The FASFA will only take into account my father, and his EFC is between 3,000 and 5,0000. From my understanding, however, the CSS will take into account my father, mother, and her husband. That would be around 250,000 worth of income, and more than likely an ECF over 30,000. Now, there is no chance at all they will be able to afford the whole Cost of Attendance at Ann Arbor. I don’t know how much this helps, but my mother already took out a PLUS loan for my older brother. I don’t get to include him for other college students because he graduates before I enter. Secondly, my little brother has a 12,000 tuition, and uninsured medical, therapeutic, and tutoring bills because of his Autism. I contacted Financial Aid already, but would like to see if anyone has a similar situation.
Are you including the child support your mom pays your dad in his income?
Are you saying that you LIVE with your low income father, but your mom has a very high income?
My mother is my custodial parent. I would say that I split the time between the two in favor of him. That’s why I get to only use his income for FASFA. My mom makes less than my dad, but when you combine her income with my step-fathers, it’s around 180,000
If you spend more time with your dad then for FAFSA and Profile purposes, your DAD is your custodial parent. Don’t confuse things by saying otherwise.
If a school uses the Profile, and requires the non-custodial parent form, you will be required to send it. And the non-custodial parent for Profile will be your mom AND her husband.
If your mom is your custodial parent, you must use her and your stepdad on the fafsa and the CSS profile. To state otherwise then you are dancing on fraud, which can have some major consequences for you.
OP said he/she spends more time with father. FAFSA instructs to use that Parent as the ‘fafsa custodial parent’ regardless of what the court order or tax return says. Why do you think it is otherwise in this case?
I think the OP is the one who confused the issue. My guess is his custody per the divorce is with his mother. BUT since he spends more time with his father (which will have to be the case on the day he files his FAFSA for the previous year), his father is custodial for financial aid purposes.
You must reside with your father more than half the year prior to the date you file your FAFSA for him to be your custodial parent for financial aid purposes.
I understand and that is why my FASFA EFC will be around 5000. However, the University of Michigan also wants a CSS Profile which, from my understanding, considers both the custodial and non custodial family. With that being said, the amount of money all three make would be around 250,000. That would make the EFC for the CSS over 30,000, or the cost of attendance.
@NicoSuave yep. U of Michigan requires both the FAFSA and the Profile. You will be retired to provide the information from everyone via the Profile and non-custodial parent Profile.
That is the way it is.
Perhaps you should,look at other schools.
You may think this is unfair, but really it is fair to look at both parents’ households.
Frankly, in cases like yours, FAFSA should use both parents’ info.
Whether or not any policy is fair by anyone’s standards, it looks like the OP needs to build a merit-seeking list*, since it looks like neither the middle income father nor the high income mother who needed to take a PLUS loan can contribute much, so going to college on need-based aid is unlikely to be affordable.
*Or defer college until financial aid independence by turning age 24, being married, or being a military veteran.
^^
this
The FAFSA-only schools rarely give great need-based aid, so it’s really in this student’s best interest to look for large merit because the mom’s H isn’t paying, hence the Plus Loans.
What are your stats? What is your major? What is your home state?