One thing nobody's mentioned - if your daughter is living with you most of the time and you're supporting her financially, make absolutely certain you're listed as the custodial parent on the FAFSA. That's actually MORE important than the house asset question in most cases because it determines whose income and assets are considered. I've seen so many people mess this up during divorce situations.

I went through something very similar two years ago! Based on my experience, since you're the custodial parent, filed taxes separately in 2023, and have signed divorce paperwork showing the house goes to your ex, you should NOT include it as your asset. The key is that you're only reporting YOUR assets now, not joint assets from the marriage. I'd definitely add a note in the comments section like others suggested - something like "House being transferred to ex-spouse per divorce settlement, not included as parent asset." Keep all your divorce documentation handy because there's a decent chance you'll get selected for verification with a situation like this. The financial aid office at my daughter's school was actually really helpful when I had to explain my divorce asset situation during verification. You've got this!

Thank you everyone for all this helpful advice! I'm going to: 1) Get all my documentation together now 2) Submit FAFSA as early as possible in October 3) Immediately start the special circumstances process with each school 4) Keep detailed records of all communications. I also talked to my ex about possibly filing an amended return to separate our taxes, but my accountant advised against it since it could trigger other complications. Fingers crossed the appeals process works out. I'll update here after we get through it to help others in similar situations!

That sounds like a solid plan! One additional tip from my experience - when you're gathering documentation, also include any court orders or legal documents that specifically address child support (even if it's $0). Some schools asked for this as part of their review process. Also, don't get discouraged if some schools initially deny your appeal - you can often request a second review or speak with a supervisor. The squeaky wheel really does get the grease with financial aid offices. Good luck with everything, and definitely do update us on how it goes!

After reading this whole discussion, here's what you should know: 1. FAFSA is NOT legally required under federal law 2. Individual schools MAY require it as part of their enrollment or aid process 3. Even if you don't need aid now, circumstances can change 4. Many merit scholarships require FAFSA completion 5. If your family genuinely doesn't need or want aid, you can technically skip it My advice? Fill it out anyway. It takes about 30 minutes with the new simplified version, and it keeps all your options open.

Just wanted to add one more perspective as someone who thought they were "too rich" for aid. My family makes good money but we still qualified for some need-based grants because we have 3 kids in college at the same time. The FAFSA calculation considers family size, number in college, and other factors beyond just income. Plus many schools use it to determine eligibility for their own institutional scholarships that aren't even need-based. It's definitely worth the 30 minutes to fill out, especially since you can always decline aid if you don't want it!

One more thing to consider: rather than focusing only on co-signer release, you might want to look at the full range of benefits. Some lenders offer: - Longer grace periods after graduation (up to 9 months instead of standard 6) - Hardship forbearance options if he struggles to find work - Death/disability discharge protections (not all private loans have this) - No prepayment penalties For my daughter, we found Sallie Mae's Smart Option loan had the best combination of features, even though their co-signer release requires 12 months of principal and interest payments after graduation.

I'm in a very similar situation with my daughter starting college this fall! After reading through everyone's experiences, I'm realizing I need to be much more strategic about this. One question I haven't seen addressed - has anyone compared the total cost differences between starting with private loans (with co-signer release goals) versus doing Parent PLUS initially and then refinancing later? I'm wondering if the higher Parent PLUS rates and origination fees might actually cost more in the long run, even if you're stuck as co-signer for a few extra years with private loans. Also, for those who've been through the co-signer release process - did any lenders require additional documentation beyond just proving income and credit score? Like employment verification letters or tax returns? Thanks for all the detailed advice in this thread - it's been incredibly helpful!

wait what is SAI? is that like the EFC? my daughter got her EFC score last yr but now im seeing SAI everywhere

This is such a relief to see resolved! I'm new to the FAFSA process (first kid heading to college) and this thread has been incredibly helpful. The fact that so many people had the same issue makes me feel better about potentially making mistakes myself. I'm bookmarking this thread for when I start our application next month. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions - it really helps us newbies navigate this confusing system!