<p>Is it even possible? Or am I now void of any federal aid because of my parents mistakes?
You guys are smart so I figured I'd be better off asking here instead of at Yahoo Answers or something :-)</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I know for a fact there are much smarter people on this board than me when it comes to financial aid questions, but I do know that even if a parent doesn't file a tax return (for example, if they don't make enough to warrent filing) they can file a FAFSA. Your step-father would have to declare his income and assets, but I don't recall seeing any question on the FAFSA asking if a parent owes money to the IRS. ;)</p>
<p>I mean, it might be risky for your step-dad in terms of getting busted (sounds like he's already busted if he knows how much he owes), but I don't know the particular circumstances. In any case, I don't see why you/he couldn't file the FAFSA, I mean just on a technical level of filling it out and submitting it. I don't know how much automatic interface the FAFSA folks have with the IRS, I mean outside of an audit or something.</p>
<p>I look forward to reading other responses to your post.</p>
<p>If your stepfather didn't owe the $50G to the IRS...would he be filing a tax return? In other words, does he make enough money to require him to file? If he does, then you will have a difficult time completing the FAFSA, as you will have to provide his income information from his nonexistant tax return. Financial Aid Administrators are required to know the filing requirements...IOW, we are taught what income types and amounts require a person to file a tax return. If he were to fall into that category, the school would require him to file his tax return before you could become eligible for financial aid.</p>
<p>The answer to your questions is "yes". If your parents refuse to complete FAFSA or refuse to give you money for college, it's YOUR problem too. Parents are the ones primarily responsible for college costs. Just as they are for high school and earlier grades. </p>
<p>However, you can still file the FAFSA. Just stay out of the mess in terms of making remarks to your stepdad. He's in enough trouble. You just want him to complete the FAFSA. You just need family numbers for 2008, not for prior years and that return has yet to be filed. Don't even refer to his issues. Perhaps he can send it to his accountant or whoever is handling his tax issues right now for completion.</p>
<p>
[quote]
In other words, does he make enough money to require him to file?
[/quote]
Yes. He is my family's only source of income and he makes approximately $50 thousand a year.</p>
<p>If you are applying this fall, for admissions for in 2009, the FAFSA will need numbers from 2008. So it appears that your stepfather's IRS troubles will not affect this process for your first year. FAFSA is generally filed with estimated figures and then corrected with actual numbers when the tax return is filed since schools want the FAFSA as close to 1/1 as you can get and often all the numbers for the prior year are not available.</p>
<p>Ivegot,</p>
<p>Based on the information you provided, since your stepfather is the breadwinner of the household and is not filing his tax returns due to his problems with the IRS, you will not be eligible for federal aid until such time as he resumes filing his tax returns.</p>