First - you and your mom should fill out the FAFSA as soon after January 1 as possible, with estimated amounts (like from pay stubs and/or child support). Then, as soon as you can after that, both of you file (unless you don’t have to - do you have a job?), and go back and connect your FAFSA to your tax returns.
You got the fee waivers handled, right?
It doesn’t affect your waiver request which is now. For your FAFSA which you file after Jan 1, you will include the income earned in 2015. She can’t wait until March, that is cutting it too close.
@OHMomof2 Yes. I am going to put the child support for 12 months for my fee waiver income or whatever, that works right? So first when I fill out the FAFSA it will all be with estimated amounts, right? Then I can go back and add the tax return to the FAFSA? Sorry, this is confusing stuff!
Yes. By the way, you might qualify for free or reduced price lunch at school. If so, that’s usually all you need to qualify for fee waivers for applications, SATs, everything.
If your mother doesn’t file a tax return, you’ll mark ‘not going to file’ on the fafsa so you do not have to go back and add the tax return. There is a line on the FAFSA for child support received in 2015, and you’ll just put it on that line. Child support isn’t reported on a tax return so there is no reason for your mother to file taxes just for the child support.
@twoinanddone her mom just got a job so will be filing this year.
We don’t know if the mom will earn enough to need to file this year…or not. It’s mid November. If she has a minimum wage job or is working part time…or both…it is very possible she won’t reach the threshold for needing to file.
Yes but she CAN file whether she needs to or not. And this is a good year to do so, since it makes filing FAFSA and dealing with FA much easier. Plus obviously to get any refund or possibly EITC.
@OHMomof2 I have always denied getting free lunch because you need tax returns to prove it and I don’t have those so yeah… Thanks for all the help! My mom will be filing taxes for 2015 so that financial aid and FAFSA are easier to deal with. 
Thank you.
Getting free lunch makes doing your FAFSA easier too, but it will be okay regardless. Getting free lunch qualifies you for College Board waivers too.
Just ask the Child support paying agency to issue you a statement/letter of how much your mom receives a year.
On our free/reduced lunch application at school they just ask for household members and income, we don’t attach proof, but you could provide that if asked. You can sign up anytime I believe.
You can get 2 fee waivers for SAT, send 4 free scores and get 4 application fee waivers if on free/red lunch.
If your mom makes under $24 k I believe and can file a 1040 A tax form or you receive free/red lunch you might be eligible for auto zero EFC for FAFSA.
I agree if mom had any federal or state tax withheld from pay she should file a federal and state tax return. And it will make FAFSA reporting and verifying easier.
Also the 2015 tax return will be used for the next two FAFSA years. For 16/17 FAFSA filed starting in Jan 16 and 17/18 FAFSA filed starting in Oct 16.
^ yes. Also child support is received by the mom as an auto deposit in her bank account (OP said earlier), so there’s probably a web site she can go to and print that out for the year.