My parents are breaking the law?!?

Hi guys...My dad was laid off a few years ago and since then, he has been running an ebay business. However, my sister is in college and I just graduated (and I want to get my doctorate) and neither of us can claim aid from the gov't because my parents don't report their income...which is illegal. I've tried to tell them this but they just ignore me. I don't want help from them to go to school *neither does my sister* but we can't get any help from the government b/c we're not 25 (we still have to report our parents income and they don't file taxes or will give us that info).

Is there anything we can do short of turning them in?

not really.. i am in the same boat. my dad runs a business and won't report his income. he says he's unemployed. because he fixes cars at home and doesn't have an "official" job.

i know how you feel but short of turning them in, you just have to deal with it.

I'm sorry, that kind of stinks, but you can try for private scholarships, or if you work full time at the college you often get a tuition benefit. I paid for my MA by working at the university (in the library and art gallery) and gettting free tuition as a benefit (I had to work full time and take classes part time, but then eventually I won a fellowship that allowed me to work only part time and finish my degree faster). My sister did the same. Good luck to you.

tell the school you are going to that they don't have an income..or that the government knows about and they can probably tell you what you can do...

tell gov. that you're not dependant of your parents anymore, meaning you are on ur own, independent and they will focus on you only without your parents and grant you! good luck!

No. They will get caught soon enough.

From what I know if you work you can file
individually and get financial aid. We didnt
claim our daughter because we made over
60k, she wont get financial aid so she
worked and filed and she applied, in a few
months they will give her 4k. And my
daughter is just 20, talk to a counselor in
the school where you think youre going and
see what options theyhave, even if you
dont get aid, but loans are ok, after my
husband graduated he had a 50k loan of
a masters degree but in 10 yrs he paid it
off and youre still so young so I dont
really see the problem, dont concentrate
so much on your parent theyre probably
doing the best they can, concentrate on
your future, your plans.