FAFSA Question

Paying for College
1

<p>My parents were never married and I have lived with both equal amounts of time. Thus, I put down my father since he is mostly responsible for my financial needs despite him being the parent who has a lower income.</p>

<p>However, on the FAFSA, it asks for when they were divorced or separated, which is what I'm suppose to put down if they were never married. What do I fill in for this area that asks for when they were divorced or separated, because they were never really "together" in the first place.</p>

<p>I live in New York so common law marriage does not apply.</p>

2

<p>I would, personally, put down the date you were born because that was the first time you were involved in their life when they weren’t together. This would better be answered by a professional though.</p>

3

<p>Alright, interesting… Thank you for your response</p>

<p>Anyone else positive about an answer o.o?</p>

4

<p>Do your parents live separately?</p>

5

<p>I think when you live with both parents equally, you are req’d to put down the parent who earns the MOST. </p>

<p>In your case, you put down your mom, her income, and list her as single.</p>

6

<p>My kids used to do this too- when they were little. Ask the same question over again in hopes they would get a different answer.
<a href=“FAFSA Question - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>FAFSA Question - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums;
I don’t expect your answers will be very different either.
;)</p>

7

<p>" If you lived the same amount of time with each
parent, give answers about the parent who provided
more financial support during the past 12 months
or during the most recent year that you actually
received support from a parent. "</p>

<p>Even though my mom earns more, would it not be my father who I should place on the FAFSA? He supports me more and I’m on his taxes.</p>

8

<p>Do your parents live in the same house ?</p>

<p>It doesn’t matter who lists you on taxes.</p>

<p>Edit…I see that your parents live together. Therefore you really can’t say that your dad “supports you more.” Your mom has the higher income. Her income isn’t just being buried in a hole for herself. She’s likely paying towards rent, utilities, food, etc. What does her income go towards?</p>

<p>Ideally I would like to put down the parent with the low income to increase my chances of aid, but would that not be allowed,</p>

<p>You may think that if your dad “buys my clothes and stuff” that that means that he supports you more. No it doesn’t. If your mom earns more, then likely HER income is paying for more household stuff, which might allow your dad’s income to go for your stuff. but, your mom is still providing more. Supporting YOU isn’t just buying YOUR stuff.</p>

9

<p>And also my question was more about the box that asks for when my parents divorced/separated.</p>

<p>How do I fill that out if they were never really married in the first place?</p>

<hr>

<p>I understand what you guys are saying about listing the higher income. That is no longer an issue.</p>

10

<p>By the way…if you’re applying to any CSS schools that require both parents’ info and incomes, the fact that you’re not using your mom’s higher income on FAFSA will likely “come out” and your FAFSA will have to be changed.</p>

11

<p>You fill out FAFSA saying that your MOM is SINGLE, and you use her income.</p>

<p>What is no longer an issue? Didn’t your mom earn more than your dad in 2011?</p>

12

<p>Ah… Alright, I missed that part.</p>

<p>So I would fill out FAFSA saying that my mother is single, using all of her information.</p>

<p>Then, I would use the CSS profiles to include my dad?</p>

13

<p>You need to look at each CSS Profile schools’ req’t. Since your parents are living together, CSS school may want you to fill out paperwork as one household with 2 incomes. Others can correct me here.</p>

<p>I think CSS Profile wants both parents’ incomes if they are living in the same household…even if never married.</p>

14

<p>Alright, I guess I’ll ask any questions I have regarding the CSS profile when I get there. Thanks for everyone’s help.</p>

15

<p>magentaturtle, FAFSA asks for information about household so you really can’t pick and choose which parent you think provides you the most support. Because your mom’s income is higher, she provided more of the household support (with rent, electric, etc) You need to use your mom’s info on FAFSA and put her down as single. Your father’s info will also appear on FAFSA-- as untaxed income. You probably need to include both on CSS but check with the schools. </p>

<p>Finaid has a good explanation. It is talking about LGBT parents but it applies because it talks about a child who has 2 parents, lives with them both but they are not married (or considered married by federal rules). </p>

<p>[FinAid</a> | Guide to Completing the FAFSA for LGBT Families](<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid)</p>

<p>If the student has two legal parents, the FAFSA is completed as though his or her parents are divorced. Since the student lives with both parents equally, the parent who provides the most support to the student will be responsible for completing the FAFSA. The parent who is responsible for completing the FAFSA is often referred to as the custodial parent. (This has nothing to do with which parent has legal custody.)</p>

<p>If the child has only one legal parent, that parent is responsible for completing the FAFSA.</p>

<p>The other parent cannot be counted in household size unless he/she receives more than half his/her support from the parent who is responsible for completing the FAFSA.</p>

<p>The other parent’s income and assets are not reported on the FAFSA. However, any support the student receives from the other parent is reported on the FAFSA as untaxed income to the student.</p>

<p>This information comes from Dear Colleauge letter [IFAP</a> - Dear Colleague Letter](<a href=“http://www.ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/GEN0516.html]IFAP”>http://www.ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/GEN0516.html) :</p>

<p>Q9. If an individual is a dependent student and his or her parents are living together as a couple, but are not married, whose information must the individual report on the FAFSA? What if the individual’s parents are of the same sex and living together as a couple?</p>

<p>A9. A dependent applicant whose parents are living together as a couple but are not married (regardless of whether the parents are a same-sex couple or not) must provide information for the parent with whom he or she lived with more during the 12 months preceding the date the FAFSA is signed. If the individual did not live with one parent more than the other, the individual must provide information for the parent who provided more financial support during the 12 months preceding the date the FAFSA is signed, or during the most recent year that the individual received support from a parent.</p>

16

<p>I just want to add one thing: it may be tempting to use the parents who has the lower income. The problem is that it will all come out and then the school will revise their financial aid. If you fill out the FAFSA one way and the school determines it is wrong, they will correct it (without your permission) and that will change your FAFSA for every school. If you choose a school based on one package and they turn around and catch the mistake a few months later, you will be in a bad spot.</p>

17

<p>So you agree with everything mom2collegekids said right?</p>

<p>I should fill out FAFSA with mom as single because she has higher income than my Dad.</p>

<p>This is taking into account that they were never married but are living together.
Not that I don’t trust you mom2collegekids. Just want to be 100% positive.</p>

18

<p>*If the student has two legal parents, the FAFSA is completed as though his or her parents are divorced. Since the student lives with both parents equally, the parent who provides the most support to the student will be responsible for completing the FAFSA. The parent who is responsible for completing the FAFSA is often referred to as the custodial parent. (This has nothing to do with which parent has legal custody.)</p>

<p>If the child has only one legal parent, that parent is responsible for completing the FAFSA.</p>

<p>The other parent cannot be counted in household size unless he/she receives more than half his/her support from the parent who is responsible for completing the FAFSA.</p>

<h2>The other parent’s income and assets are not reported on the FAFSA. However, any support the student receives from the other parent is reported on the FAFSA as untaxed income to the student.*</h2>

<p>Since your dad is employed, it’s unlikely that your mom provides more than 50% of his support, so you probably can’t count your dad as being in your household on FAFSA.</p>

<p>Any support that you receive from your dad get counted as untaxed income to YOU.</p>

<p>CSS Profile is another story. I don’t think CSS will consider your dad as a NCP. I think CSS will just consider your parents’ incomes just the same as if they were married…and include both…since they live together. Both parents are part of the household and all incomes included.</p>

19

<p>Yes, yes, yes…goodness one more time…your parents are single. They are not married to each other or anyone else (hopefully). You use the parent who provides the most support, which is generally the one with the higher income, and you check the box single (because the parent is, in fact, single.)</p>

20

<p>I do agree with everything mom2collegekids said and wanted to provide you with the rules so you can see it for yourself. However, I also think you may have to include your dad’s support under untaxed income on the FAFSA. (Crossposted with mom2ck who is also saying that you need to include support from him as untaxed income to you.)</p>