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What is the Department of Education definition of an unaccompanied homeless youth?

There are three different questions on the FAFSA regarding being an unaccompanied homeless youth. The determination that you meet the definition of an unaccompanied homeless youth must be provided in writing by your high school or school district homeless liaison, a director of a homeless shelter or transitional housing program funded by HUD, or a director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program. The definition of unaccompanied homeless youth is:

  • “Homeless” means lacking fixed, regular and adequate housing. You may be homeless if you are living in shelters, parks, motels or cars, or temporarily living with other people because you have nowhere else to go.
  • “Unaccompanied” means you are not living in the physical custody of your parent or guardian.
  • “Youth” means you are 23 years of age or younger or you are still enrolled in high school as of the day you signed your FAFSA.

FAQs Related to Applying for Aid

Yes, students may request a copy by submitting a written request in person or via e-mail at: sfascholarships@ucf.edu. Students will need to pick up the documentation in person.

Documents that are required to be submitted to the donor will be done so either by fax or mail; original documents are not returned to the students, however, copies may be obtained.

The IRS Verification of Non-filing Letter will be required if student, spouse, if applicable, or parent(s) indicate on the FAFSA and/or the Verification Worksheet that an IRS Tax Return was not filed. Each nontax filer is required to provide the letter. To request a IRS Verification of Non-filing Letter visit: www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-return-transcript-types-and-ways-to-order-them.

This service is offered free of charge by the IRS and can be obtained through three different options:

  • Online
  • By Telephone
  • By Paper

If you and/or your parents have never filed taxes with the IRS, the IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter must be requested by mail using the paper version of the IRS Form 4506-T available at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506t.pdf You will need to print, complete, sign and send the form by mail or fax to the IRS.

Residents of the Freely Associated States (Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia), or a U.S. territory or commonwealth (Puerto Rico) or a foreign central government who are not required to file an income tax return under that taxing authority’s rules must submit the following:

  • A signed statement indicating the person was not required to file taxes for that year by their tax authority and the name of the country where he/she resided.
  • Documentation of all of the individual’s earned income for the specified year.
  • Each non-filer listed on the verification worksheet must provide a statement. Please include the name of the non-filer, the student’s name and UCFID.

Step-by-step instructions: How to obtain the IRS Verification of Non-Filing Letter

In order to answer “Yes” to having a child on the FAFSA, you must be providing support for yourself as well as more than half of the child’s financial support. It is likely that the information you submitted about your income and family information indicated that someone else was providing more than half of your child’s financial support. Sometimes a student who has a child may live with the student’s parent (the child’s grandparent), in which case the child’s grandparent is likely to be the person providing more than half of the financial support.

Please provide the year specific item(s) for Verification of Tax Information listed below.

  • IRS Verification of Non-filing Letter
  • 1040 Tax Return Transcript
  • 1040A Tax Return Transcript
  • 1040EZ Tax Return Transcript

An individual who is required to file an IRS income tax return and has been granted a filing extension by the IRS, must provide all the items below:

  • A copy of IRS Form 4868, “Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return,” that was filed with the IRS for the tax year;
  • A copy of the IRS’s approval of an extension beyond the automatic six-month extension if the individual requested an additional extension of the filing time for the tax year;
  • Verification of Non-filing Letter (confirmation that the tax return has not yet been filed) from the IRS or other relevant tax authority dated on or after October 1;
  • A copy of IRS Form W–2 for each source of employment income received for the tax year and,
  • If self-employed, a signed statement certifying the amount of the individual’s Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) and the U.S. income tax paid for the tax year.

For financial aid purposes, a veteran is someone who:

  1. Has served in active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard) or a National Guard or Reservist who was called to active duty for other than state or training purposes, or was a cadet in a service academy, and
  2. Was released under a condition other than dishonorable. Members of the National Guard or Reserves who has NOT served on active duty for other than training or state purposes should answer “No” to being a veteran.

Per federal regulations copies of tax returns (IRS Forms 1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ) cannot be accepted to verify tax information. You must provide copies of your and/or your parent(s) 2015 tax return transcript(s) obtained from the IRS. There are three ways to request the tax return transcript from the IRS.

  • Online at IRS.gov under the Tools section, click on “Get a Tax Transcript”, then click on “Get Transcript by Mail”
  • By telephone at 1-800-908-9946
  • By mail using IRS Form 4506-T-EZ

Be sure to order the “Tax Return Transcript” which provides the line-by-line information from your filed tax return.

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