<p>I think that means that you have to declare your dad…since he’s the higher earner.</p>
<p>In some states the courts will intervene to require a parent with means to pay for college, when the parents are divorced. If your dad made more than $70000, it would be worth getting a lawyer. There may be a way to file a petition without an attorney. Of course, this will definitely alienate your father, but it sounds like that is already the case. You probably have to live in the same state as your father for there to be jurisdiction.</p>
<p>Anyway, since you have not lived with either parent, then you should go visit your mom for a few days and and then have a legitimate reason to report her income. Whether your mom reports you as a dependent is not relevant to FAFSA, but she should then be able to do this and get the tax benefits if any, which your father patently does not deserve.<br>
When the government bails out banks to the tune of billions, I think we should be trying to help out as many kids as possible - everyone benefits.</p>