<p>why the difference? you would think fafsa would allign with tax law.</p>
<p>i found this on a government website: </p>
<p>To determine whether to include children in your household size, the “support” test is used (rather than a residency requirement) because there may be situations in which you support a child who does not live with you, especially in cases of divorce or separation. In such cases, the parent who provides more than half of the child’s support may claim the child in his or her household size. It does not matter which parent claims the child as a dependent for tax purposes. If you receive benefits (such as Social Security or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families [TANF] payments) in the child’s name, these benefits must be counted as parental support to the child.</p>
<p><a href=“http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/completing_fafsa/2008_2009/ques6.html[/url]”>http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/completing_fafsa/2008_2009/ques6.html</a></p>