This should have been the most simple FAFSA to date but instead I am totally unsure about how to proceed. My husband and I separated 2 months ago and we will soon be pursuing a divorce. We have one child in a meets full need (amazing) school and they advised us to wait until early Spring to complete FAFSA and that they likely will need 2016 tax data in addition to the 2015 taxes already filed. Our other child is in the process of completing college applications and I feel as if I need to get the FAFSA started for her sooner. How do I use our married filed jointly taxes from 2015 to complete the current FAFSA as divorced? Do I separate out my income? Do I divide it 50/50? The advice here on College Confidential has been invaluable over the years and I thank you in advance for your knowledgeable input. This will be the first time that I fill out the FAFSA application.
You would put your income only. And you would include your share of the assets as well. Since you filed joint,y in 2015, the IRS Data Retrieval Tool is going to not exactly work.
I would suggest you give the colleges a call…and ask them what to do. My guess is you will link to the IRS DRT, but will be likely selected for verification. You will need to provide your w-2 forms, I would guess, as part of,the verification of your income. You may have to rood ice some kind of documentation that you are actually separated…a lease or the like for your former husband’s new residence, for example.
You will likely have to do this for your current kiddo’s college as well…but do contact them and ask. Do they require the Profile and the non-custodial oarent Profile for continuing students?
And lastly, please make sure that provisions are made for college costs in your divorce settlement.
Thank you thumper for simplifying this a bit for me. I should have some official divorce paperwork at least started by the time FAFSA is submitted and we will be prepared to provide proof of two separate residences. I will definitely contact my oldest child’s school early Spring as they recommended and look forward to their input as well, I just felt like I should be starting the process for my Fall 2017 college student in the meantime but maybe I could take care of both of them in February. For my child that is currently enrolled in college the non-custodial waiver is not automatically required but may be requested. And yes her school also requires the CSS Profile. Thanks also for your tip regarding college costs as part of the settlement.
What makes you think you would qualify for a non-custodial profile waiver? These are granted only when there is no way to contact the non-custodial parent. If you can provide an address…you should be able to contact this person.
The FAFSA and Profile are both available for filing now. If it were me, I would do these sooner than later, because you will have some clarifications to make.
I think she meant Non-Custodial Parent Profile form, and not “non-custodial waiver.” At least, that would make a lot more sense based on the full context.
Waiver was the wrong word above, it is referred to as a non-custodial application, sorry for any confusion. I am not trying to qualify for a non-custodial waiver, just was trying to answer your question regarding the non-custodial parent profile and incorrectly said waiver instead of application/profile. Thanks for your previous advice though and I will stick to reading and not posting.
Thanks for clarifying! And please…do post!!!