Financial aid when dad is US citizen & mom is not

<p>Has anyone applied for financial aid or familiar with the following situation: My Dad is a US citizen, but my Mom is not a US citizen, they are not married, Mom does not file a US tax return. I live together with both of them in the US. My Dad is the only one that claims me on his tax returns. My questions is how is financial aid determined in this situation? Will they still ask for information for both parents? If so, what info will they require? What are the possible issues?</p>

<p>This is one for kelsmom for sure!</p>

<p>For FAFSA, you would list your father as your custodial parent, and use all of his financial figures and his social security number. The non-custodial parent’s information is not reported on the FAFSA.</p>

<p>If you apply to any colleges/universities that require the CSS Profile, they may also need your mom’s financial information as the non-custodial parent. Does she have any income at all? If she is an employee of a foreign government, and thus exempt from US income tax, she would need to report that un-taxed income as well as any investments that she holds no matter whether they are located in the US or outside the US.</p>

<p>Actually I think on the Profile, since the OP is living with BOTH parents, the OP will select the “Living together, never married” option and include both parents’ financial information on the Profile. No non-custodial parent form needed.</p>

<p>Are you an American citizen? That is the important thing. You can then claim your custodial parent to be either. Your parent does not have to be a citizen be listed as a custodial parent for FAFSA. I’m not sure how unmarried parents living together are treated in terms of income for FAFSA. Kelsmom can answer that one. It gets hairy if the one is being supported by the other though not married, and I have no idea how that works.</p>

<p>As for PROFILE, they’ll want both parents.</p>

<p>My husband is not a US citizen. He has lived, legally, in the US for over 20 years. Both of my kids have dual citizenship. It did not present any problems when applying for financial aid. My older son attends a private college with need based aid only.</p>

<p>It sounds like dad is the breadwinner so his income goes om fafsa. Does mom work. Either way both go on css as never married living together.</p>