Child Support on the FAFSA

[ystmpm]

I was wondering where to put child support received (by my primary parent) if it is not declared on her 1040A. I realized that I may have committed tax fraud lol

[sybbie719]

No one benefits from child support on taxes; the person who pays it does not get to write it off and the person who receives it does not declare it as income. Alimony gets reported on your taxes.

However, both are reported on your financial aid forms. There are boxes on the form for both of them (question 94C on the FAFSA). You will have to correct your FAFSA.

@FAFSA

The response indicates the total amount of child support the student’s parents received in 2015 for all children in their household.

A child is a member of the student’s parents’ household if the parents provide more than half of his/her support whether the child lives with them or not.

Foster care and adoption payments should not be included.
https://fafsa.ed.gov/fotw1718/help/faadef25.htm

[thumper1]

You can amend your FAFSA.

[ystmpm]

Thank you for your response. Should I also fill out question 45c on the Student Financial Information portion? (“Child support received for all children. Do not include foster care or adoption payment”). It’s the same exact information, and I’m pretty sure it got auto-filled when I responded to 94c (Correctly this time!).

I’m just curious, if you know, what would have been the implications if I failed to update the error?

[BelknapPoint]

Should I also fill out question 45c on the Student Financial Information portion?

You would only enter something in 45.c. if you, the student, had children for whom you were receiving child support. Do not include in 45.c. child support that a parent of yours is receiving.