Do I need to report parents' SSI payments on FAFSA when they use my mailing address?
I'm trying to complete my FAFSA for the 2025-2026 year and I'm confused about reporting my parents' income. My parents receive SSI benefits and they've been using my mailing address on their SSI documents for the past year. However, they actually live at my brother's house most of the time and I'm not on any of their bank accounts. Do I need to report their SSI payments on my FAFSA application? I'm 23 and filing as an independent student, but I'm worried because their SSI paperwork has my address. Will this cause problems with my financial aid? The FAFSA instructions aren't clear about this situation, and I don't want to get flagged for verification if I do it wrong. Has anyone dealt with this before? I'm stressed because my SAI calculation could be messed up if I include their income when I shouldn't (or vice versa).
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Lauren Wood
As long as you're filing as an independent student (which you qualify for at 23), you don't need to report your parents' SSI income on your FAFSA. Their mailing address being yours doesn't matter for FAFSA purposes - what matters is your dependency status and who provides more than 50% of your financial support. Just make sure you can document your independent status if you get selected for verification. Having your own place (even if they use the mailing address) actually helps prove your independence.
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Dylan Baskin
•Thank you! I do have my lease and utility bills to prove I live on my own. I was just worried because their SSI letters come to my apartment, and I didn't want that to somehow flag me in the system.
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Ellie Lopez
u sure ur actually independent tho?? just being 23 doesnt automatically make u independent for fafsa. did u check all the boxes? like if they claim u on taxes ur not independent
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Dylan Baskin
•Yes, I checked all the boxes. I'm 23, not living with them, they don't claim me on taxes, and I support myself. I was just confused about the mailing address part specifically.
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Chad Winthrope
This is actually a common question. The mailing address on your parents' documents has no bearing on your FAFSA status. Since you're 23 and filing as independent, the only income you need to report is your own. For FAFSA purposes, the Department of Education is concerned with: 1. Who provides your financial support 2. Who claims you as a dependent on taxes 3. Your age (23+ typically qualifies you as independent) 4. Whether you live with your parents SSI is actually not reported on FAFSA anyway - it's considered untaxed income but specifically excluded from FAFSA calculations. So even if you were a dependent student, your parents' SSI wouldn't affect your SAI calculation.
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Dylan Baskin
•This is really helpful! I didn't realize SSI was excluded from FAFSA calculations anyway. That's a big relief. So I just report my own income and don't worry about their SSI or the address issue.
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Paige Cantoni
I went through something similar with my grandma using my address for her SSI but I still got my financial aid no problem. As long as you don't claim them as dependents on YOUR taxes you should be good!!
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Kylo Ren
The FSA doesn't cross-reference addresses on SSI paperwork with FAFSA applications, so you don't need to worry about that. Though I will say - when I had a similar situation last year, I got selected for verification and it was a NIGHTMARE trying to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid to explain my situation. Spent days on hold and kept getting disconnected.
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Nina Fitzgerald
•I had the same problem when I needed to reach FSA about verification! I finally used Claimyr.com to get through to an agent after wasting hours on hold. They got me connected to a live person in about 10 minutes. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. Saved me so much frustration, especially when I was panicking about my verification deadline.
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Jason Brewer
The financial aid system is such garbage! They make everything confusing on purpose so people mess up and lose their aid. I had my mom's mail coming to my place for THREE YEARS and got flagged for verification TWICE because of it. They claimed I was hiding her income even though I was 25 and hadn't lived with her since I was 19!!!! Had to file appeals and everything. Such BS!!!
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Chad Winthrope
•While verification can be frustrating, the mail address alone shouldn't trigger verification - you were likely selected randomly or for other factors. About 30% of FAFSA filers get selected for verification regardless of their circumstances. For the OP, as long as they have documentation showing their independent status (tax returns showing they're not claimed as a dependent, lease agreement, etc.), verification should be manageable if it happens.
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Dylan Baskin
Thanks everyone for the helpful responses! I feel much better about this now. I'll proceed with my independent filing and just keep documentation ready in case I'm selected for verification. It's such a relief to know the mailing address issue isn't actually an issue at all!
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Ellie Lopez
btw when do ur parents get their mail forwarded to ur brothers? mite solve the whole problem
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Dylan Baskin
•That's a good point - I should talk to them about updating their address with SSA. It's just been this way for a while and they're hesitant to change things with government agencies.
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Kiara Fisherman
My parents use my address for everything cause they move around a lot but I never include them on my FAFSA. Been doing it this way for years with no problem. You're good.
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Ian Armstrong
Just wanted to add that if you do get selected for verification, make sure you have copies of your lease agreement and any documents showing you pay your own bills. I got selected last year as an independent student and the school's financial aid office was really helpful in walking me through what documentation they needed. The process was way less scary than I thought it would be! Good luck with your FAFSA!
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