I’m hoping that someone here can provide me with an answer. There was a similar thread back in 2011, but I’m hoping that the situation has changed.
Is there a way for a parent to input his/her financial information without the student seeing what that information is? I am divorced and remarried and neither my current spouse nor I want my D to see this information. And we certainly don’t want my ex to see the information. Thank you!
Fasfa only requires the custodial parent. For CSS the non custodial parent sets up their own account. When uploading tax information you can only see your documents in IDOC.
Your ex won’t see it. If he’s the non-custodial parent, he won’t have anything to do with the FAFSA.
You can have your daughter start the FAFSA with all her information, then log out of it and you can input the parent information and sign it (with your FSA ID), and then have her sign in. If you import the tax info with the DRT, YOU won’t even see the numbers.
Or you can do it like I did it for 5 years for my kids - I did it all. I had their tax info (which I also did), I had their checking and savings info as I’m a co-owner on their accounts (which they have had since they were babies), and any info I didn’t have I just asked them about (I really can’t think of anything). they never saw my info and never asked me about it. If they had, I would have shown it to them.
I tried to have my kids help with the first and second years of FAFSA and it became a BIG mess with mixed up emails and passwords. I tried to have them get their own FSA IDs (the system changed in their second year) and it became a BIG mess. So I just did it myself. For the taxes, I’d call (they were away at school) and say “This is what you earned and how much you owe/get back. I’m going to push the button. Okay?”
Unless you plan to keep your kid’s FSA ID info a secret from the kid, the KID will be able to log into their FAFSA. BUT if you use the IRS data retrieval tool, the income information from your taxes will be encrypted and they won’t be able to see those numbers. They will be able to see anything you manually enter like bank account balances.
The ex spouse won’t be able to log into the FAFSA or your Profile…unless the kid logs in…and shows them. But again…for the FAFSA…if you use the IRS data retrieval tool…no numbers will appear on items from your tax return.
IMO you should at least give a ball park to your kid about the numbers to her own comprehension about how FAFSA works… You don’t HAVE to fill in fafsa at all if you don’t expect aid. Step parents certainly do not have to pay any $$ for thier kids college, but remarriage puts the money in play. She needs to know that.
Thanks guys, I appreciate the help.
@twoinanddone I suspect a lot more parents do that than will admit it. I did.
@Sybylla it’s complicated, I’ll PM you.
I did it all, too. I had the passwords. In the past, you may remember some argued the kid should do it all. But the quest for finaid is too important to leave to an inexperienced kid.
At some point, you might need to give that FSA ID to your kid…especially if they take the Direct Loans. They will need that FSA ID to accept the loans and do the MPN…and entrance counseling…or do some parents do that too?
When they graduate, if they have Direct Loans, they will need the SAME info to deal with exit counseling and loan repayment.
If you don’t want your former spouse to see the FAFSA…tell your kid never to show it to them.
I’m not sure you can permanently keep the FAFSA info a secret from your kid… it like I said…if you use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, NO income or tax related numbers will appear on the FAFSA form. But your manually added asset info will.
ETA…I asked my kids if they ever looked at the FAFSA after it was submitted. Both said NO. Do you really think your kid is going to look at that submitted FAFSA?
Of course for grad school, they did it themselves. Our info was required for one kid.
You still have to enter the income earned from work for parent 1 and 2 in FAFSA, after you do the DRT.
You also have to enter any pretax retirement contributions since they aren’t on the tax return.
I helped with the FAFSA, but I agree the student needs to know their FSA ID for loan purposes.
My kids also didn’t look at the FAFSA after it was submitted.
Thanks for all of your comments. This has been very helpful and informative.
My kids did not use their FSA IDs for loans or exit interviews. I know they do not know their passwords because I have them all written down and they didn’t ask for them when they graduated last year.
I wish my kids cared more but they let me do it all.
@kelsmom can a student access the federal loans, entrance and exit counseling, repayment stuff, and such without the FSA ID number?
I know for my kids…they used the same password for FAFSA for the Loans. We were specifically told not to lose that info because it would be needed. And it was.