<p>If mom is a law school student and dad “is not well off” then there’s no way to know if moving in with mom would help or hurt the daughter’s financial aid application. Regardless, the guidelines are clear regarding who the custodial parent is for financial aid purposes; it’s the parent with whom the student lived with most in the 12 months prior to filing the forms. If physical custody were shared exactly 50% then there are other ways to determine who the custodial parent is, but unless the D were to live with mom from July to Dec 2010, those additional criteria won’t come into play.</p>