<p>Hi everyone, </p>
<p>My family situation is like so: my parents have been divorced since 2003 and my mother remarried not too long after, and since then I've spent 75%-90% of my time with my mother and stepfather. </p>
<p>My mother and stepfather live in a great neighborhood, own a house and on paper seem "well-off." There are 5 kids in our blended family (2 of us will be in college next year. 4 will be in college by my senior year), and through a combination of things that I guess FAFSA doesn't count in, we can barely afford to buy groceries some months. Crunching some numbers, I found our EFC and figured out I'd probably have to take approximately $15k a year out in loans no matter where I go, if I don't get substantial scholarships. </p>
<p>My dad's income <em>was</em> higher than my mother and stepfather's combined, but lost his job in 2007. He is self-employed/unemployed and has made approximately 20k in 2008 and thinks he'll make approximately 35k in 2009. He is an active part in my life and provides financially for my brother and I (to the furthest extent possible--our child support has not changed despite his losing his job), but as I go to school where my mom lives so I don't live there as often as I live with my mom. Using his financial information, we have an EFC of $1k. </p>
<p>I have no idea where I'll end up next year...but if I end up at school where they only count the FAFSA, I was considering trying to claim my father as my custodial parent next year. (This year, as I'm under 18 and there are lots of papers saying my mom has >50% of custody, I wouldn't.) Next year, both will be contributing to my educational costs (again, on my father's part, to the furthest extent possible). </p>
<p>Can I claim my father is my custodial parent on my 2010-2011 forms?</p>
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<p>if I end up at school where they only count the FAFSA, I was considering trying to claim my father as my custodial parent next year>></p>
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<p>You live with your mom, and your mom (and spouse) are providing the bulk of your support...your mom is your custodial parent. </p>
<p>It sounds like you want to make this "custodial parent" change for your financial aid forms your sophomore year. WELL...you would need to demonstrate that your dad IS providing the bulk of your support to do so, I believe.</p>
<p>If you were to move in with your dad and your mom was NOT contributing more than 1/2 of your support and you were living with your dad more than 1/2 of the time...and you moved in with your dad NOW...you might be able to put him as the custodial parent. But as it stands right now...your MOM is your custodial parent.</p>
<p>Yeah, I was talking about for my sophomore year--during my freshman year, I'll be living on campus and both parents will be providing support. During breaks, where I live will be probably 50/50, so my living situation would change.</p>
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<p>During breaks, where I live will be probably 50/50, so my living situation would change.>></p>
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<p>Swimcats can correct me if I'm wrong...but I believe if the split is 50/50, the parent with the higher INCOME is deemed the custodial parent...maybe I'm hallucinating that...but I believe I read that somewhere.</p>
<p>Who</a> is considered a parent?</p>
<p>If your parents are married, answer the questions about both parents.</p>
<p>If your parent is widowed or single, answer only the questions about that parent.</p>
<p>If your parents have divorced or separated, answer only the questions about the parent that you lived with most during the last 12 months. If you did not live with one parent more than the other, answer only the questions about the parent who provided most of your financial support during the last 12 months.</p>
<p>If your parent has remarried after being widowed or divorced, answer the questions about both your parent and your stepparent.</p>
<p>If you have a legal guardian, you cannot use your legal guardian’s information on your application. A legal guardian is not considered a parent in the financial aid process.</p>
<p>If you have foster parents, you cannot use your foster parent’s information on your application. A foster parent is not considered a parent in the financial aid process.</p>
<p>If you were adopted, follow the instructions above for parents, based on your parents’ current marital status.</p>
<p>Note: The following people are not considered parents on this form unless they have legally adopted you: grandparents, foster parents, legal guardians, older brothers or sisters, and uncles or aunts.</p>