<p>I resubmitted my FAFSA in July when I realized I had filled it out incorrectly for my familial situation (my parents separated as of this year and I was unsure of how to fill out the FAFSA with this new circumstance). When I realized the mistake, I first called the FAFSA support line, explained my entire situation and they helped me figure out how to fill it out correctly for my specific circumstances.</p>
<p>The short version of my circumstances is that my parents are separated (not legally but pursuing divorce) and I live with my mom and younger siblings. My father lives in an apartment elsewhere and provides no financial support to me for school. My mom is a displaced homemaker; she does manage the finances though because of a massive amount of debt and financial disasters that my father left us with. </p>
<p>When I called FAFSA, the person I talked to said that I should put only my mom on the FAFSA (since she's the custodial parent) and put that she is a displaced homemaker and has no income as she has no job. I was warned that my university would likely flag the changes and request verification of my father's separate address. </p>
<p>I was /never/ flagged by FAFSA. However, my university has now requested: proof of his address, proof of my mother's address, a Dependent Student Verification Worksheet, a Confirmation of Marital Status form for my parents, a Statement of Assets form, my parents' tax transcripts and their W-2 forms.</p>
<p>What has me concerned is the request for my father's tax and W-2 information. When I talked to the financial aid adviser at my school, we had my FAFSA up to go over it. He said that we could get my father's tax info over the internet and then pulled up that part of the FAFSA. I told him no, I did not want him changing my FAFSA! He argued with me but eventually gave in.</p>
<p>Is what's going on here even legal? Can they request the non-custodial parent's tax information and/or push you to change your FAFSA to have the non-custodial parent on it?</p>
<p>I should note that this whole mess has caused me to get no financial aid for this semester and I can’t support myself paying out of pocket for tuition, my apartment groceries. I’m in danger of having to drop out for the semester.</p>
<p>They want to know how your mom is living if she has no job. Any spousal support that she is receiving from your dad needs to be reported.</p>
<p>Where would that information go? I didn’t see a field that fit my situation insofar as their personal financial agreement (there are no court-mandated payments).</p>
<p>I’m also still iffy on the aid adviser at my school trying to coerce me into putting my father on the FAFSA. As I mentioned, I don’t live with the guy and I don’t get anything from him for my education/living expenses. Isn’t the custodial parent the only one who goes on the FAFSA?</p>
<p>Does your dad send support to your mom and younger kids?</p>
<p>Yes but it’s not anything that’s court ordered (my father and my mom have their own agreement drawn up) so I didn’t know where something like that would go on the FAFSA. It’s not a set amount since living expenses have been fluctuating a lot.</p>
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<p>Yes but any money that your father is giving your mother needs to be reported. Any assets other than the home with your mother’s name on the account at this point might be counted also. Fill out all the documents your school has requested ASAP and see if you can get your aid straightened out.</p>
<p>When did your parents separate? Payments made in 2013 don’t get reported I don’t think</p>
<p>Since you put 2012 income on FAFSA, what do separated people do when only one parent worked? Do they split the salary into two? </p>
<p>For instance, if dad earned $50k last year, would the mom report that her income for 2012 was $25k? How does that work??</p>
<p>If your mother does not work, the school wants to know how your family maintains a roof over their head and how they eat everyday.</p>
<p>Where does the money come from to pay the household bills? Did your parents file a joint tax return
Does your father pay your mother child/spousal support? It does not matter whether or not it is court ordered, any monies she receives must be reported on the FAFSA.</p>
<p>When parents are separated, the student only lists what the custodial parent earned. They do not list what the non-custodial parent earned. They do not divide the incomes in half. If the mom is the custodial parent…the mom’s income ONLY is listed.</p>
<p>To the OP…when you first filed your FAFSA incorrectly, did you list both of your parents and their incomes? Then did you change it to reflect your mom only? If so, my guess is THIS is your problem. The school is wondering why the other parent is now being omitted. This is not usually a change that happens on the FAFSA. They just want to be sure that your parents ARE separated…getting divorced…and that you are not just making this change to gain additional financial aid. This is especially important because theming no income, you would be eligible for a Pell Grant which is federally funded. The school needs to be certain that you are indeed eligible for this.</p>
<p>Thumper, I understand that when the divorce/separation occurred the previous year.</p>
<p>What I’m not sure of is how this all works if the separation happened in 2013. the mom may have gotten payments in 2013…BUT…2013 income isn’t reported on that FAFSA. </p>
<p>that’s why it’s a bit odd. FAFSA is supposed to reflect a snapshot of the family’s financial condition in 2012 …and they were together during that time…no support payments… The entire 2012 year would be one income, one household, two parents. The mom and family were living off dad’s income.</p>
<p>How is the mom supposed to report “child support/spouse suppot” if all of it was paid in 2013? </p>
<p>Yet, if she claims that she made no money in 2012, it looks odd since the question would be…how did she live during 2012. Well, she lived on her H’s income. </p>
<p>It seems like the FA officer was having the same confusion because he/she wanted to include dad’s income, since that’s what the family was living on in 2012…when the family was together. </p>
<p>Hopefully Kelsmon will chime in here.</p>
<p>“To the OP…when you first filed your FAFSA incorrectly, did you list both of your parents and their incomes? Then did you change it to reflect your mom only?”</p>
<p>I first listed my father because I thought I had to list whoever the primary earner was. But neither I nor my siblings live with him and he provides none of my support. I changed it to show only my mom, as the FAFSA rep I spoke to told me to.</p>
<p>I did tell the FAFSA rep I talked to before I filled this out exactly when they separated and he said to still fill it out with my mom’s information only.</p>
<p>My mom hasn’t worked since the 90’s (long story … abusive/coercive spouse basically, hence the separation and eventual divorce) and my past FAFSAs have reflected that.</p>
<p>I’m not sure how all this is supposed to go down when only the school is asking for things and not FAFSA themselves (FAFSA has not flagged me for verification) - I’m super wary just because the aid adviser keeps asking for more things each time I go in and this really would not be the first time my school has screwed up in some way.</p>
<p>(A big thank you to everyone who is chiming in here! I emailed FAFSA a long email about all this but I’m not sure when I’ll get a reply.)</p>
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<p>“FAFSA” is never going to ask for information. It is the school’s responsibility to do the verification process and grant you aid in alignment with the federal guidelines. The FA office is absolutely correct in asking for additional information. They are not trying to screw you as much as they are trying to remain in compliance according to the federal regulations.</p>
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<p>THe school has the right to ask if your mother essentially has not income, how does the family eat every day? How is the rent/mortgage on your home being paid? Who is putting clothes on your back.</p>
<p>Okay, I’m just confused because I’d read that my SAR should say if my FAFSA was selected for verification and I have no such notice on my SAR.</p>
<p>Additionally, I was supposed to transfer this semester (I was waiting on my aid offer from the other school but it didn’t come until right before classes started so I couldn’t enroll there) and the other school didn’t request any additional info.</p>
<p>So what exactly is the difference between being selected for verification on my SAR and my university asking for information, if FAFSA never asks for any additional information?</p>
<p>If I am supposed to give them the tax information, does that mean that my school’s aid adviser was correct in trying to add my father’s information to the FAFSA, despite him not being the custodial parent?</p>
<p>What I’ve been going off of for information is this post: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1408782-noncustodial.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1408782-noncustodial.html</a> because I’m in pretty much the same exact situation as OP.</p>
<p>I’m not so much worrying that they’re trying to screw me as I am worried they don’t know what they’re talking about. Seeing as they keep adding some new hoop each time I go talk to them.</p>
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<p>AGAIN, this does not matter. Some schools request verification for every single student and it is their right to do so. In addition, you state that your mom does not work and has no income; this is automatically going to prompt a low income verification because the school will want to know how your family survives. As part of your mother’s verification process, she will need to indicate income from all sources; your father, if she is receiving public assistance, food stamps, social security benefits (and documentation).</p>
<p>also as part of the verification process, she must supply information from the IRS; if your mom was not required to file taxes in tax year 2012, she must get a non-filers statement from the IRS.</p>
<p>Sybbie is correct. A zero income almost always prompts a school verification. That you changed your custodial parent from your initial filing is additionally giving the school reason to question your filing.</p>
<p>You need to talk to someone higher up than the person who answers the phone about the reason for your change in custodial parent on that FAFSA. And you need to be prepared to provide documentation of the parent separation (dad’s lease at a different address, for example). </p>
<p>The school is doing its due diligence. Once you get the reason for the custodial parent change explained and documented, then be prepared to provide the school ANY and ALL information requested about your mom’s means of support. They WILL ask, and you MUST tell.</p>
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Since your mother does not work (has 0 income) this obviously is not true unless your family is solely relying on public assistance. The school FA office is trying to find out how much funding your father IS providing to your mother and thus you and your siblings to provide an accurate FA offer.</p>
<p>“Since your mother does not work (has 0 income) this obviously is not true unless your family is solely relying on public assistance.”</p>
<p>I mean that he provides none of MY support - as in, I have an apartment and pay for everything myself and he is not the custodial parent.</p>
<p>So if I need to get forms from my mom saying she didn’t have an income/pay taxes … I’m up 9 different forms I need to get in to them. And that’s just assuming they don’t have some new hoop for me to jump through next time I come back. If I’d known it was going to be this much of a mess I would have just left it as it was. The FAFSA rep never told me this would happen. I’m beginning to think it would be less hassle to drop for the semester because there is no way I can get all this before my next payment is due and I’m going to go broke paying for college out of pocket.</p>