No one student is the same as the next. This is definitely true when it comes to filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If you find that you’re in an unusual situation and are not sure what to do while filling out your FAFSA, refer to this document. If you’re still not sure what to do, please contact us and we’ll do whatever we can to help!
Hi,
I have a question. My parents’ income is approximately $30,000 and my sister’s income is approximately $7,000. I am wondering if my sister should file her taxes with my parents or should she file them separately. Which way will we be eligible for the full pell-grant?
Hello there Stephanie,
Thank you for your question. Unfortunately, dependency (whether your sister is an independent or a dependent student) is different on the FAFSA than it is on tax returns. If she was to file her taxes an an independent, she may still be considered a dependent on the FAFSA. If she in fact does qualify as an independent student, she would be in good shape to receive a pell grant if she filed in a timely manner. The pell grant is awarded based on need. If you tell her to check out this post, she should be able to determine whether she is a dependent or an independent on the FAFSA: http://blog.uheaa.org/2013/01/2013-14-fafsa-dependency-am-i-a-dependent-student/
Thanks.
No problem!
-BL at UHEAA Outreach
What if an applicant gets married after applying, but before school starts?
Hello there Jan and thank you for your comment. In some cases, you can speak with your school’s financial aid office and they might be able to take that marital status change into consideration. It is not guaranteed that they will be able to do that since the change in marital status happened after you submitted your FAFSA. What will happen and if it will be taken into consideration is completely up to your school and their policies.
Please let us know if you have any other questions!
Sincerely,
BL at UHEAA Outreach