I am a college junior and am applying for financial aid for my senior year. My parents are separated, but not legally. Previously, my mom had filed the FAFSA as custodial parent. Recently my dad lost his job and doesn’t have any income. Can I change my FAFSA this year so that my dad is the custodial parent?
Where did you live during the last 12 months? Whose home did you sleep at more?
BTW…your dad still had income in 2014…that counts.
I lived with my dad when home from college. That is a change from previous years. Also, dad did not have very much income in 2014
If you live with your father more, even one day more, that’s whose information you use when completing FAFSA. It really isn’t a question of custody awarded by the courts or even agreed to, it is how many nights you spend with each parent.
Agreed. It’s the parent with whom you reside greater than 50% in the previous year as of the date you file your FAFSA.
Just be prepared to be able to document that for the college just in case they think you are switching just for the sake of financial aid gain. Things that would help…mail received at dad’s. Permanent address for college changed to dad’s address. Drivers license changed to dad’s address.
Kids do move from parent to parent during college…and therefore custodial parent could change.
But it it were me, I’d be prepared to document this.