<p>It’s going to be tricky as the FAFSA is going to ask for income for the calendar year ending 12/31/2013. SInce you have been together since August, your wife’s income was joint with yours up to that date. Unless she has her own income, that is in which case, she can use that plus any support that you have given her. She is going to have to read the directions carefully for this. If she has no income of her own, the way it’s usually done, is that your income would be split in half till you left, and then for the months thereafter, whatever financial support given till the end of the year is her income. That is, unless you have some clearly documented split of income that can be submitted. The FAFSA will cross check with the IRS form your wife will be filing for this past year, and if there is not a match, it will come up as a flag. If she is not filing tax returns at all, a non filers form will be required.</p>
<p>FAFSA is for federal aid and the colleges that use it alone, do not tend to meet full need. Those schools that are generous tend to use the CSS PROFILE as well, and that form often requires bot parents’ information.</p>
<p>Good luck to your daughter in all of this, and hope all works well for all of you.</p>