Understanding your FAFSA Household

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This is Justin so they can hear.

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We're just going to wait a couple more minutes to see if we get some more participants and then we will start our second web and R in our up the fax a webinar series.

So nothing like a little awkward silence.

So today you are joining us here at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith for our second series in our rock. The fast so webinars today, we will be talking about.

Who is your FAFSA parent anhut account in the household but first? Let's take care of some housekeeping items?

So during this presentation, you can see us or rather me, but I can't see you I can also can't hear you so at any point during the presentation if you do have a question please. Feel free to type your question in our chat box, which is being monitored and we will answer your questions.

We are also recording this presentation, so if you do have questions or you miss, something that you want to listen to again, you will be able to do that since the recording will be made available to you.

I'm kind of some cool information is that all students who complete their FAFSA will be entered into a drawing for one of five $1000. UA Fort Smith scholarships for the 2122 school year. The key that is, you do need to have your FAFSA completed before the end of October.

Also all students who complete their fasa will be entered into a drawing excuse me. Additionally, all attendees of this webinars series will be entered into a win the rock. The FAFSA Door Prize. So we got some pretty cool lion gear along with a new malyon.

Alright so let's get started.

Who is my parents? A lot of people don't know this, but if you are considered a dependent student, you are required to report your parent information and so on. The Pfaff set on step three, there is a series of questions. There's about 10 or 12. If a student cannot answer yes to any of those questions, they are considered a dependent student. Ann are required to report parent information, so just a couple of those items.

Are born before January 1, 1998 married? As of the day. You complete the fasa a veteran have children? That you support more than 50% in orphan or Ward of the court or an unaccompanied youth who is homeless. So we have another session next week. On October 13th regarding student dependency, so if you have any questions about your dependency status or if you have a special circumstance that you would like to talk with us about.

Please join in next week. I'm at the same time, 4:00 o'clock to 4 hour webinar on student dependency.

So let's talk a little bit more about who is an actual parent that would be reported on the Pfaff set, so for FAFSA purposes, apparent is a biological parent.

An adoptive parents?

A step parents if that biological or adoptive parent is remarried or any other individual determined by the state and an example would be if your parent is listed on your birth certificate.

So who is not apparent so grandparents.

We see lots of students who are raised by grandparents or lived with grandparents for a number of years. Unfortunately grandparents are not considered a parent for the Pfaff set. Neither are foster parents or legal guardians or any other family member that a student has lived with.

Unless they have legally adopted you we also see students sometimes who lived with a widowed stepparent so if your biological or adoptive parent has passed away and you still have a relationship with your stepparent. Unfortunately, the widowed stepparent is not a parent for FAFSA purposes.

A few years ago, the Department of Education put out a graphic to help families determine who to report on the FAFSA. So who is your parent? This is just a quick info graph that helps you walk through reporting parent information. Find this most helpful for our families who have experienced divorce or separation, or maybe whose parents have never legally been married and so it starts off asking the basic question if your parents.

Are married to each other and then it kind of goes from there. Obviously if your parents are married you would report information about both of your parents.

If your parents are not married, do they live together? If they do not live together, then it goes on to ask about support. Do you live with one parent more than the other for the past 12 months? So sometimes we see students go back and forth between parents. So for the FAFSA you will report information on the parent you lived with the most during the last 12 months. If that parent has remarried then you would also add that step parents information.

To your FAFSA.

So let's go through a couple of examples.

Allison's parents divorced after filing their 2019 taxes and her mother is now remarried.

After the divorce, she primarily lived with her mother, who received child support for Allison and her siblings who would Allison report on the fast set.

Well, if you remember the chart.

Allison would report her mom as her FAFSA parent due to living with that parent more than her father for the previous year. And while her father does pay child support. That parent is not the custodial parent so the that support does not count so it would not be used as a reporting parent.

Also, since Allison's mother has remarried, she would also include her step. Parents information as well. So there will need to be a little addition and subtraction when they look at the family's taxes.

Alright example 2 Luther's biological parents are not married but are living together and file taxes separately.

Who would Luther report on his faster?

Well, again, based on the chart or the Infograph he would repo report both parents since they are his biological parents and they're living together well. But since they are not married and filed taxes separate, he and his parents would have to combine their income. So again, looking at the families taxes together and combining those on the Fasa.

And finally example 3.

Diego's parents are still legally married but have been separated for two years and are not living together. He spends an equal amount of time with both parents, but his father provides the most financial support who would he report.

In this scenario, if both parents have been separated as of the date the FAFSA is completed, Diego will report his father since his father provides most financial support that is not considered child support, he is not required to report his mother's income or information on his FAFSA.

So another thing that we get on the Pfaff said during the verification process. Our challenges with who to include in the household size, so that while the facts that asks for parental information. It also asks for household information so for dependent students. Those who have to report their parent information. A student should always include his parents as well as himself and any stepparent if their parent has remarried.

You should also include any siblings or stepsiblings that parents will support more than 50% during the award here. So if we're talking about the twenty 2122 school year. We want to make sure that we're talking about people that will be supported in the household during that year. This includes any siblings that might be away at college if they are also dependent students, you need to remember to report them in your household.

You would also report any unborn siblings as long as they're born within the 2122 school year.

And then of course, any other household members that your parents will support more than 50% and they're not state supported foster children. So this gets kind of tricky because there is a support mechanism, so if your friend or cousin is just stopping by and needs it a little help for a couple of months and are staying on the.

Ouch, that's not necessarily a household member, but if your mom and dad have been raising your cousin for the past few years and they anticipate raising that child until they're 18, and that is somebody that they would include in your household sites.

Very similarly for independent students now independent students do not have to report parent information on the FAFSA. But they do have to report household size information. So just like a dependent student they would report themselves and of course, if they're married they would also report their spouse, they would also report any children that they support more than 50% during the award year. I'm again, so this is from July 1, 2021 through June 30th.

2022. This can be tricky for our young parents, who maybe are still living at home with mom and Dad and mom is providing mom and dad or providing support for that child, so remember it's not just do you have children? It's do you have children that you support more than 50%?

I'm also you want to make sure you include any unborn children that you may be expecting during the award year. We might ask you for an expected a due date, and that's not uncommon during the verification process, but you can certainly claim that unborn child.

And then of course, any other household member that you and your spouse if married are supporting more than 50% and again. Unfortunately, we can't allow you to claim state supported foster children.

In addition to the number in the household. We also collect information about who is attending college, so far are dependent. Students who are reporting parent information. This one is pretty easy. You report yourself as a miss somebody in college, as well as any siblings or stepsiblings that you reported in your household that are also attending college at a institution of higher education at least six credit hours so don't forget.

If you have a sibling that is away at College. You want to make sure you are reporting them in the household.

And unfortunately if your parents are also back in school, while that is fantastic for your parent. We can't allow you to report them in your number of college.

And finally for a number in college for independent students. The same is true for you, obviously report yourself as well as your spouse if your spouse is in school an any children or other household members that you have that are also in school at least half time degree seeking from an institution of higher education.

So that kind of sums up very quickly who you would count as a parent in your household if you are independent student whose income you should use. If you are independent student Anne, who you would count in your household and in the number of college for both dependent and independent students.

If you do need assistance filling out the FAFSA or have additional questions. You are welcome to contact the financial aid office at UA Fort Smith, either through email. At Finaid at UA Fort Excuse me finaid at uas.edu or you can call our office at 479-788-7090. We are happy to help you complete your FAFSA correctly and reduce verification errors.

And your stress as you get ready for the fall of 2021.

So if anybody has any questions, I'm happy to answer them.

I probably should have introduced myself at the very beginning. My name is Karen Jeffers. I'm the director of financial aid here at UA Fort Smith, and we have a fantastic team in our office that is ready to assist you and get you ready for your first year experience. Or if you're returning student for your second, 3rd or 4th year here at UA Fort Smith.

The FAFSA did open on October 1st so just a few days ago for the 2020. One 22 school year that particular. Fasa is based on your 2019, income, so if you haven't already completed your FAFSA. No time, like the present the sooner you get it done the better off you will be an again, you will be entered into a drawing for one of five scholarships of $1000.

Here at UA Fort Smith just for completing your FAFSA early.

Do I have any other questions.

We have three more events in our rock. The facts of web and R series so if you are able to please sign up, and join us on Tuesdays during the month of October, at 4:00 PM for various topics on completing the FAFSA as well as maintaining your eligibility for federal student aid, so we appreciate your.

Attendance today and we look forward to.

Working with you and getting you ready for the fall term.

So as I mentioned at the beginning, everybody attending this webinar will be entered into a chance for a door prize of some really cool lion gear, and so our door prize winner is.

Trevor so congratulations, Trevor we will be in contact with you to get you. You're really cool door prize of some line gear Anna Numa, the lion.

So the question is who do I include in my household if I am in legal guardianship and my parents are just?

Excellent question, so if you are in legal guardianship, you are actually a independent student, so it would just be you unless you are supporting anybody else more than 50%.

So one in the household one in college unless you have other dependents.

Great question.

We often get lots of questions about.

Step parents I know it can be very confusing. But just remember if your biological parents are no longer married but you live with one more than the other and that particular parent has remarried you will report that parents information along with your step parents.

Any other questions today.

OK. Here's what how do I apply if my parents are undocumented and do not have a Social Security number?

So if you are a?

Dependent student so you still live with mom and dad. You would still be required to fill out the FAFSA as a dependent student as well as provide information for them in last week's webinar center. We talked about the FSA ID and how to sign the FAFSA. So unfortunately if your parents don't have a Social Security number. They won't be able to sign the facts that electronically. But when you complete the Fasa you would enter all zeros.

Parents Social Security number and then complete the rest of the facts that as normal and then when you get to the end. There is an opportunity for you to print a signature page. You will need to print that signature page and have either mom or dad sign that and then you will Mail that into the central processing system and there is an address on that signature page for you, but don't delay on sending that in so don't don't be like me and put it in your purse for two weeks make sure you print that and get it mailed.

Quickly so that CPS can get your FAFSA processed.

Great question.

So again, we are doing these webinars series throughout the month of October, trying to engage our students and provide you with the information that you need during covid. While we can't be together in one group but join us on Tuesdays at 4:00 PM and hopefully we can answer all your questions. Otherwise, contact us by email.

Drop by our office or call us at 479-788-7090.

Thank you for joining us.