Hello!
I am a new incoming transfer student.
Today I know that my parents legally divorced in 2015.
I have already known that they’ve separated since 2014 but not their divorce.
Because I did not know their divorce and misunderstood the meaning of “Seperated” when I wrote my CommonApplication, I answered “Married” to my parents’ marital status question on CommonApplication.
I’ve not submitted FAFSA and CSS yet, but I will submit them before the end of this month.
This is the first time I write FAFSA and CSS.
However, since I have very special circumstance as well as what I write above, I’m confused about my parents’s marital status and who my custodial parent is.
My parents divorced after I became 19 years old.
Both of my parents have their own jobs and give me financial support.
My father gives more support than my mother does.
Also, my father claims me as a dependent on his tax return.
My legal address is the house which my mother and father bought together, but currently only my mother and I live in this house.
However, for previous 12 months, I lived in this house for 6 months and lived in my father’s house for 6 months.
My elder sister’s legal address is the house I mentioned above, but actually she has lived in my father’s house since last year.
In the case of the divorced parents, the university which I transfer to require the information of the parent who the student resides with.
I wonder whether my mother should give her information to the university or my father should do.
I know how ridiculous this is…
I would appreciate any help you might be able to give me.
For fafsa, you use the parent you lived with most the last 12 months. if you file today, you use last June18- to today, June 17. If you,lived with both EXACTLYTHE same number of days, you use the parent you provided the most support. Don’t make it complicated. If you live with your mother in the house, use that as your primary residence and your mother’s information.
CSS may not matter that much since you have to provide information from both parents.
Thanks for your answer!
But is it okay that the parent who resides with the student is different with the parent who claims the student as a dependent on his or her tax return???
You don’t have a very special circumstance. There are thousands of other college students with divorced parents…
You use the parent info for the parent with whom you resided the majority of the time in the year prior to your FAFSA filing date. It doesn’t matter who supports you more, or who claims you on their taxes. It’s where you reside the majority of the time in the 365 days prior to your FAFSA filing date.
For Profile, you use the parent with whom you resided most to do the Profile. The other parent is your non-custodial parent, and if the school requires the non-custodial parent profile, that other parent will need to complete the non-custodial parent form.
And once more…it doesn’t matter who declares you on their taxes…you use the parent with whom you’ve resided with most even if the other parent declares you on their taxes.
Doesn’t matter what you put on the common app. Doesn’t matter who claimed you on taxes.
For FAFSA, you use the parent info of the parent you’ve mostly lived with during the last 12 months.
For CSS Profile, you may need both parents to submit info…some schools will require NCP info.