FAFSA when now independent in 18

SoFloDad
Sun, 02 Dec 2018 19:37:25 +0000

A friend of my daughter (18 y.o.) has basically been disowned by her parents. That may be a little strong but she receives no financial (and less emotional) support. She is the “sleeping on someone’s couch” kid. She currently qualifies for Free and Reduced lunch. We are helping her complete her apps and FAFSA and may provide a home at some point.
Her mother claimed her as a dependent on 2017 taxes. She had no income and did not file. She will be filing in 2018.
So questions about completing FAFSA
1- do we have to use mother’s 17 return to complete? If not, what do we do?
2- how do we distinguish between “i was supported then” and “I get no support now”?
3- what is the most strategic way to file 18 taxes? I.e. Head of household or something else
4- since she is essentially homeless, how do we strategically capitalize on that?
5- if we do provide a place for her to live, what impact will that have? I understand i could get another deduction for her but I would rather maximize benefits/opportunities to her.

6- what am I missing?

Thanks in advance.