<p>Hopefully I will be off to college in September 2013 in pursuit of a Bachelor's degree in Biology. The problem is my dad (who is retired military) is claiming me on his taxes this year. My parents are divorced and my mom (who is an educator) has been claiming all of these years. The question is does the money my dad gets from serving the military included as income for FAFSA. Aren't their scholarship for military dependents who want to go to college.</p>
<p>FAFSA only considers the income and assets of your custodial parent - the parent you lived with most - and their new spouse, if they have remarried. Who claims you on their taxes does not matter. </p>
<p>If, however, you apply to a school that requires the CSS PROFILE in addition to FAFSA, many of them will consider the income of the non-custodial parent too.</p>
<p>I live with my mom and she has custody of me my dad doesn’t. My mom is not married. Does FAFSA ask for documentation of custody or any other verification.</p>
<p>Hummingbird, at the onset, no, there is not any request for documentation or anything. If you are selected for verification, depending on the degree of investigation and reason therefore, you could be asked for any number of things. I would not be worried about this at this time. Who claims you on the tax return is irrelevant for FAFSA purposes. </p>
<p>But as others have mentioned, if you apply to a CSS PROFILE school, both parents will likely have to provide financial information.</p>
<p>As far as scholarships for children of retired military, ask your dad to check through his base/post. There are some via military professional organizations (usually not very large).</p>
<p>Which schools will you be applying to? And, what are your test scores and GPA?</p>
<p>The schools that give the best aid usually require all parents’ income and asset info (including your dad’s retirement income).</p>
<p>The FAFSA-only schools generally don’t give great aid.</p>
<p>What state are you in?</p>
<p>Ask your dad if he gets any GI benefits that you can use.</p>
<p>OP: is your father a retired military officer? If so, is he a member of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)? This organization offers 0% interest educational loans as well as scholarships and grants.</p>