I graduated in July 2014 (overseas undergrad education) and I'm trying to figure out FAFSA/Need Access. I'm wondering if it will make a difference to my financial aid package if my mom claims me as a dependent on her taxes for 2014. I only started working in January 2015, so I was unemployed for all of 2014 and don't have a tax return to file, so that's the incentive for my mom to claim me (plus it's more money for her). However, she can't contribute to my law school education (I've got a sister in college and a younger brother at home). Will law schools think that because I'm a dependent, she should contribute more than if I were independent for tax purposes?
I've been accepted to Columbia, UChicago, and NYU. Thanks so much for your help!
Should my parents claim me as a dependent? Forum
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ChemEng1642
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Re: Should my parents claim me as a dependent?
0L so take this with a grain of salt but I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter whether or not your parents claim you as a dependent - law schools are still going to assume your parents will contribute. I think the fact that you have a sibling in college along with you will help more. If I were you I would have your mom claim you as a dependent so she can get that benefit.anna2112 wrote:I graduated in July 2014 (overseas undergrad education) and I'm trying to figure out FAFSA/Need Access. I'm wondering if it will make a difference to my financial aid package if my mom claims me as a dependent on her taxes for 2014. I only started working in January 2015, so I was unemployed for all of 2014 and don't have a tax return to file, so that's the incentive for my mom to claim me (plus it's more money for her). However, she can't contribute to my law school education (I've got a sister in college and a younger brother at home). Will law schools think that because I'm a dependent, she should contribute more than if I were independent for tax purposes?
I've been accepted to Columbia, UChicago, and NYU. Thanks so much for your help!
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downbeat14
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- Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2014 12:00 am
Re: Should my parents claim me as a dependent?
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Last edited by downbeat14 on Tue Apr 28, 2015 9:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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ChemEng1642
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Re: Should my parents claim me as a dependent?
That I don't know. But most schools don't even require that you include parent info in FAFSA. I can't honestly even remember if FAFSA asked the last year you were listed as a dependent - Need Access definitely did. But OP, the only case where I've seen it matter is some schools say that you can not include parent information if you have not been claimed as a dependent for over 5 years. I don't think this will apply to you regardless of what you do this year.downbeat14 wrote:It might have an impact on FAFSA though? Not sure, maybe someone else knows the answer here.ChemEng1642 wrote:0L so take this with a grain of salt but I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter whether or not your parents claim you as a dependent - law schools are still going to assume your parents will contribute. I think the fact that you have a sibling in college along with you will help more. If I were you I would have your mom claim you as a dependent so she can get that benefit.anna2112 wrote:I graduated in July 2014 (overseas undergrad education) and I'm trying to figure out FAFSA/Need Access. I'm wondering if it will make a difference to my financial aid package if my mom claims me as a dependent on her taxes for 2014. I only started working in January 2015, so I was unemployed for all of 2014 and don't have a tax return to file, so that's the incentive for my mom to claim me (plus it's more money for her). However, she can't contribute to my law school education (I've got a sister in college and a younger brother at home). Will law schools think that because I'm a dependent, she should contribute more than if I were independent for tax purposes?
I've been accepted to Columbia, UChicago, and NYU. Thanks so much for your help!
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anna2112
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- Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2014 11:06 am
Re: Should my parents claim me as a dependent?
Thanks so much for your help!
In case anybody else has the same question, FAFSA says you're independent as long as you're going to law school. But some schools want you to put in your parental information.
In case anybody else has the same question, FAFSA says you're independent as long as you're going to law school. But some schools want you to put in your parental information.
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ChemEng1642
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Re: Should my parents claim me as a dependent?
That is correct- annoyingly so. I know UVA, GW, and Berkeley require this. I think Berkeley even says "We know what FAFSA says - put your parent info in anyway"anna2112 wrote:Thanks so much for your help!
In case anybody else has the same question, FAFSA says you're independent as long as you're going to law school. But some schools want you to put in your parental information.
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JFO1833
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Re: Should my parents claim me as a dependent?
[/quote]That is correct- annoyingly so. I know UVA, GW, and Berkeley require this. I think Berkeley even says "We know what FAFSA says - put your parent info in anyway"[/quote]
They do but they also make the helpful suggestion to send your FASFA to other schools first and then add the parent info and send to Berkeley.
Berkeley is unusual among its peer schools in that it uses the FASFA (along with their own supplement) for need determination. Most of the others use Need Access for need and FASFA for loans only (in which case FASFA is really pro-forma since loans are available to full COA no matter what).
They do but they also make the helpful suggestion to send your FASFA to other schools first and then add the parent info and send to Berkeley.
Berkeley is unusual among its peer schools in that it uses the FASFA (along with their own supplement) for need determination. Most of the others use Need Access for need and FASFA for loans only (in which case FASFA is really pro-forma since loans are available to full COA no matter what).
