If your financial situation changes, can you put the changes into the FAFSA?

M

Monette_Of_Black_Sails

New member
When I first started college I used my Dad's tax forms to complete the Fafsa. I was told I wasn't eligible for the Pell Grant, and I want to know, now that I have my own job, can I file my own taxes, or input my fathers new information since he no longer makes as much? It really is too early to take out loans at the moment, and I'm wanting to transfer to a new school, and need the financial help.
 
In short, no.
Just because you may no longer be classified as a dependent for tax purposes does not mean you will be an independent for FAFSA purposes. On the FAFSA you are a dependent unless you are married, over 24, have dependents of your own, or have military experience. And even if one of those things occurred during this year they have no impact on your current FAFSA because FAFSA is based off of last year's information.

And for next year's FAFSA, even though you have a job now, you will still need to include your father's information on your FAFSA because you are a dependent in the eyes of FAFSA even if you're not in the eyes of tax documents. If your father is making SIGNIFICANTLY less than he was last year (such as you went from being an 80k household to a 20k household) and that is making it impossible to afford school you can amend your FAFSA to see if that will change anything.

When you fill out the FAFSA you can only include what has happened in the past year. The 2009 FAFSA is only concerned with the 2008 year and the 2010 FAFSA will only be concerned with the 2009 year.
 
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