How To Answer Fafsa Question #35: Form 1040a Or 1040ez: Fill & Download for Free

Since you gave an undergraduate degree, you are not eligible for student financial aid from the federal or state government. You may be eligible for a student loan, depending on previous borrowing if any, but that depends on the certificate you are pursuing. On the FAFSA, choose “graduate.” Contact the financial aid adviser at the school you plan to attend to discuss options.

I take it you are filing as an independent student for aid? as in you are over 24?This question is tricky and I haven’t worked with students in this situation, so take my notes until a more authoritative person comes along.Cash support is consider as money given directly to you or paid on your behalf, such as rent if you are on a lease, car payments, health care etc. This goes into untaxed income. What you are mainly describing, where you just aren’t being charged for room/board, is “in kind” support— that’s not what is asked for on the FAFSA.In reading the FSA Handbook and other iFAP documents I can’t see that you are asked to report “in kind” support. I think the Financial Aid Officer can ask for it as they need to know how you live if you don’t report any income (do you get unemployment?). Read this from an official document I link below:➔ In-kind support. In-kind support is support in forms other than money, such as free food or housing. If a friend or relative gives the student food, or allows the student to live with them rent-free, that support isn’t included as untaxed income. The exception mentioned above is that the student has to report housing and other allowances received as compensation for a job. If the student is living with someone who is paying living expenses, it can be difficult to determine whether the support is cash support or in-kind support. The basic rule is, if someone pays money that the student would otherwise pay, that money is counted as cash support. See examples for cash support on previous page.https://ifap.ed.gov/sfahandbooks/attachments/0102AVGCh2appquestions.pdf

A2A. On college forms (such as the FAFSA), am I allowed to put my legal guardians as my parents, or am I required by law to put my actual parents whom I don't live with? (My parents do still support me financially)This is question #55: Legal Guardianship. Does someone other than your parent or stepparent have legal guardianship of you, as determined by a court in your state of legal residence?“If you have a legal guardian who is not a biological parent and deemed as such by a court, then you will be considered “independent.” This means that you do not have to provide any biological parent (or guardian) information in your FAFSA, and may move along. Otherwise, even if you are over the age of 18, you are still considered a “dependent” student for Federal financial aid purposes. This will remain the case even if your relationship with your parent(s) is not intact.” See How to Answer FAFSA Question #55: Legal GuardianshipHere are the details from FAFSA:For question 55, the definition of legal guardianship does not include your parents, even if they were appointed by a court to be your guardian. You are also not considered a legal guardian of yourself.Select Yes if you can provide a copy of a court’s decision that as of today you are in legal guardianship.Also select Yes if you can provide a copy of a court’s decision that you were in a legal guardianship immediately before you reached the age of being an adult in your state. The court must be located in your state of legal residence at the time the court's decision was issued.Select No if you are still a minor and the court decision is no longer in effect or the court decision was not in effect at the time you became an adult.Also select No and contact your school if custody was awarded by the courts and the court papers say custody (not guardianship).Note: The financial aid administrator at your college may require you to provide additional information such as a copy of the court’s decisionSource: Does someone other than your parent or stepparent have legal guardianship of you, as determined by a court in your state of legal residence?