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<p class="05TableArialBlue" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:black">I have a student that filed a separate return from her husband and they both filed head of household. I have the
2010 returns because she was selected for verification, and the 2011 returns because I was considering a special condition. All four returns show head of household. When looking at IRS Pub 17 (instructions for completing the 1040), it states that head of
household can be claimed for both husband and wife if they were separated on the last day of the tax year. She has told me that she was separated the last day of 2010, that they got back together, and then were separated again on the last day of 2011. They
filed their own taxes, but said they consulted with a tax specialist who told her she was doing everything legal, etc., etc.
</span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:black; text-decoration:none">The FAFSA was completed on June 8, 2011 as a married status. When they filed their returns, April 15, 2011 for 2010 returns
and March 1, 2012 for 2011 returns, they used the same address.</span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:black"></span></p>
<p class="05TableArialBlue" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:black">When looking through the
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:black">handbook and the references associated with it including
<u>RESOLVING CONFLICTING DATA <span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color:black">2009–10 FSA Handbook, School Eligibility & Operations, Chapter 10, 2010–11 FSA Handbook, AVG,</span></span></u><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color:black; text-decoration:none">
<a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/fsahandbook/attachments/1011AVGCh5.pdf"><span style="color:black"><br>
Chapter 5, pages 106–108</span></a></span></span>, <span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color:black"><a href="http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/get-cfr.cgi?TITLE=34&PART=668&SECTION=54&TYPE=TEXT"><span style="color:black">668.54(a)(3)</span></a></span></span>,
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color:black"><a href="http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/get-cfr.cgi?TITLE=34&PART=668&SECTION=16&TYPE=TEXT"><span style="color:black">668.16(b)(3)</span></a></span></span>,
<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color:black"><a href="http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/get-cfr.cgi?TITLE=34&PART=668&SECTION=16&TYPE=TEXT"><span style="color:black">668.16(f)</span></a>
</span></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color:black; text-decoration:none">it basically says we can accept a statement from the student explaining their
</span></span></span></p>
<p class="05TableArialBlue" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:black; text-decoration:none">circumstances as documentation to resolve the conflict. I asked
her to provide some legal documentation, but she said they weren’t “legally” separated and have no such documentation. Any insight you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Although possible, I am finding it hard to believe that they were conveniently
separated at just the right time, both years, so they could both file Head of Household and that they have no documentation to back up their story.</span></span></p>
<p class="05TableArialBlue" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:black; text-decoration:none"> </span></span></p>
<p class="05TableArialBlue" align="left" style="text-align:left"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:black; text-decoration:none">One more twist to this story is that she received Pell at another
school last semester. They obviously did not catch the fact that both were filing Head of Household and she received Pell based on those tax returns and a special condition they processed. Because of this, she doesn’t understand why I am giving her such a
hard time. Do you know if I am obligated to contact the previous school about their error so they can return Pell money?</span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; color:black"></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:#943634">Gale M. Langston</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:#943634">Director, Financial Aid</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:#943634">Redlands Community College</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:#943634">(405) 422-1442</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:#943634">(405) 422-1463 - fax</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt; color:#943634"></span></i></b></p>
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Redlands Community College provides a learner-centered environment committed to academic excellence strengthened through service and civic engagement.<br>
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