I'm in almost the exact same situation! I'm a stay-at-home parent planning to start nursing school in the fall, and my spouse is the sole income earner. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I was also confused about who should submit since I don't have any income to report. It sounds like the consensus is clear that as the student, I should be the one filling it out and just include our joint tax information. I'm definitely going to make sure we both get FSA IDs set up ahead of time based on the advice here. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it makes this whole process feel much less overwhelming!

This is such a helpful thread! I'm also a married student going back to school (my husband works full-time, I'll be starting part-time classes). I was initially worried about this same question, but everyone's responses have made it crystal clear that the student submits regardless of income situation. One thing I wanted to add for anyone else reading this - if you're like me and haven't dealt with financial aid in years, the FSA website has a really good step-by-step guide that walks you through the whole process. It helped me understand exactly what documents I'd need before starting. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's so reassuring to know we're not alone in navigating this!

I'm in a similar situation with an SAI of 3,895 and family income around $82k. From what I've learned researching this, your SAI puts you right on the borderline for some aid programs. You might still qualify for partial Pell Grant depending on your cost of attendance - the calculation isn't just based on SAI alone. Also, definitely look into your state's grant programs since California has some good ones for middle-income families. I found that community college for the first two years then transferring can cut costs significantly while still getting your degree from a 4-year university. Have you considered that option? It's not ideal but could save you like $20k+ in total costs.

I'm in a similar situation with an SAI of 4,250 and parents making about $89k. After going through this whole process last year, here's what I learned: don't just focus on the big name schools. Some smaller state universities and regional colleges are way more generous with aid for students in our SAI range. I ended up getting a package that covered about 70% of my costs at a school I almost didn't apply to because I thought it was a "safety." Also, make sure you're applying for SEOG (Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant) - it's limited funding but students with SAIs in the 4000s can sometimes still qualify if the school has leftover funds. The key is applying early and to schools that really want you as a student!

I went through something very similar with my nephew a few years ago when his mom refused to cooperate with FAFSA. Here's what worked for us: First, document EVERYTHING. Save all those ignored emails from studentaid.gov that your stepdad isn't responding to - those are gold for proving non-cooperation. Second, your sister should contact her school's financial aid office NOW (don't wait for the new FAFSA cycle) to discuss her options and get the dependency override paperwork ready. Third, consider having your dad write a formal letter explaining the family situation and his willingness to provide his information while confirming stepdad's refusal to cooperate. The financial aid administrators have seen this situation before and they do have ways to help, but you need to be proactive and organized with your documentation. Also, make sure she applies for any emergency aid her school might offer while waiting for this to get resolved - many schools have funds specifically for students caught in these bureaucratic tangles.

Hey Giovanni, I'm actually a financial aid officer at a community college and see cases like your sister's regularly. Here's my professional take: The best immediate strategy is to have your sister attempt the "special circumstances" route using only your dad's information first, as others have mentioned. But here's what most people don't know - when she fills out the FAFSA and encounters the stepparent section, there should be a pathway to indicate "unable to provide stepparent information due to refusal to cooperate." Document every attempt to contact the stepfather with screenshots of unanswered emails from studentaid.gov. Also, since you've been claiming her as a dependent and providing full support, gather bank statements showing payments for her expenses, not just tax returns. The fact that she's been completely financially independent from both parents for 3+ years while being fully supported by you creates a strong case. Most importantly, have her reach out to her school's financial aid office BEFORE the next FAFSA cycle opens - they can walk her through the exact process and may even pre-approve her situation to expedite things. Don't let the horror stories scare you off - about 60% of dependency override requests I review get approved when they have proper documentation like your situation does.

To summarize what everyone has correctly mentioned: 1. Either parent can complete the FAFSA form 2. You must report combined financial information for both parents 3. The email used for your FSA ID doesn't affect calculations 4. Retirement accounts (401k, IRA) are NOT reported as assets 5. Regular investment accounts, 529 plans, and additional real estate ARE reported Just make sure whoever fills it out has all the necessary information for both parents readily available, including the tax return, bank statements, and investment account values.

Just wanted to add one more tip that helped me when I was going through this process - make sure to gather all your financial documents BEFORE you start the FAFSA! I made the mistake of starting it and then realizing I didn't have our investment account statements handy. The form times out after a period of inactivity and I had to start over. Having everything organized beforehand (tax returns, bank statements, investment account balances as of the FAFSA filing date) made the whole process so much smoother the second time around.

As another newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who's shared their experiences here! I'm in a very similar situation with my daughter starting her sophomore year, and I was completely confused about the new 24/25 FAFSA rules. The clarification about it being based on financial support rather than custody arrangements is huge - I was still thinking in terms of the old rules. It sounds like I need to sit down and actually calculate what I'm contributing versus what my ex is contributing to get this right. One follow-up question for those who've been through this: when you're calculating the "more than 50%" support, do things like paying for the student's car insurance, phone plan, and other ongoing expenses count just as much as the big-ticket items like tuition and housing? I'm trying to figure out if all these smaller monthly expenses I cover actually add up to something significant in the calculation. Also really appreciate the tip about documenting everything going forward - definitely going to start keeping better records in case of verification. This whole thread has been more helpful than hours of trying to navigate the official FAFSA website!

Welcome to all the newcomers in this thread! As someone who's been navigating financial aid for a few years now, I wanted to add a couple of practical tips that might help: First, when calculating that 50% support threshold, don't forget about indirect costs like family health insurance premiums if your student is on your plan. That can be a substantial amount annually that's easy to overlook. Second, I've found it helpful to think about it in terms of "who would the student turn to if they needed $500 for an emergency expense?" That parent is likely the one providing the majority of financial support. Also worth noting - if you're the parent filing the FAFSA and you remarry during the aid year, your new spouse's income will need to be included in future FAFSAs. Just something to keep in mind for planning purposes. The learning curve is steep with these new rules, but you're all asking great questions and clearly want to do right by your kids. That goes a long way!