I went through this exact same confusion when I was filing my FAFSA! The investment section can definitely be overwhelming at first. Just to add to all the great advice already given here - one thing that really helped me was understanding that the FAFSA is looking for your "net worth" of investments, which means you can subtract any money you owe on those investments (like if you bought stocks on margin). For most people with regular brokerage accounts like Robinhood, this isn't relevant since you're not borrowing money to buy stocks, but it's worth knowing. Also, if you have any investments that lost money and are now worth less than what you paid for them, you still report the current market value, not what you originally paid. The fact that you're being so careful about this shows you're taking it seriously, which is great! The amounts you mentioned ($12k for parents, $1.5k for you) are pretty typical for families filling out FAFSA, so you're definitely not alone in having to navigate this section. Just remember to be consistent with your valuation date across all accounts and you'll be fine!

Hey Dylan! Just wanted to jump in and say you're absolutely doing the right thing by asking these questions upfront. I made the mistake of being too casual about the investment section when I first filed my FAFSA a couple years ago and ended up having to go through verification, which was a huge hassle. From what I learned through that experience and from reading all these great responses, here's my take: definitely report everything - your $1,500 Robinhood account, your parents' $12k in stocks, and yes, even that Bitcoin you mentioned. The FAFSA really does want a complete picture of your family's financial situation. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier is that you can always contact your school's financial aid office after you get your initial aid package if you feel like your investments unfairly impacted your eligibility. They have some flexibility to make adjustments, especially if there are special circumstances. Also, keep in mind that having some investments doesn't automatically disqualify you from aid - the formulas are pretty complex and take a lot of factors into account. I know plenty of people with similar investment amounts who still received substantial financial aid. You've got this! The fact that you're being so thorough now will save you headaches later.

I'm a financial aid administrator at a state university and wanted to add a few more insights that might help you and other military families in this thread: One thing I see causing confusion is the timing of when to report benefits. Always use the "base year" amounts (2023 for the 2025-2026 FAFSA), not current year estimates. So if your husband's benefits changed in 2024, you'd still report the 2023 amounts. Also, regarding assets - while you do need to report savings from tax-free sources, there's actually an asset protection allowance for parents that can shield a portion of your savings from the aid calculation. The amount varies by age and marital status, but for most military families I work with, it covers a significant portion of their assets. One more tip: if you're selected for verification and need to provide documentation for untaxed income, the VA and Social Security provide benefit verification letters online that most schools will accept. Having these ready can speed up the process significantly. I always tell military families - your service has earned these benefits, and colleges understand that military compensation structures are complex. Don't let the FAFSA complexity discourage you from pursuing all available aid!

Just want to echo what everyone else has said about being thorough and honest with reporting all income sources! I went through this same process last year with my veteran husband's disability and SSDI. One thing that really helped me was printing out the FAFSA completion guide specifically for military families from the Federal Student Aid website before I started - it has examples of exactly where each type of benefit gets reported. Also, since you mentioned being a stay-at-home mom, make sure you still include your Social Security number and demographic information even though you don't have income. The system needs both parents' basic info to process the application correctly. One last tip - if you run into technical issues while entering the military benefit information (which happens more often than it should), try using a different browser or clearing your cache. The FAFSA system can be finicky with complex income situations, but persistence pays off. You're doing great by asking these questions upfront rather than guessing!

I went through this same situation last year and want to emphasize how important it is to keep good records! Since you mentioned having 60% custody, you're clearly the custodial parent for FAFSA purposes, but some schools do ask for verification especially when it's not obviously one-sided. I actually created a simple spreadsheet tracking overnight stays for the full 12 months before filing - just dates and which parent's house. It ended up being super helpful when the financial aid office had questions. Also, don't stress too much about the exact percentage - as long as it's more than 50% with you, you're good to go. The new FAFSA really did simplify things compared to the old system!

As someone who just went through this process with my daughter, I can confirm everything everyone has said is correct! Since your daughter lives with you 60% of the time, you're definitely the custodial parent for FAFSA purposes. One thing I'd add is to make sure you have your 2023 tax return handy when you start filling it out - the new FAFSA can actually pull a lot of the financial info directly from the IRS now, which makes it much faster than the old version. Also, don't panic if the form seems glitchy at first - there were some technical issues early in the year but they've mostly been resolved. You've got this!

As a newcomer to this community, I've been reading through this entire discussion and it's been absolutely invaluable! I'm a parent of a college freshman and we're facing the exact same dilemma as the original poster - we completed our first FAFSA last year but were seriously considering skipping it for sophomore year since we don't expect to qualify for need-based aid. This thread has completely changed our approach! I had no idea about so many of these benefits that extend beyond traditional financial aid. The priority course registration alone could be a game-changer - my daughter struggled to get into several required classes this past year, and having earlier registration access could really help with degree planning and graduation timing. What really opened my eyes was learning about the "safety net" aspect of maintaining annual FAFSA filings. Reading about families who faced unexpected job loss or medical expenses and were able to quickly access emergency aid because they had that paperwork history established really drove home the importance of keeping those doors open, even when you don't think you'll need them. I'm also relieved to hear from so many parents that the renewal process is dramatically easier than that initial application nightmare we all experienced! The tips about the IRS Data Retrieval Tool and setting up October calendar reminders are going to be lifesavers. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and insights - you've potentially saved our family from making a shortsighted decision that could have cost us valuable opportunities down the road!

As a newcomer to this community, I've been reading through this entire discussion and it's been such an educational experience! I'm a parent of a high school senior and we just submitted our first FAFSA a few months ago. Like many others here, I was already dreading the thought of having to go through that process again next year, especially since we don't expect to qualify for need-based aid. But this thread has been a complete game-changer for my understanding! I had absolutely no idea about the priority registration benefits, work-study opportunities, state grant programs with different eligibility criteria, or the potential for institutional scholarships that aren't widely advertised. The stories about families whose financial situations changed unexpectedly have really driven home why maintaining that FAFSA history is so important - you truly never know when life might throw you a curveball. What gives me hope is hearing from so many parents that the renewal process is significantly easier than that first-time marathon we all just survived! The tips about the IRS Data Retrieval Tool and having data carry over from the previous year sound like they'll make the process much more manageable. I'm definitely going to set up that October calendar reminder and make annual FAFSA completion part of our family's routine. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and insights - you've helped this new college parent avoid what could have been a very costly mistake!

This entire conversation has been such a treasure trove of information! As someone who's been quietly lurking and considering the same path, I wanted to jump in and say thank you to everyone who shared their experiences. I'm a single mom with twins who are high school seniors, and I've been thinking about finally finishing my bachelor's degree once they start college. Reading about the multiple-students-in-household benefits has me really excited - I had no idea that could actually help with aid calculations for all of us! The warnings about keeping everything completely separate (FSA IDs, email addresses, documentation) are noted and appreciated. I can totally see how the system would flag similar information as potentially fraudulent. One thing I'm curious about that I don't think was mentioned - has anyone dealt with this situation while also being divorced? I'm wondering if there are any additional complications when the other parent is involved in the kids' FAFSA but obviously wouldn't be on mine. My ex-husband will be listed as a contributor on my daughters' applications, but I assume that has no bearing on my own student status? Either way, you've all given me the confidence to seriously start researching programs. Thank you for being so generous with your knowledge and encouragement!

This has been such an amazing thread to read through! I'm in a similar situation - my son is starting his sophomore year and I've been contemplating going back to finish my nursing degree. All the detailed advice about separate FSA IDs, keeping documentation organized, and the potential benefits of multiple students in the household has been incredibly helpful. One thing I wanted to add for future parent-students: if you're considering nursing specifically, many hospitals and healthcare systems offer tuition reimbursement programs or even direct partnerships with nursing schools. I've been researching this and found that some programs will actually guarantee you a job upon graduation in exchange for a commitment to work for them for a certain number of years. This could be a great way to supplement federal aid and have job security lined up! Also, for those worried about the time management aspect, I've been talking to nurses who went back to school later in life, and many recommended starting with prerequisite courses at a community college while working part-time. It's a way to ease into the student routine without diving straight into a full nursing program. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - you've made this feel so much more doable!