FAFSA FAQ

You need to include both your mother's and your stepfather's income on the FAFSA. Regardless of any agreement to keep their finances separate, including any prenuptial agreement, both incomes factor into determining your parents' available income.

If your parent(s) refuse to provide their financial information on your FAFSA you may still qualify for Federal Unsubsidized Loans. Please contact a financial aid counselor for more information.

Students who have been determined dependent based on the FAFSA are required to provide their parents financial information.

 The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA - also known as the Buckley Amendment) limits access to educational records without expressed written consent. You may complete a FERPA release form with the Financial Aid Office.

 No. You must indicate your marital status as of the date you are completing the FAFSA.

Use the natural parent with whom you lived the most in the past 12 months. If you lived with neither parent, or lived with each parent an equal number of days, use the parent that provided the most financial support to you over the past 12 months. If that parent has remarried, you must also include the step parent's financial information on the application, and parent and step parent should report themselves as married on the FAFSA.
Example: You have been living with your mother and stepfather for the past 12 months. You would use your mother's income and stepfather's income, and you would report on the FAFSA as a member in your family: yourself, your mother, your stepfather, and any other family members they support.

 Should I use the voluntary DRT option? Beginning with the 2012-2013 year, all students and parents of dependent students who indicate on the FAFSA application that they have already filed a federal tax return may be eligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval tool to complete the FAFSA. The DRT will allow the FAFSA on the Web applicants to request and retrieve their income and tax data directly from the IRS. Yes, you should use the voluntary DRT if you are eligible (determined by FAFSA questions you will answer). Once the data is retrieved from the IRS, it can be transferred to the FAFSA on the Web. It will increase the accuracy of your FAFSA information and streamline the application, review and award process. The earlier you apply and the more accurate your application is, the sooner you'll be awarded financial aid for which you are eligible. Please allow approximately two weeks from the date you and your parent filed the federal tax return electronically to use the DRT. If you or your parent chose to file a paper tax return, please allow 6-8 weeks for processing by the IRS.

• Students, spouse or parents who are not required to file a tax return

                   Note: The student and parent should still report any income earned from

                   work. The W-2 form and other records should be used to determine these

                   amounts.

• Students and parents who filed an amended tax return
• Students or parents who filed a 20xx tax return but are -
         o Divorced
         o Separated
         o Widowed
• Those who filed taxes outside of the U.S.

Tax filers can request a transcript, free of charge, of their tax return from the IRS several ways. 

You can get transcripts on the web, by phone or by mail. To request transcripts online, go to IRS.gov and use the Order a Transcript tool. To order by phone, call 800-908-9946 and follow the prompts. 

To request a 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ tax return transcript by mail or fax, complete Form 4506T-EZ, Short Form Request for Individual Tax Return Transcript. Businesses and individuals who need a tax account transcript should use Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return.

If you were a member of the National Guard or were a Reservist called to active duty for purposes other than training and you were released under a condition other than dishonorable, you are considered a veteran for financial aid purposes. If you are on active duty in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard, but you will be a veteran by June 30 of the award year you are applying for, you are considered a veteran for financial aid purposes. If your active duty will continue past June 30 of the award year you are applying for, however, you are not considered a veteran for financial aid purposes.