You are here

OT: Question regarding FAFSA application for SS

stormabruin's picture

I'm not sure if anyone here knows the answer to this, but my SS is trying to get things situated to start classes at a business college this year.

Anyone familiar with our situation knows that is something HUGE for him. He's muddling through this registration a piece at a time. He's taken the placement test. He has a class schedule. The only hang-up he has with the process at this point is getting his FAFSA filed.

It's no secret, BM is a freaking nut. She's a stay-home-work-the-system yahoo, completely off her trolley.

That said, when the FAFSA came up in his registration process, he asked BM for her 2013 tax information. She told him she didn't have it...her first Stepdad did because he filed them for her. When he talked to her about getting it from her Stepdad #1, she said they couldn't use it because she was being audited.

After discussing the grounds for the audit (BM told him that she filed false income to get the child credits) I explained to SS, that the school probably isn't going to be concerned about the fact that it's being audited. They just want the financial information to determine what he qualifies for. If they do care, they'll let him know. If not, we carry on with what she has & see what comes of it.

She's refused to cooperate, so SS called BM's Stepdad #1 & asked him about getting the information. He told SS that BM didn't file last year because she had no income.

So, somebody's lying, & it's holding up this kid's efforts to get an education.

We've questioned BM's/Stepdad #1's tax filing practices, as last year, SS kept saying that BM's Stepdad #1 was filing for BM & she was supposed to get $10,000 back, but that it was being deposited into Stepdad #1's account & he would only be able to give her $500 at a time.

1) She has 2 kids, & only one was a minor at that time. That doesn't pull a $10,000 return.

2) The IRS doesn't deposit returns in $500 increments, so there's no reason he would only be able to give her $500 at a time.

As many times as DH asked SS about it, he could never say that she got the money.

Our best guess was that since BM, SS, & SD all had no income & BM's half-brother (Stepdad #1's son) is also a non-worker, perhaps Stepdad #1 illegally claimed the 4 of them as his dependents. That would leave BM with nothing filed last year. It could also potentially lead to BM being audited, & it may be cause for both BM & Stepdad #1 to be wishy-washy about making any information regarding last years tax filing available.

To the question: Does anyone know, if BM refuses to release any tax information for last year or if she doesn't have any to release, what needs to happen for SS to get his FAFSA filed?

He's reluctant to share this information with the lady at the school because he doesn't want to get his family members in trouble, but I can't see him passing on an education to protect people who care more about protecting their federal offenses than helping their son/grandson get his education.

Comments

Willow2010's picture

About 5 years ago...we did FAFSA for my DD. Her dad was not in the picture anymore so all she put for his income was "UNKNOWN".

They never questioned it.

stormabruin's picture

DH & I both file every year. Because of his pre-marital financial situation, I do not file joint returns with him. We file married separate.

I don't have a problem providing my tax information if it's going to help him complete this process, as long it doesn't legally bind me to any responsibility for paying for whatever loans he ends up with.

I was under the impression that it was only BM's information they wanted because he's been her dependent.

Jsmom's picture

In order for her to have gotten anything without the parent's info, she was declared an independent.

zerostepdrama's picture

Sounds like they were trying to scam the system.

Anywho... I am 99% sure that my mom just used her income when she filed the FASFA for me when I went to college. She was the CP. Not sure if that makes a difference or not, but I am assuming that is why my dad's income was not included.

stormabruin's picture

I would be stunned to discover that there was a system that they haven't tried to scam...for real.

Jsmom's picture

Who does he live with the majority of the time? That is the household that gets considered. For us, SD19 was on her mom's income and Stepdads. Not us. If he lives with you, then it is yours and your husband. The rest doesn't even come up on the form.

Now, don't plan on much more than the traditional 5K of a loan. White boys with parents with a good income, get nothing. I don't do loans for my kid so it is fill it out and let the IRS verify and we are done.

We have to fill it out since he gets the state scholarship, but if they aren't eligible, you do not even have to fill it out unless you want a GSL.

stormabruin's picture

BM is the custodial parent. Being she doesn't work & hasn't for years that works to his benefit as far as qualifying for grants.

DH & I are barely staying afloat financially ourselves, but that had been due to CS. He injured his knee back in June & is being released back to work Monday...if he has a job to go back to.

SS said it only asks for information on the CP.

A parent with any common sense & wanting the best opportunities for her child(ren) would provide her information. Clearly we aren't dealing with one of those.

Sports Fan's picture

My thoughts exactly. I will never, never, never pay one penny toward BM not working and not providing for her own kids. I've supported my child and everyone else should be supporting theirs.

I will never allow any situation where my income goes toward anything for BM period.

stormabruin's picture

Part of the problem is that we have no idea what's actually been happening with taxes.

I don't know if BM has claimed the kids, if her Stepdad #1 has been claiming them, or if anybody has claimed them. What I DO know is that BM hasn't worked, so if she's filed ANY income to get the dependent credits, she'd filed illegally. I also know that if her Stepdad #1 has claimed ANY of them, he's filed illegally. And I know that every year DH has asked about it, he's been lied to & never given the opportunity to claim them if BM wasn't going to.

Evil stepmonster's picture

I know this adds to more aggrivation, but SS or his father should be able to go th your local IRS office and ask who claimed him as a dependent. My exMIL works for the IRS. He will not be able to get the total income earned for that year but he should be able to find out who claimed him and then go to that sorce.

z3girl's picture

When SD23 was in college, BM never asked for DH's (or my, thank goodness) information for the FAFSA. BM was CP, and she always put "unknown" when it asked about the father. SD23 always qualified for grants and subsidized loans.

stormabruin's picture

BM is saying she did file, but won't provide her information because she's being audited for filing false income.

Her Stepdad #1 is saying she didn't file.

I'm not sure whether she...or even he claimed him on anything.

stormabruin's picture

I've never met Stepdad #1, so I can't say anything about his character. However, like you said, BM has lied about EVERYTHING...even things that don't matter.

If it's up to me, I opt we leave her in the oven & just turn it up to broil & fry her stupid ugly face off. I'm tired of looking at it.

Honestly, I think they're both telling their own untrue versions of what actually place as far as taxes being filed. I'm not sure what BM would get out of saying she's being audited for filing fraudulently if the fact is she never filed because she had no income.

I believe SDad #1 claimed them & received the refund & gave her part of it. I say that because she hasn't worked in years, yet they've gotten a chunk of money to take beach trips on each summer. I think perhaps there IS an audit taking place, but not on her. I think they can't provide her tax filing records from last year because nothing was filed in her name. I think BM & SDad #1 didn't get their stories worked out, so they're just each telling their own.

Whatever they did, clearly we cannot count on asking a question & getting an honest answer.

BM's mom was supposed to take SS to the school to have the lady there help him work through it today. She told him, last night, that she doesn't have time. She's taking SD to work at 2pm, which is about 2 1/2 miles away from the school, but she said she doesn't have time & MAYBE she can take him next Wednesday or Thursday. Classes start Dec 1st.

This kid is 21 years old. He's had his driver's license for going on 2 years, but they won't let him drive anywhere. Between BM's house & her mom & SD #2 who live next door, there are 5 adults capable of driving, & not one will help this kid get into school.

The MOST irritating thing about it is the fact that HE WANTS TO DO THIS! Given the history of these kids & the POS mother they have, the fact that he WANTS to do this & is TRYING to do this is HUGE!

So, DH dropped me off at work this morning & making the 2 hour drive to BM's house to pick SS up & take him to the school.

Jsmom's picture

For this kid, I would file for emancipation immediately. The faster he is disengaged from her, the better. He may get some financial aid.