<p>I have a High School senior getting ready to graduate. I went to the FAFSA site to register to see if we could get some financial help. I was a single mom for the last 12 years but just got married in June and it looks like I have to put my new husband of 7 months' tax info on FAFSA. He is not contributing to my daughter's college education. It is my responsibility. How can they expect a husband of 7 months to take this obligation on? Any suggestions or comments? I know there probably is nothing I can do but I wanted to vent...</p>
<p>There is nothing you can do. There are no exceptions to the rule that a spouse's financial information has to be reported.</p>
<p>I figured that but am still shaking my head. He makes a ton more than me but he is not her father and if I put his income, I won't qualify. I know he will help if I need it but the costs are ultimately mine. Thank you</p>
<p>Be honest. Be thorough. Take time to communicate with the financial aid office about your situation. You may not get a low EFC, but filling out the FAFSA is still worth doing. It is how the school knows that your family wants help. When you get the EFC, don't have a heart attack. You will NOT write a check for that amount. That is the starting point for your planning. For instance, our cost of attendance included $1600 for campus health insurance -- but our kid is covered by my husband's health policy --so we took off $1600 -- and then -$500 for used books (instead of new) and so on . . .</p>
<p>Not to be off-track or give unasked for advice but if your hub will help--that's good! It's okay to take stuff if people are will to assist you. (don't mean to be patronizing and don't know your situation -- but thought I'd throw that out there, fwiw). Good luck!</p>
<p>Sounds like you got married 4 years too soon. :-)</p>
<p>FAFSA doesn't claim to be fair. What does your new husband think? Some husbands think of your kids as their kids.</p>
<p>My assistant delayed remarrying for this very reason. It does seem unfair.</p>
<p>I agree that FAFSA doesn't take into account unusual circumstances at all. I'm desperately saving money to try to pay for a spouse's nursing home care. The spouse will require several years of care before dying. FAFSA looks at this chunk of money as being available to pay for our kids' college.</p>
<p>I think FAFSA, or rather the federal rules on aid, are unfair on other counts. I dont think they accurately reflect, if at all, different cost of living areas. Its more epensive to live in NY and California. Does federal aid reflect that -- I don think so. </p>
<p>But I agree it is unfair as to step parents. But I also think they should look to both parents of student, not just one with custody.</p>
<p>But they DO look to both parents of student, not just the one with custody. There is a non-custodial parent agreement that must be filed, and that parents income will also be considered as part of the family EFC, even if that parent will not pay anything. Many people think that is unfair too.</p>
<p>To the OP, sorry, but that is seriously part of your financial planning, if you didn't save, and you counted on FAFSA, they why marry so untimely and lower your qualifications? How about an annullment and just keep house for awhile?</p>
<p>See, there is no way for FAFSA to delve deeper into everyone's circumstances and find out why the new hubby doesn't share his money with you, or if he would but you all just figure you can get out of it easy that way.</p>
<p><<there is="" a="" non-custodial="" parent="" agreement="" that="" must="" be="" filed,="" and="" parents="" income="" will="" also="" considered="" as="" part="" of="" the="" family="" efc,="" even="" if="" not="" pay="" anything="">></there></p>
<p>This is untrue about FAFSA. The non-custodial parent info is NOT required. This is ONLY for the CSS profile. That is the application the requires info on non-custodial parent/spouse income and assets</p>
<p>Brown, most private schools look to not only both parents, but their current spouses. The federal methodology, to which I specifically referred does not.</p>
<p>The situation the OP is in is very common. FAFSA looks at Expected Family Contribution and when a parent remarries they consider both husband and wife as the family. The debate about the fairness of this rages on in the FA thread.
The situation Neonzeus has is completely different. Were I in that situation I would definitely contact the school and fill out a special circumstances form.</p>
<p>You have encountered some issues regarding how FAFSA handles remarriage. FAFSA has all sorts of unfairness issues. If you live frugally and save money for future college expenses, you lose. If your kid works and saves money, they lose big time. If you have 2 kids in school at the same time, you win. If your kids are spaced out and their college years do not overlap, you lose. If you live in a very high cost area, you lose big time compared to a family in a low cost area. Everyone who loses due to the FAFSA unfairness issues loses double. Not only do you miss out on financial aid but you pay tuition at a high rate to help out those who do qualify.</p>
<p>The concept isn't even so much that your husband will be paying for college. The concept is more that your needs are now being met by someone else, so your money is now available for your child's tuition.</p>
<p>That being said, remember that the word "fair" has no place in college financial aid or taxes. Remove it from your vocabulary and you will be much happier.</p>
<p>This affects my family as well. My husband is retired, received a large settlement for retirement, and has already paid for tuition for his kids. My kids father remarried a woman who has her own business and owns several houses in Florida. So from a FAFSA point of view, we are screwed, but on the bright side, the kids qualify for instate tuition in Florida since their father lives there. There are a bunch of us in this situation.</p>
<p>Actually, let me correct that. FAFSA won't apply to my ex-husband and his remarriage, just to my husband and I. But a few schools my D wants to apply to require the CSS Profile. D is a junior, and I have asked for his cooperation in filling out these forms when the time comes, but I am not expecting it. I guess you have to look for your best opportunities, schools where you get in state tuition, opportunity for merit aid, etc.</p>
<p>I don't get this. I know people who are divorced and their ex husband makes a ton of money however he refuses (and it is part of their divorce agreement that he is not responsible for college expenses or any expenses once the kid turns 18). They got a ton of aid because it was based on who has custody and who claims the kids on their taxes. Of course, these are private schools who have the fafsa plus their own forms to calculate aid, so maybe that's where the change comes in as it pertains to individual circumstance.</p>
<p>No, it isn't fair & usually the financial aid office is likely to point out that they will will not recognize any type of third party agreements. In other words, if two people marry and if one has college bound children, they won't recognize the new spouse's agreement with the biological/custodial parent that they won't contribute to the student's educational expenses. </p>
<p>On the other hand, if the new spouse also has children in college and/or pays child support that is always taken into consideration. </p>
<p>I, too, have known couples who marry after their children are through with college for this very reason.</p>
<p>Waiting to marry until kids are through college/financial aid issues...</p>
<p>This kind of manipulation of the system really irks me. Maybe it shouldn't, but I gotta tell you-- it DOES!</p>