I have a question regarding which students qualify for the simplified needs test. I want to know this because my father has significant assets. My father also owns his own business, but makes less than 50,000 a year, however, my siblings and I receive free lunch at school. Would this means tested benefit qualify us for the simplified needs test? Thanks to anyone who replies, it certainly is a huge help!
Read this…
https://www.edvisors.com/fafsa/eligibility/simplified-needs-test/
But one very important thing to remember is…if you are applying to Profile schools…there is no simplified needs test for the Profile and all assets will need to be reported.
Not sure why you are asking this. On another thread, you say your parents are divorced and you LIVE WITH YOUR MOM more than half the time. That being the case…your dad’s info is not required on the FAFSA anyway…at all.
I am asking this because I was told by a FAFSA faculty member by phone to use the parent who provides the most financial support, point blank! My dad supplies more support since my mother is unemployed.
That is absolutely incorrect. You would only look at financial support if you spent the exact same amount of time (nights) with each parent over the one year period immediately preceding completion of the FAFSA. If you have lived with your mother, and not your father, over the previous year, your mother’s financials would be reported on FAFSA, and not your father’s.
Edited to add:
From the instructions on page 10 of the paper FAFSA:
If your parents are divorced or separated, answer the questions about the parent you lived with more during the past 12 months. (If you did not live with one parent more than the other, give answers about
the parent who provided more financial support during the past 12 months or during the most recent year that you actually received support from a parent.) If this parent is remarried as of today, answer the questions about that parent and your stepparent.
This is ONLY TRUE if you reside with both divorced parents an equal number of days…50/50%. If that is the case…then you would be required to use the parent who provided the greater amount of support.
BUT…you have stated repeatedly here that you live with your mom a higher %age if the time than you live with your dad. Is that correct?
If so…your mom is the ONLY parent listed on the FAFSA. Period.
Read the post from @BelknapPoint that quotes the directions from the FAFSA.
Then remember…there is NO simplified needs test or auto $0 EFC for schools requiring the Profile.
Also…how many times do you need an explanation of which parent to use on the FAFSA? It’s clear on this thread as well.
well I am sorry that my situation is more unique than most, as i do live with my mother more (55% to 45% probably), she does not provide ANY financial support because she does not work or draw unemployment benefits. she takes care of my grandparents, and recieve support from them, but I recieve major support from my dad. I know for a fact that I would certainly be chosen for verification because her non-filer status would be 0 EFC, but i dont think I would have the information to prove and it would be so much easier to just use my dad since he provides the most support and is my legal guardian anyways!
I’m going to yell. YOU CANNOT JUST DECIDE TO USE YOUR DAD ON THE FAFSA.
Follow the rules…don’t make your own up. Your situation is NOT unique in any way. There are plenty of kids from divorced families who live with one parent, but the other parent provides the bulk of their support. This is NOT UNIQUE.
It doesn’t matter one bit who your “legal guardian” is unless your mom has given up her parental rights. That is not likely if you live with her.
You said your mom worked in 2017. Did she file a tax return?
You wrote this…
If she worked in 2017 and filed taxes she would NOT need a non-filers statement at all. In fact, she could link her taxes to the FAFSA using the IRS data retrieval tool.
I’m very confused why you keep insisting that you should be using your dad…when you haven’t resided with your dad more that 50% of the time.
That is the FAFSA rule as quoted in post 3. What is it that you don’t understand…or what information are you omitting here?
@kelsmom @BelknapPoint I’m trying…perhaps some additional reinforcements would help this misinformed poster.
ETA…if you get selected for verification, it won’t be because of your mom’s tax filing status in 2017…she filed.
Oh actually, my mother does not have rights to my siblings and I, my father has SOLE custody of us.
FAFSA, like the IRS, cares not one iota about what the divorce decree says. Who you spend the most nights with is the custodial parent.
Thanks for the polite answer!
Yes…A number of folks on this thread and your other thread have explained…your mom is your custodial parent for FAFSA purposes because you live with her more than half the time.
Really…that’s better for you anyway in terms of getting federally funded need based aid.
So it’s good news.
None of this matters for FAFSA except for the fact that you spent more time with your mother over the past year. The FAFSA rules are vey clear. Your mother’s information, and not your father’s, needs to be reported on your FAFSA. Don’t make this more complicated than it needs to be.
What’s a ‘FAFSA faculty member’?
one of the associates that I spoke to once I contacted FAFSA
Hart- I think you are trying to logically work your way through this situation but you need to trust the experienced parents on this thread- don’t make up your own rules, don’t try to confuse the issue with extraneous facts, and DON’T make this harder than it needs to be.
If you live most of the time (or more than 50% of the time) you use your mom’s financials. Period, end of story.
The fact that your father has sole custody (not sure I understand a custody arrangement where you don’t live with this legal custodial parent but that is totally irrelevant for filing FAFSA) doesn’t matter.
Your mom’s info goes on the form. She worked and filed taxes in 2017. The FAFSA form will determine if you qualify for simplified means- again, you don’t get to pick and choose what information goes where.
OK?
The IRS actually does care what is in the divorce decree, and the parent listed in the divorce decree controls the deduction/credit for the dependent (and can give it to the other parent year to year too). For the IRS, the child can spend 100% of the time with the NCP but if the divorce decree awarded the deduction to the other parent, that’s what controls.
NOT SO for the FAFSA, and the FAFSA doesn’t care what the divorce decree says. FAFSA has a definition for custodial parent and that’s who the child spends the most nights with.
This is not currently correct. Only a pre-1985 decree can determine who gets the exemption without an 8332. A pre-1999 decree can be used as a substitute for the 8332. Who is the custodial parent is determined by nights over, exactly like FAFSA.
MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Let’s not debate IRS regulations, please; focus on FAFSA and the OP.