Page 2
Notes continued on page 9.
Notes for questions 14 and 15 (page 3)
If you are an eligible noncitizen, write in your eight- or nine-digit Alien
Registration Number. Generally, you are an eligible noncitizen if you are
(1) a permanent U.S. resident with a Permanent Resident Card (I-551); (2)
a conditional permanent resident with a Conditional Green Card (I-551C);
(3) the holder of an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the Department
of Homeland Security showing any one of the following designations:
“Refugee,” “Asylum Granted,” “Parolee” (I-94 conrms that you were
paroled for a minimum of one year and status has not expired), T-Visa
holder (T-1, T-2, T-3, etc.) or “Cuban-Haitian Entrant;” or (4) the holder of a
valid certication or eligibility letter from the Department of Health and
Human Services showing a designation of “Victim of human tracking.”
If you are in the U.S. on an F1 or F2 student visa, a J1 or J2 exchange visitor
visa, or a G series visa (pertaining to international organizations), select
“No, I am not a citizen or eligible noncitizen.” You will not be eligible for
federal student aid; however, you should still complete the application
because you may be eligible for state or college aid.
Notes for questions 16 and 17 (page 3)
Report your marital status as of the date you sign your FAFSA. If your
marital status changes after you sign your FAFSA, check with the
nancial aid oce at the college. According to the Defense of Marriage
Act (1996), “…the word ‘marriage’ means a legal union between one
man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word ‘spouse’ refers
to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.” Therefore,
same-sex unions are not considered marriages for federal purposes,
including the FAFSA.
Notes for question 22 (page 3)
The Selective Service System, and the registration requirement for young
men, preserves America’s ability to provide manpower in an emergency
to the U.S. Armed Forces. Almost all men—ages 18 through 25—must
register. For more information about Selective Service, visit www.sss.gov.
Notes for questions 33 (page 4)
and 80 (page 6)
If you led or will le a foreign tax return, a tax return with Puerto Rico,
another U.S. territory (e.g., Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands,
Swain’s Island or the Northern Marianas Islands) or one of the Freely
Associated States (i.e., the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall
Islands or the Federated States of Micronesia), use the information from
that return to ll out this form. If you led a foreign return, convert all
monetary units to U.S. dollars, using the exchange rate that is in eect
today. To view the daily exchange rate, go to www.federalreserve.gov/
releases/h10/current.
Notes for questions 34 (page 4)
and 81 (page 6)
In general, a person is eligible to le a 1040A or 1040EZ if he or she
makes less than $100,000, does not itemize deductions, does not receive
income from his or her own business or farm and does not receive
alimony. A person is not eligible to le a 1040A or 1040EZ if he or she
makes $100,000 or more, itemizes deductions, receives income from
his or her own business or farm, is self-employed, receives alimony or
is required to le Schedule D for capital gains. If you led a 1040 only to
claim American Opportunity, Hope or Lifetime Learning credits, and you
would have otherwise been eligible for a 1040A or 1040EZ, answer “Yes”
to this question. If you led a 1040 and were not required to le a tax
return, answer “Yes” to this question.
Notes for questions 37 (page 4)
and 85 (page 7) — Notes for those who led a 1040EZ
On the 1040EZ, if a person didn’t check either box on line 5, enter 01
if he or she is single, or 02 if he or she is married. If a person checked
either the “you” or “spouse” box on line 5, use 1040EZ worksheet line F
to determine the number of exemptions ($3,700 equals one exemption).
Notes for questions 41 and 42 (page 4)
and 89 and 90 (page 7)
Net worth means current value minus debt. If net worth is negative, enter 0.
Investments include real estate (do not include the home you live
in), trust funds, UGMA and UTMA accounts, money market funds,
mutual funds, certicates of deposit, stocks, stock options, bonds, other
securities, installment and land sale contracts (including mortgages
held), commodities, etc.
Investments also include qualied educational benets or education
savings accounts (e.g., Coverdell savings accounts, 529 college savings
plans and the refund value of 529 prepaid tuition plans). For a student
who does not report parental information, the accounts owned by the
student (and/or the student’s spouse) are reported as student investments
in question 41. For a student who must report parental information, the
accounts are reported as parental investments in question 89, including
all accounts owned by the student and all accounts owned by the parents
for any member of the household.
Investments do not include the home you live in, the value of life
insurance, retirement plans (401[k] plans, pension funds, annuities, non-
education IRAs, Keogh plans, etc.) or cash, savings and checking accounts
already reported in questions 40 and 88.
Investments also do not include UGMA and UTMA accounts for which
you are the custodian, but not the owner.
Investment value means the current balance or market value of these
investments as of today. Investment debt means only those debts that
are related to the investments.
Business and/or investment farm value includes the market value of
land, buildings, machinery, equipment, inventory, etc. Business and/or
investment farm debt means only those debts for which the business or
investment farm was used as collateral.
Business value does not include the value of a small business if your
family owns and controls more than 50 percent of the business and the
business has 100 or fewer full-time or full-time equivalent employees.
For small business value, your family includes (1) persons directly related
to you, such as a parent, sister or cousin, or (2) persons who are or were
related to you by marriage, such as a spouse, stepparent or sister-in-law.
Investment farm value does not include the value of a family farm that
you (your spouse and/or your parents) live on and operate.
Notes for questions 48 (page 5)
Answer “Yes” if you are currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces or are
a National Guard or Reserves enlistee who is on active duty for other than
state or training purposes.
Answer “No” if you are a National Guard or Reserves enlistee who is on
active duty for state or training purposes.
Notes for question 49 (page 5)
Answer “Yes” (you are a veteran) if you (1) have engaged in active duty
in the U.S. Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard)
or are a National Guard or Reserve enlistee who was called to active duty
for other than state or training purposes, or were a cadet or midshipman
at one of the service academies, and (2) were released under a condition
other than dishonorable. Also answer “Yes” if you are not a veteran now
but will be one by June 30, 2013.
Answer “No” (you are not a veteran) if you (1) have never engaged in
active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, (2) are currently an ROTC student
or a cadet or midshipman at a service academy, (3) are a National Guard
or Reserve enlistee activated only for state or training purposes, or (4)
were engaged in active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces but released under
dishonorable conditions.
Also answer “No” if you are currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces
and will continue to serve through June 30, 2013.
