<p>With income that low, it's probable that he can file a 1040-EZ, which is pretty EZ and should take 5-10 minutes to fill out.</p>
<p>You're probably right; I'm going to try it.
I (incorrectly) had thought that a Hope scholarship/Lifetime learning credit would be claimed on HIS return initially.....Have since learned it would be on ours.
He's a freshman so this aspect is all new to us.
So I'm really just filing his so he can get his (small) refund.
Thanks for the tip!</p>
<p>I'm learning as I go too. </p>
<p>D has a workstudy job but I don't believe any taxes were withheld. I think she's well below the limit require to file but I'm not sure that filing a pro forma return just to establish a paper trail showing her earnings and the fact that she's not claiming herself as a deduction isn't a good idea.</p>
<p>Taxes aren't withheld from Work Study Jobs. I had one for three years, and left it this year. Basically, they give you an amount that says you can earn up to this much money per yer, and that's how many hours you can work at your work study job. For example, i worked 5hrs/week freshman and sophomore year, but once my mom lost her job, i could work 10hrs/week. i mainly worked the 10pm-1am shifts, just because they were convenient and fit easily into my schedule. </p>
<p>my current job i just come and go as i please. i don't have classes durign the day mondays, so i got hen, i dont have classes in the afternoons tuesdays, so i go then, i dont have classes at all wednesdays, so i go sometime, thursdays i dont work because my classes are randomly throughout the day, and fridays i dont have classes so i go sometime. although this isn't a work study job, most places are like that.</p>
<p>and honestly, i don't see why you wouldn't work during college. the whole "my parents give me money so i dont have to work" attitude really annoys me. 5 hours a week isn't going to kill anyone, and its pretty sad to see someone that's 22 completely reliant on their parents for money.</p>
<p>Fendergirl: another perspective. My parents paid my tuition, room, board, and books. Everything else (gas, car repairs, cell, fun money) was on me, and I wasn't allowed to work. Basically, I worked a lot over the summer and then budgeted it out through the year. Considering that they were paying $40k a year for me to be there, they didn't want me spending my time trying to earn an extra $500. I was allowed, however, to go home and earn it - mowing the lawn, raking leaves, or babysitting.</p>
<p>Also - the reason that I'm not working in grad school - I have the rest of my life to work. I'm in no hurry to throw away my last chance to take it easy before retirement.</p>
<p>I know that some people I talked to do this and they said that the people running work study are very understanding. Like if they have a test the next day they can study and stuff like that. It doesn't sound like they wouldn't work with you if you needed to do schoolwork.</p>
<p>Michele</p>
<p>aries - what i mean is, there are people that i know here, that dont work summer jobs, or during the year, and their parents give them a 400$/month allowance. and then they complain that they have no money because theyre "on a tight budget".. i think it wouldnt be a problem if they worked 5/hrs a week to give them that extra money. i just think that's really sad to be that reliant. My roommates dont work during the school year, they work during the summers though.. same as you. i don't have problems with that.. just the ones that don't work ever.</p>
<p>LOL - know that feeling, Fendergirl. It's like... um... do you realize that when you graduate, you'll make $25k/year, which, after rent, food, and your cell bill, will leave you all of $50 to spend on fun? Do you realize that you're living better now than you will when you have to support yourself?</p>
<p>yeah. a bunch of us pitched in money last year to get these two guys guitars for their birthdays, and the one guys girlfriend said she could "only pitch in $50" because she was on a tight budget - everyone else was giving like 5/10.. and she could only pitch in 50 because of her budget.. what a shame..</p>
<p>My parents don't believe in work study. My dad says that since we're paying $40,000+ a year for me to go to college to learn, my time at college should be spent learning and studying or at, at the very least, enjoying the college experience instead of working for $6 an hour. My worked as a lab assistant last year and I'm currently doing research but, quite frankly, it's more for experience than for money.</p>
<p>sorry, i feel that working is a part of the college experience :)</p>