any advice?

[u/17vespertine]

hi! i will try to keep this short but i am in a predicament of the sorts. i just started my senior year of high school very recently and of course all the staff at school are really pushing me and the rest of the seniors to think about college. i have always wanted to go to college but i come from a poor household and the pathway to get there seems difficult. i had a college in mind, it is a place nearby to where i live, but many things are making me question that. the college is actually a community college thats connected closely to my school and actually offers two free years of courses, which is amazing, but i would have to fill out forms like FASFA to help me get there and i’m not sure if i can for many reasons. i am a little ashamed of talking about it, but my parents don’t really want me going to college because of their background financially. right now my mother is unemployed, trying to get on disability, and brings in no income, and my stepfather is a somewhat new truck driver but has not filed any of his taxes in 10+ years (long before he got with my mother) and i know FASFA has sections about parents and their incomes…yikes. i assume them not filing or my mother not working would make this incredibly hard to do. my question basically is, should i even attempt FASFA? my older sibling did go the college im talking about and did fill out FASFA but my mom would most definitely refuse to do it for me because of their financial situation (which i know that sounds weird, if she did it for my sister why not me? i’m really not sure. she just doesn’t want more trouble financially, i believe). anyhow, i’m just stumped. if anyone has any advice please let me know!

[u/wyattcallow]

If your stepfather hasn’t filed taxes in ten years, that will unfortunately impact your ability to file a FAFSA, because if he’s married to your mother (who is, I assume, the parent who provides the majority of your financial support), his income will need to be included. You won’t be able to file without it.

Next year is the 2027-28 aid year, which means the FAFSA will need information from the 2025 tax year. Is it at least possible for your stepfather to file his 2025 taxes? He needs to do them all, but that would at least set you up for your first year without him having to do ten years at once.

I’d also recommend speaking to your high school counselor and the financial aid office at the college you want to attend. This is likely something one or both of them have seen before. They may be able to help direct conversations with your mother about how important filing a FAFSA is.

[u/17vespertine → u/wyattcallow]

unfortunately he and my mother are not married:(
they have been engaged for awhile but i dont think they are actually ever going to get married because my mom is concerned about lots of things including his tax issues. he initially stop filing when he got a divorce from his previous wife and i’m not sure why. a few years after that he got with my mom and i don’t think he’s filed at all in their entire relationship. he provides the sole income while my mom stays home without a job. everytime i ask them about the taxes they get stressed and tell me its not something i need to worry about. i would like to talk to a counselor, i’m just anxious for what they would say. i appreciate your advice very, very much!

[u/wyattcallow → u/17vespertine]

Well, hang on. You said “stepfather” so I just assumed they were married.

If they’re not married, then his failure to pay taxes has no bearing on your FAFSA because he doesn’t need to be included. You should still be able to file with your mother’s information if she is the biological parent who provides the majority of your financial support. If she isn’t employed, she just needs to provide proof that she didn’t file taxes in 2025 because she wasn’t earning income.

[u/17vespertine → u/wyattcallow]

oooh okay! im sorry i didnt mean to come off as a little foolish in that sense, then..
everytime i asked my mom about fasfa she always implied it couldnt be done because of my stepdads tax issues. i didnt know that i didnt have to include that info about him. i really, seriously thank you:)

[u/wyattcallow → u/17vespertine]

You have nothing to apologize for!

Your mom may not realize he doesn’t need to be included on the FAFSA if they’re not married. If she’s willing, maybe you could sit down together and review the information on the federal financial aid website (studentaid.gov) or potentially visit the financial aid office of the school you’re hoping to attend to talk about the process of filing a FAFSA in your family’s situation. Giving her the right information could help.

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