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Tax forms for College Financial Aid process

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pursuit2010

Junior Member
The colleges in question maybe in Illinois, New York, or Massachusetts, the parents reside in Massachusetts (i think the college student has the same legal residence)
The college student and parents are all Permanent Residents.
A freshman college student is currently considered a dependent student. The parents are using their financial support as leverage to try to make him do something he does not want to; the the ultimatum is financial support or nothing. If he chooses not to rely on the parents for financial support, does he have a legal right to force the parents to send in their tax form for purposes of determining financial aid? Does he have a legal right to use (either directly or through a third party) the tax forms to complete financial aid applications?

Also, what are the conditions and timetables/processes necessary for being declared and considered as an independent student for purposes of financial aid?

What is the possibility of forcing the parents to contribute some money (say a fraction of the FAFSA EFC) to the costs of attendance?

Thank you very much.
 
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HappyHusband

Senior Member
The colleges in question maybe in Illinois, New York, or Massachusetts, the parents reside in Massachusetts (i think the college student has the same legal residence)
The college student and parents are all Permanent Residents.
A freshman college student is currently considered a dependent student. The parents are using their financial support as leverage to try to make him do something he does not want to; the the ultimatum is financial support or nothing. If he chooses not to rely on the parents for financial support, does he have a legal right to force the parents to send in their tax form for purposes of determining financial aid? Does he have a legal right to use (either directly or through a third party) the tax forms to complete financial aid applications?

Also, what are the conditions and timetables/processes necessary for being declared and considered as an independent student for purposes of financial aid?

What is the possibility of forcing the parents to contribute some money (say a fraction of the FAFSA EFC) to the costs of attendance?

Thank you very much.
Does he have a legal right to force the parents to send in their tax form for purposes of determining financial aid?
The parents are not required by law to provide their tax information to FAFSA.

Does he have a legal right to use (either directly or through a third party) the tax forms to complete financial aid applications?
Hmm. Good question. Not sure if it is illegal to provide someone elses tax forms to a 3rd party without the filer's permission. I would hate to advise you to do something that may be illegal.

Also, what are the conditions and timetables/processes necessary for being declared and considered as an independent student for purposes of financial aid?
It says right there on the FAFSA application. Some conditions that I can think of are being married, and being 24 or older, or in graduate school.

What is the possibility of forcing the parents to contribute some money (say a fraction of the FAFSA EFC) to the costs of attendance?
The parents are under no obligation to pay for a college education.

Bottom line: The parents don't have to provide their financial information, and if they don't provide it to FAFSA, the student cannot get financial aid, including student loans.
 

tranquility

Senior Member
The colleges can require forms from parents of students to prove they qualify for financial aid and can penalize students by refusing to give aid to those who don't provide those forms.

Parents cannot be forced to turn over their financial documents to colleges--absent a court order. I can't think of a reason why a court would order this in this situation.

Parents are not required to support their children past the age of majority.

Parents are not required to pay or support their child's college expenses.

As to the provision of tax returns obtained from a third party, it smacks of invasion of privacy. I wonder how they could be obtained without a crime or tort involved by you or a third party in getting them.
 

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