Can we choose which parent to use on FAFSA if dependent student is claimed by non-supporting parent?

Unfortunately FAFSA doesn't work that way. For dependent students, the parent who claims them on taxes doesn't automatically determine whose info goes on FAFSA. Instead, it depends on who the student lives with most of the year. If your son lived with you more than 50% of the time, you'd be the parent who fills out the FAFSA, regardless of who claimed him on taxes. If parents are divorced/separated and have equal custody, it's the parent who provided more financial support.

OMG I went through the EXACT same thing!!! My ex claimed our daughter for years but didn't want to help with college AT ALL. The whole FAFSA process was a nightmare because of it. We had to get him to cooperate for her to get any aid at all.

To clarify what others have said: FAFSA has specific rules for divorced/separated parents that don't follow tax filing status. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, you'll use the parent (and their spouse if remarried) who provided more financial support during the past 12 months. The SAI calculation doesn't care who claimed the student as a tax dependent. If your son lived with you most of the year, you'll be the parent completing the form. If custody is truly 50/50, then it's the parent providing more financial support. You'll need to report your income information, not his father's.

they'll never kno if u just use ur info anyway lol. my parents r divorced and we only used my moms income cuz my dad makes way more and didn't want to pay for anything. nobody ever questioned it

I'm a financial aid counselor at a community college, and I see this situation ALL THE TIME. The FAFSA uses the concept of "custodial parent" differently than the IRS. For FAFSA purposes: 1. If parents are divorced/separated, it's the parent the student lived with most during the past 12 months 2. If equal time with both parents, then it's who provided more financial support 3. If that parent is remarried, the step-parent's information must also be included Tax dependency has NOTHING to do with whose information goes on the FAFSA. This is one of the most common misconceptions I see.

I had the saem problem when I applied back in 2023. I lived with my mom but my dad claimed me on taxes. the financial aid office made me get a letter from my school counselor confirming where I lived most of the time. after that they let me use just my moms income on fafsa.

Been trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid for weeks to get clarification on this exact issue! Their phone lines are impossible. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual person at FSA who confirmed what others here said - it's about where the student lives, not tax dependency. Saved me hours of frustration - they have a demo video if you're interested: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

One more important thing: make sure your son understands that his FAFSA SAI calculation will only consider your income and not his father's. This could actually be beneficial if you have lower income than his father. Just make sure that if your application gets selected for verification, you have documentation ready showing your son lives with you (utility bills showing your address, school records listing your address, medical records, etc).

This is such valuable information! I'm a newer member here but had to chime in because I'm dealing with a similar custody/FAFSA situation. My daughter lives with me but her dad claims her on taxes and now won't cooperate with college planning. Reading through all these responses gives me so much hope - I had no idea that tax dependency and FAFSA parent determination were completely separate things! I've been stressing about this for months thinking I'd be stuck trying to get financial info from my uncooperative ex. Now I know I can move forward with just my information since she lives with me full-time. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and expertise!

As someone who went through this exact situation last year, I want to emphasize what the financial aid counselor said - this is SO common and you're definitely not stuck using your ex's information! My daughter's dad claimed her for years but refused to help with college costs. I was panicking thinking I'd need his financial info for FAFSA. The key thing that helped me was understanding that FAFSA looks at who provides day-to-day support, not who gets the tax benefit. Since your son lives with you full-time, you're clearly the custodial parent for FAFSA purposes. I'd recommend starting to gather some documentation now (school records with your address, medical records, maybe a utility bill) just in case you get selected for verification. One silver lining - if you make less than his father, using only your income could actually result in better financial aid! That's what happened for us. Don't let his father's lack of cooperation derail your son's college plans. You've got this!

Welcome to the community! This is such a great example of how confusing FAFSA rules can be - you're definitely not alone in this situation. Based on everything shared here, it sounds like you're in good shape since your son lives with you full-time. That makes you the custodial parent for FAFSA purposes, regardless of tax claims. One thing I'd add is to make sure you and your son are both clear on this before you start the application process. Sometimes students get confused when the FAFSA asks for parent information and they might think it should be whoever claimed them on taxes. Having that conversation upfront will save you both stress later. Also, if you do end up needing to provide documentation during verification, don't overthink it. Simple things like school enrollment records showing your address or even bank statements showing you pay for his expenses can work. The key is showing the pattern that he lives with you and you provide his support. Good luck with the 2025-2026 FAFSA when it opens! Sounds like you're going to be in a much better position than you initially thought.

As a newcomer here, this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea that tax dependency and FAFSA parent determination were completely separate - this is such important information that I wish was more widely known. I've been lurking in this community for a while but finally decided to join because I'm starting to help my younger sister navigate the college process, and posts like this are exactly why I joined. The expertise from the financial aid counselor and all the personal experiences shared here are invaluable. It's amazing how supportive this community is - everyone taking time to explain the rules and share their own stories to help others. Thank you all for creating such a helpful resource!

As someone new to this community, I just want to echo how incredibly helpful this entire thread has been! I'm in a very similar situation with my daughter - her father claims her on taxes but I'm the one handling all the college planning and expenses. I was completely stressed thinking I'd need his financial information for FAFSA, but reading through all these responses has been such a relief. The clarification from the financial aid counselor about tax dependency being completely separate from FAFSA parent determination is invaluable information that really should be more widely publicized. I had no idea about the "custodial parent" concept for FAFSA purposes. My daughter lives with me full-time, so it sounds like I'm the one who should be completing the FAFSA. I'm definitely going to start gathering documentation now just in case we get selected for verification. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise - this community is amazing!

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to say how incredibly valuable this thread has been! I'm dealing with a similar situation where my ex has been claiming our daughter on taxes but isn't contributing to college costs, and I was completely panicked thinking I'd need his financial information for FAFSA. Reading through all these responses has been such a huge relief - I had no idea that tax dependency and FAFSA parent determination were completely separate things! The clarification from the financial aid counselor about the "custodial parent" concept is exactly what I needed to hear. My daughter has been living with me full-time for the past three years, so it sounds like I'm definitely the parent who should complete the FAFSA. I'm already starting to gather documentation like school records and utility bills just in case we get selected for verification. It's also encouraging to hear that using only my income (which is lower than my ex's) could actually result in better financial aid eligibility. What seemed like a major obstacle might actually work out in our favor! Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise - this community is amazing and I'm so grateful to have found it.

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to add my voice to thank everyone for this incredibly informative discussion! I'm currently helping my nephew navigate the college application process, and his situation is very similar - his non-custodial father has been claiming him on taxes but wants nothing to do with college expenses. My nephew lives with his mom (my sister) full-time, but we were both completely confused about whose financial information would be needed for FAFSA. This thread has been a game-changer! The explanation from the financial aid counselor about how tax dependency is completely separate from FAFSA custodial parent determination is something I wish was taught in high school financial literacy classes. It's such crucial information that so many families need to know. I'm definitely sharing this thread with my sister, and we'll start gathering documentation now just in case they get selected for verification. It's such a relief to know that her ex's lack of cooperation doesn't have to be a barrier to my nephew's education. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences - this community is truly a valuable resource!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly thorough and helpful discussion! I'm in a nearly identical situation - my daughter's father has claimed her on taxes for years but recently decided he doesn't want to contribute to college expenses. I was completely panicked thinking we'd be stuck needing his financial information for FAFSA, but this thread has been absolutely life-saving. The clarification from the financial aid counselor about tax dependency being completely separate from FAFSA parent determination is information that really needs to be more widely shared. My daughter has lived with me full-time for the past four years, so based on everything discussed here, I should be the one completing the FAFSA with my information only. What's really encouraging is learning that using my income (which is significantly lower than her father's) could actually work in our favor for financial aid eligibility. It's amazing how what initially seemed like a major obstacle might actually turn into a benefit! I'm already starting to gather documentation like school enrollment records and utility bills showing our address, just in case we get selected for verification. Thank you to everyone who shared their personal experiences and professional expertise - this community is truly invaluable for families navigating these complex situations!

As a newcomer to this community, I can't thank everyone enough for this incredibly detailed and reassuring discussion! I've been lurking here for a few weeks trying to understand FAFSA requirements, and this thread perfectly addresses the exact situation I'm facing with my son. His father has been claiming him on taxes since middle school but recently made it clear he won't help with any college costs. I was losing sleep thinking we'd be trapped trying to get his financial information for FAFSA, but reading through all these responses has completely changed my understanding of how the process works. The professional insight from the financial aid counselor about tax dependency being totally separate from FAFSA custodial parent determination is information that desperately needs to be in every college prep resource! My son has lived with me exclusively for the past three years, so it's clear I'm the custodial parent for FAFSA purposes. What's really encouraging is realizing that my lower income compared to his father's could actually improve our financial aid prospects - talk about finding a silver lining! I'm going to start collecting documentation right away (school records, medical files, utility bills) just in case we get selected for verification. This community's willingness to share both professional expertise and personal experiences is truly remarkable. Thank you all for turning what felt like an impossible obstacle into a manageable process!