Can I file FAFSA without ex's income when he already submitted with his information?

the parent who provides more than 50% financial support is supposed to fill it out not just who they live with

For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, the rules regarding divorced/separated parents have changed significantly. The parent who should complete the FAFSA is the one who provides more than 50% of the student's financial support, regardless of custody arrangements. This is different from previous years when it was based on which parent the student lived with most. Since your son lives with you full-time and it sounds like you provide the majority of his financial support, you should be the one completing the FAFSA. Your ex filing first isn't necessarily binding - you can submit a new FAFSA with the correct information. I recommend: 1. Gather documentation showing you provide the majority of support (receipts for housing, food, utilities, etc.) 2. Contact your son's school's financial aid office immediately 3. Submit a new FAFSA with your information 4. Be prepared to provide documentation that you're the appropriate contributing parent

this happened to my friend last year her ex did the same thing and it totally messed up her kids aid!! definitely fix this asap

I'd be FURIOUS if my ex did this behind my back! The system is so broken - they don't verify who should actually be filling these forms out until AFTER everything gets messed up. My daughter lost a $7,000 grant because her dad filled out the FAFSA without telling me, and he makes way more than I do. The financial aid office was absolutely USELESS in fixing it. Took me WEEKS of calling to get it sorted. The whole system is designed to make us fail!!

I just went through this exact situation last year with my daughter and ex-husband. You need to call the Federal Student Aid helpline immediately, but be prepared to wait forever. I tried for 3 weeks and could never get through - calls kept disconnecting after being on hold for 2+ hours. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to hold my place in line and call me back when an agent was available. Totally worth it since I finally got through to someone who could help. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Once I got through, I explained that my ex had inappropriately filed the FAFSA claiming he provided primary support when he doesn't. The agent created a case for me and guided me through submitting a correction. My daughter's corrected SAI score made her eligible for way more aid than she would have received based on my ex's income.

When my ex did this I had to get a letter from our divorce lawyer stating I was the custodial parent who provides primary support. The schools financial aid office needed it along with the FAFSA correction.

I don't understand why the FAFSA is so complicated with divorced parents anyway like why can't they just look at BOTH incomes and figure it out themselves?? My parents divorced when I was applying for college and it was a NIGHTMARE trying to figure out which one should fill it out and then my dad's new wife's income had to be included which made no sense since she doesn't even help support me at all!!

One important update: Once you submit your corrected FAFSA, contact each college's financial aid office directly. Let them know about the situation and that you've submitted a correction. Many schools have a special form for FAFSA corrections or professional judgment reviews for exactly this scenario. Also, make sure your son selects you as the contributing parent when he signs into his FAFSA account. The student has to confirm which parent they consider their contributing parent.

when does ur son start college? u might need to hurry this up if its soon cuz financial aid gets given out first come first serve

After you get this resolved, make sure your son updates his FAFSA if there are any other scholarships or outside funding he receives. My daughter got a $3,500 merit scholarship after we submitted her FAFSA, and we had to update the form or it would have reduced her need-based aid. These forms are so sensitive to every detail!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this situation - it must be incredibly frustrating to have your ex file without your knowledge! As someone who's been through the FAFSA process, I can tell you that you absolutely need to act quickly. The fact that you have primary custody AND provide 80% of your son's support means you should definitely be the one filing the FAFSA, not your ex. Here's what I'd recommend doing immediately: 1. Have your son check if he has an FSA ID account (your ex would have needed to create one for him) 2. Start gathering all your financial documents and proof that you provide the majority of support 3. Call the Federal Student Aid helpline as soon as possible (though be prepared for long wait times) 4. Contact each college your son applied to and let them know about the situation Don't let this delay your son's college plans - schools deal with these correction situations more often than you might think. The key is being proactive and having documentation ready. Your son's financial aid eligibility could be significantly better with your lower income, so this correction is definitely worth pursuing!