Can both parents claim same child on FAFSA if they're both college students?

This is actually a common question with a clear answer: No, you cannot both claim the same child as a dependent on your FAFSA applications. Even though you both financially support your daughter, for FAFSA purposes, only ONE parent can count a child in their household size and as a dependent. If you both try to claim her, one or both of your applications will likely be flagged for verification, which can delay your financial aid packages significantly.

If both you and your boyfriend are independent students, you need to decide which household your daughter will be counted in for FAFSA purposes. Generally, you should have the parent with the lower income claim the child as this will likely result in a lower Student Aid Index (SAI) and potentially more aid. Review both your financial situations and make a strategic decision based on who would benefit more from the additional dependent in their household size.

I tried to do this last yr with my ex and we BOTH got selected for verification!! It was a NIGHTMARE. The school financial aid office made us provide custody documents and everything. In the end only I could claim our son and my ex had to submit a correction. Wasted like 6 weeks of processing time smh

cant u guys just file together since ur both the parents? why would u need separate applications

My sister and her boyfriend were in this exact situation! Here's what they did: they alternated years. He claimed their son one year, she claimed him the next. The financial aid office said this was fine as long as they were consistent and could document their arrangement. Maybe consider something like that?

When I was trying to reach FSA about a similar situation last semester, I was on hold for over 3 hours and kept getting disconnected. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that held my place in line and had an agent call me back. Saved me so much time and the agent was actually able to review my specific situation. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. It was definitely worth it to get a definitive answer directly from FSA about how to handle dependents when both parents are students.

This is EXACTLY why the FAFSA system is broken!!!! Families come in all shapes and sizes now but the form is still stuck in the 1950s assuming traditional family structures. Both parents SHOULD be able to claim their child because you're BOTH supporting them! The whole system needs an overhaul. I've been fighting with financial aid for 3 years over similar issues.

Important note: If you're not married but living together and both supporting your child, the Department of Education considers this situation under their rules for "unmarried and both parents living together." In the simplified FAFSA, both parents would normally provide information on one application. Since you're both students filing separate FAFSAs, you should consult directly with your school's financial aid office about the correct approach for your specific situation.

does ur school have a childcare grant?? mine does for student parents and its like $3k per semester!! def ask about that when u talk to financial aid!!

Just wanted to add that you should also check if your state has any additional aid programs for student parents. Some states have specific grants or scholarships for parents pursuing higher education that aren't tied to FAFSA dependency status. Also, make sure to apply for the Federal Pell Grant early - as an independent student with a dependent child, you'll likely qualify for the maximum amount regardless of which parent claims her on FAFSA. The key is getting your applications submitted as soon as possible after October 1st when the new FAFSA opens.

As a newcomer to this situation, I want to thank everyone for all the helpful advice! I'm actually in a very similar position - my partner and I are both students with a young child, and I was completely lost on how to handle the FAFSA dependency question. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly enlightening. It sounds like the key takeaways are: 1) Only one parent can claim the child to avoid verification issues, 2) The parent with lower income should probably claim the child for better aid eligibility, 3) Consulting directly with the financial aid office is essential, and 4) There might be additional childcare grants and state programs to explore. I'm definitely going to follow up on that Claimyr service mentioned too since getting through to FSA has been impossible. Thanks again everyone - this thread is going to save me so much stress and confusion!

As someone who just went through this exact situation last year, I can confirm what others have said - you absolutely cannot both claim your daughter on your FAFSAs. My partner and I learned this the hard way when we both initially listed our son and got flagged for verification. What worked for us was having the parent with lower income claim our child, which in our case resulted in about $2,800 more in Pell Grant funding compared to if the higher-earning parent had claimed him. Also, definitely ask your financial aid office about emergency childcare funds - many schools have these but don't advertise them well. Our school had a one-time $1,500 emergency grant for student parents that really helped with daycare costs. Make sure you coordinate with your boyfriend before submitting and maybe even get your decision in writing to the financial aid office to avoid any confusion later!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to say how incredibly helpful this thread has been! I'm actually facing a very similar situation - my girlfriend and I are both students with a 3-year-old, and we were completely confused about the FAFSA dependency rules. Reading through everyone's experiences has been a real eye-opener. The advice about having the lower-income parent claim the child makes total sense from a financial aid strategy perspective. I'm also grateful for the tip about Claimyr for getting through to FSA - we've been trying to call for weeks with no luck. One question I have is whether the decision about which parent claims the child can be changed from year to year, or if you need to stick with the same parent throughout college? Also, has anyone had experience with how this affects state financial aid programs, or is it mainly just the federal aid that's impacted?

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to say thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences here! I'm in almost the exact same boat - my partner and I are both full-time students with a 4-year-old daughter, and we were completely stumped about the FAFSA dependency situation. This thread has been incredibly valuable in helping us understand that we can't both claim her and that we need to strategically decide which one of us should list her based on income levels. I'm definitely going to follow the advice about documenting our decision and communicating with our financial aid office upfront. The tips about additional resources like childcare grants and state programs are also really helpful - I had no idea these existed! One follow-up question for those who have been through this: when you say "lower income," are you referring to just the student's income, or does it include spouse/partner income as well for independent students? We both work part-time while in school, so I want to make sure we're comparing the right figures when making this decision.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so grateful for all the detailed advice shared here! I'm actually in a nearly identical situation - my partner and I are both undergraduate students with a 2-year-old son, and we were completely lost about how to handle the FAFSA dependency question. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly enlightening, especially the real-world examples of verification issues and the specific dollar amounts people have shared about aid differences. The consensus seems clear that only one parent can claim the child, and the strategic advice about having the lower-income parent do it makes total sense. I'm particularly interested in the alternating years approach that Sofia mentioned - that seems like it could maximize aid over time if our income situations change. I'm definitely going to schedule an appointment with our financial aid office armed with all this information, and I'll look into those childcare grants and emergency funds that several people mentioned. One additional question for the group: has anyone dealt with this situation when the parents attend different schools? Do both financial aid offices need to be informed of the arrangement, or just the one where the parent claiming the child attends?

As a newcomer to this community, I want to express how incredibly helpful this entire discussion has been! I'm currently facing this exact situation with my partner - we're both full-time students with a 3-year-old daughter, and we were completely overwhelmed trying to figure out the FAFSA dependency rules. This thread has provided such valuable real-world insights that you just can't find in the official documentation. The clear consensus that only one parent can claim the child, combined with the strategic advice about income comparisons and the potential for alternating years, gives us a solid framework to work with. I'm particularly grateful for the warnings about verification issues and the practical tips about documentation and communicating with financial aid offices proactively. The information about additional resources like childcare grants and state programs is also incredibly valuable - I had no idea these opportunities existed! I'm definitely going to try that Claimyr service to get through to FSA, and I'll be scheduling an appointment with our financial aid office armed with all the questions and strategies discussed here. It's so reassuring to connect with other student parents who have navigated these challenges successfully. Thank you all for creating such a supportive and informative community!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful for this comprehensive discussion! My partner and I are both students with a 1-year-old, and we were completely confused about FAFSA dependency rules until reading through all these responses. The clarity everyone has provided about only one parent being able to claim the child, along with the strategic income-based decision making, has been invaluable. I'm particularly thankful for the real-world experiences shared - like Fatima's verification nightmare and Caleb's specific dollar amounts showing the aid difference. The tips about Claimyr for reaching FSA, checking for childcare grants, and proactively communicating with financial aid offices are all going on my to-do list. One question I have is about timing - if we decide the lower-income parent should claim our daughter, but our income situations might change during the school year (like if one of us gets a better work-study position), can we submit a FAFSA correction to switch who claims the dependent, or are we locked into our initial decision for that aid year?

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for such an incredibly thorough and helpful discussion! My partner and I are both full-time students with a 6-month-old son, and we were completely lost trying to navigate the FAFSA dependency situation. Reading through all these responses has been like getting a masterclass in student parent financial aid strategy. The consensus is crystal clear - only one parent can claim the child to avoid verification issues, and the strategic approach of having the lower-income parent do it makes perfect financial sense. I'm particularly grateful for the real-world examples shared, like the $2,800 Pell Grant difference Caleb mentioned and Fatima's cautionary tale about verification delays. The tips about additional resources (childcare grants, emergency funds, state programs) and services like Claimyr are going straight to my action list. I'm also impressed by how supportive this community is - seeing so many people in similar situations sharing practical advice gives me confidence that we can navigate this successfully. I'll definitely be scheduling that financial aid office meeting and making sure my partner and I coordinate our decision before submitting anything. Thanks for creating such a valuable resource for student parents!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm so thankful for finding this incredibly detailed discussion! My girlfriend and I are both pursuing our degrees while caring for our 18-month-old daughter, and we were completely stumped about the FAFSA dependency rules until stumbling across this thread. The wealth of knowledge and real-world experiences shared here has been absolutely invaluable - from the clear consensus that only one parent can claim the child, to the strategic income-based approach, to all the additional resources like childcare grants and emergency funds that I never knew existed. I'm particularly grateful for the specific examples like Caleb's $2,800 Pell Grant difference and the cautionary stories about verification delays. The tip about Claimyr for reaching FSA is going to be a lifesaver since we've been stuck in phone queue hell for weeks! I love how supportive everyone has been in sharing both successes and mistakes - it really helps newcomers like me feel less overwhelmed by this process. I'm definitely going to schedule a proactive meeting with our financial aid office armed with all the questions and strategies discussed here, and I'll make sure my girlfriend and I coordinate our decision carefully before submitting. This community is such a valuable resource for student parents navigating these complex situations!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful for this comprehensive discussion! My partner and I are both full-time students with a 20-month-old son, and we were completely overwhelmed trying to figure out the FAFSA dependency situation. This thread has been absolutely invaluable - the clear consensus that only one parent can claim the child, the strategic advice about income comparisons, and all the additional resources mentioned (childcare grants, emergency funds, Claimyr service) are going straight to my action plan. I'm particularly thankful for the real-world examples shared, like the verification delays Fatima experienced and the specific dollar amounts Caleb mentioned about aid differences. It really helps to hear from people who have actually navigated this successfully. I'm definitely going to schedule a meeting with our financial aid office and make sure my partner and I coordinate our decision before submitting anything. One question for the group: has anyone had experience with how this decision affects work-study eligibility or campus childcare waitlists? I'm wondering if there are any other considerations beyond just the aid amounts when deciding which parent should claim our son.

As a newcomer to this community, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for this incredibly comprehensive and helpful discussion! My partner and I are both full-time students with a 15-month-old daughter, and we were completely at a loss about how to handle the FAFSA dependency situation until we found this thread. The collective wisdom shared here has been absolutely invaluable - from the crystal-clear consensus that only one parent can claim the child to avoid verification issues, to the strategic advice about having the lower-income parent make the claim, to all the additional resources like childcare grants, emergency funds, and the Claimyr service for reaching FSA. I'm particularly grateful for the real-world examples and cautionary tales shared - Fatima's verification nightmare really drove home the importance of getting this right the first time, and Caleb's specific numbers about the $2,800 Pell Grant difference help put the financial impact in perspective. The supportive nature of this community is amazing, and it's reassuring to know that so many other student parents have successfully navigated these challenges. I'm definitely going to schedule a proactive meeting with our financial aid office armed with all the questions and strategies discussed here, and I'll make sure my partner and I carefully coordinate our decision before submitting anything. This thread is going to save us so much stress and confusion - thank you all for creating such a valuable resource!