My youngest son is a senior in high school and will be attending college next year. I am currently unemployed and have been since 2014. My older son lives with us and financially assist me with my youngest son. My oldest son filed my youngest son on his tax returns last year. When completing FAFSA for my youngest son, do I have to provide my oldest son tax returns, as he is not my youngest son legal guardian?
You will be completing the FAFSA using your income information. If it’s $0 then it’s $0. BUT be prepared for verification because there is no question the colleges will want to know how you are paying your day to day living expenses. Just be prepared to explain and show documentation.
The tax filing status doesn’t matter for your son. You are still his custodial parent. You use YOUR info…not your son’s.
Where is the other parent? Are you married?
Thanks for the information. I am single and the other parent pays me child support.
You will need to include the child support payments received for the tax year for the FAFSA you are completing. So…if you received child support in 2017, this MUST be included on your child’s FAFSA form.
Just answer the questions as asked and do not complicate it by calling things income when they aren’t income. If questions about assets are ‘grayed’ out, don’t worry about it. The FAFSA has skip logic and only asks the questions it needs to calculate the EFC for you.