<p>Hi, I am a rising high school Senior and I will be filling out the FAFSA application next school year. I don't know what to put for my parents' information! My parents are not together, but I live with my mom & my aunt. My mom is not employed so she has NO income and FAFSA requires you to put your parents' income information so my aunt is out of the question. My dad is the one that is going to pay for college and he is the one that supports me financially but he is not my custodial parent & FAFSA website says you have to fill out information for your custodial parent.. I haven't lived with my dad at all because he lives in MA and we live in NY. Can I still put my dad's income or will I not be able to get financial aid?!?! (freaking out right now :/ ) I know it's long but someone please help me :(</p>
<p>You would put down your mom’s income since she is the custodial parent. </p>
<p>If she has no income, be prepared to get an IRS non-filers statement (if she is not required to file taxes).<br>
In addition, she will most likely have to file a low income verification form (which means, if she does not work, how do you eat?). </p>
<p>Any child support payments made by your dad will have to be listed on the FAFSA. </p>
<p>IF your dad is going to pay for college, the following year, all monies that he has paid on your behalf, will also have to be listed on the FAFSA</p>
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<p>Just to clarify, this does NOT mean that you list your dad’s income now. The only income you list is your mom’s, even if it’s zero. That’s all FAFSA requires.</p>
<p>But, after you start college, if your dad pays part of your tuition, or helps pay for your housing or something, that payment would be included on future FAFSA’s as “money paid on your behalf.” Not an issue now, so don’t worry about it.</p>
<p>If your dad pays child support, as sybbie719 noted, that money would be listed on this year’s FAFSA as your mother’s nontaxable income.</p>
<p>*My dad is the one that is going to pay for college and he is the one that supports me financially but he is not my custodial parent & FAFSA website says you have to fill out information for your custodial parent… *</p>
<p>Sounds like your dad sends money for your support. That goes on FAFSA. If he provides money for your mom as well, that would also go on FAFSA.</p>
<p>Be sure to find out how much your dad will pay for college, so you won’t end up with unaffordable schools. Also be sure to apply to a few financial safety schools that you know for sure are affordable because of assured aid and/or family funds.</p>
<p>Okay so to clarify a few things: should I put down my mom’s income even if its zero? Or do I put down the money that my dad pays for support as my mom’s income? Also about the low income verification form, we live with my aunt so we still have her income…</p>
<p>Sorry again & thank you for your answers!!</p>
<p>Where it asks for your Mom’s income - you put zero. Where it asks for child support received - you put that amount there. If they require verification - they will tell you what they need. They may ask where you live and how you get food etc .- and you would answer that you live with your aunt and that she provides food and housing. Your aunt’s income is not part of your calculation though.</p>
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<p>(1) Your mother’s “adjusted gross income” is zero. (2013-14 FAFSA: line #83)</p>
<p>(2) Your mother’s earnings from work are zero (line #87) </p>
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<p>Child support received by your mother is entered as “untaxed income” (line # 92(c))</p>
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<p>(1) Your aunt is not your parent or stepparent, so her income is not included.</p>
<p>(2) The free rent/food you receive from your aunt is also not included on FAFSA.</p>
<p>(3) If your aunt actually pays a bill for you, not your mother, during 2013 (for example: she pays for an extracurricular activity you do or she pays for you to take the SAT), that would be included at line # 44(j).</p>
<p>Note: The 2013–2014 FAFSA may not be identical to the 2014-15 FAFSA, which is the one you’ll need to use.</p>
<p>You would also include any money your dad gives your mom for her support. Does your dad give child support AND spousal support?</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids: no, he only provides child support, not spousal support.</p>
<p>Thank you soooo much everyone for helping me!! I almost thought I wouldn’t be eligible for financial aid & would not be able to afford to go to college… Thank you so very much again :)</p>
<p>Use this summer to get things in order. Find out how much your dad will pay for college. Have him look at some college’s Net Price Calculator. See if he can afford to pay the EFC. Are you eligible for In- state tuition in Mass.? Will you live at home or on campus? Major? GPA, SAT scores? Retake planned? </p>
<p>Are you eligible for application fee waivers. IF so, ask for them from your guidance counselor before you leave school for summer. Talk to teachers now about letters of recommendation. Look for scholarships and note the due dates. Find a summer job and maybe work next year. Save as much as you can. Moving to college isn’t cheap.</p>
<p>Get as much of this figured out before HS school starts in Sept. Apply somewhere over the summer or have an application ready to go as soon as school starts again. Having an acceptance by Thanksgiving to a school you LIKE and CAN AFFORD will make your senior year much more enjoyable. Apply as early as you can. Some schools give more finaid and scholarships to the early birds. </p>
<p>If you need help finding schools that you can gain acceptance and afford, post back. The parents here have great advice.</p>
<p>OP, with FAFSA, you are applying for financial aid through the government; the eligibility for a Pell grant which you never repay, and the ability to borrow Direct loans which you do repay. Basically, the lower your income and assets, the better, so there are plenty of kids every year in your situation who get money from the government that others can’t get because they have too much money. You seem to have it confused. In this case, you are better off having less money, so don’t sweat it! If you lived with your dad, and he makes a lot of money, you would end up probably getting less government financial aid.
Understand?</p>
<p>@Yankee Belle: I have heard similar advice
I want to major in mathematics, I have a 4.0 GPA, but my SAT scores are not the best (1860) so I’m definitely retaking (and I’m also taking the ACT on June 8th)
I think I am eligible for application fee waivers because I was also eligible for SAT and ACT fee waivers
My high school counselor already made us ask our teachers for recommendation letters now
I kind of started the scholarship search but some of them require you to fill out the FAFSA
I would love some help with finding colleges that I can afford and can get into
I’m also hispanic if that helps… I mean I’m a US citizen but my parents are hispanic (from Dominican Republic)
@teachandmom: yeah, I kind of had the idea of what the whole financial aid thing was, but I was just worried since our income would be zero, that I wouldn’t be able to get aid…</p>
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?? If your EFC is zero, you should at least get Pell grant.</p>
<p>How are your grades and class standing? How well do you test?</p>
<p>I ask because, if you’re a strong student, you should apply to institutions that meet full financial aid. These have a high sticker price but can be very, very affordable to families with low incomes. And they usually require a form in addition to the FAFSA, the Profile.</p>
<p>I am not sure what that form would need from your father, but someone on this message board should be able to tell you.</p>
<p>@momfromme: my grades are pretty good. I have a 4.0 gpa, I rank #1 out of my whole grade, my high school transcript is pretty impressive (my school is partnered with a CUNY college where we are allowed to take actual college courses along with regular high school courses), I test well on New York State tests but I don’t know what happened with SAT… My CR score was horrible (520) but my writing was decent (720) and math was okay (620) I’m retaking it though
I don’t know if that makes me a strong student or not because my grades are great but my SAT doesn’t show it</p>
<p>I was just wondering why the government requires you to put your custodial parents’ income even if your other parent agrees to take full financial responsibility (stupid question, I know but I was just curious)</p>
<p>*@momfromme: my grades are pretty good. I have a 4.0 gpa, I rank #1 out of my whole grade, my high school transcript is pretty impressive (my school is partnered with a CUNY college where we are allowed to take actual college courses along with regular high school courses), I test well on New York State tests but I don’t know what happened with SAT… My CR score was horrible (520) but my writing was decent (720) and math was okay (620) I’m retaking it though *</p>
<p>Definitely apply to some SUNYs/CUNYs so that you can get TAP as well as federal aid. Your SAT isn’t high enough for the top schools that give “full aid.” The Writing score doesn’t seem to matter as much as the Math + CR and yours is a 1140. However, you’re fine for many/most/all SUNYs. So, find some SUNYs that you like.</p>
<p>You need to ask your dad how much he’ll pay. At some of the schools that give the best aid, they will want your dad’s info. Can you clarify? You say that your dad will pay some/all of your college. does that mean he has a highish income? </p>
<p>Please ask your dad how much he’ll pay each year for college.</p>
<p>The less your custodial parent makes the better. You’re lucky that there might be someone else willing to pay on top of that. We used this book - The Ultimate Scholarshop guide, which is published every year. I am AA, but there are TONS of scholarships specifically for hispanics. It is so worth the 20 or so dollars to purchase, but will take time to get through. There are over 3000 scholarships listed. Good luck!</p>
<p>[The</a> Ultimate Scholarship Book 2013: Billions of Dollars in Scholarships, Grants and Prizes (Ultimate Scholarship Book: Billions of Dollars in Scholarships, ): Gen Tanabe, Kelly Tanabe: 9781617600012: Amazon.com: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Scholarship-Book-2013-Scholarships/dp/1617600016]The”>http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Scholarship-Book-2013-Scholarships/dp/1617600016)</p>
<p>^^^
How much in scholarship money did you get for ALL FOUR years? Many of those awards are probably for ONE year only - frosh year.</p>
<p>I will have to ask my dad how much he will be able to pay the next time I see him (in about 2 weeks)…
His income is about 40K to 45K I believe, although I could be wrong. I think he’s also helping pay for my stepbrother’s education (stepbrother is going to his sophomore year in college)
I really hope I can improve my score for a shot at one of the great universities (maybe an ivy), also my school is making us apply to the CUNY’s (no choice)
I was also wondering if I qualified for EOP or HEOP??</p>
<p>& thank you for the scholarship book, I will definitely look into that!</p>
<p>YOu should apply for CUNY so that you can have a financial safety as SUNY does not meet full need (there will be loans in your FA package). Keep in mind that for HEOP, they look at the income and assets of both of your parents (because both are expected to pay for your education).</p>
<p>attached, please find the EOP profile, so that you have an idea of where you fall for EOP (along with the EOP income guidelines)</p>
<p><a href=“https://www.suny.edu/student/downloads/pdf/2013_eop_profile.pdf[/url]”>https://www.suny.edu/student/downloads/pdf/2013_eop_profile.pdf</a></p>
<p>sample EOP package</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.newpaltz.edu/admissions/eop_supp_app_12-13.pdf[/url]”>http://www.newpaltz.edu/admissions/eop_supp_app_12-13.pdf</a></p>