it can vary from the HH size at the time the FAFSA was filled out, and the financial aid officer has to update it based on the HH size form that is completed during verification. The only unusual item to note on this subject is that if parent or student is pregnant at the time, that unborn child can be counted in the HH size.</p>
<p>*If HH size is requested as a verification item, *</p>
<p>What if it’s not? </p>
<p>What if her parents’ household was a Family of Four and she put that, but her household as a married person is Two? If she used her parents info, then she may have used their family size. It it was just her mom and her, then that’s still two, but what if her parents’ family is larger and she used that? </p>
<p>If the verification is only for income and nothing is mentioned about family size (and family size is wrong), do you just leave it?</p>
<p>No. If a student realizes that something he/she put on the FAFSA is an error, it needs to be fixed. When a FAFSA is selected for verification, it is appropriate to contact the school to tell them & allow them to fix the mistake.</p>