Divorced but living together - Which parent completes FAFSA when filing taxes differently?
I'm running into a confusing situation with my daughter's FAFSA application. My ex-husband and I have been divorced for about 12 years, but we still share the same house for financial reasons and to co-parent our kids. Our tax filing situation is complicated - he makes approximately $40,000 annually and claims both children as dependents when filing as single. I earn about $135,000 and file as head of household. Now our oldest is heading to college next fall, and I'm completely lost on how to handle the FAFSA. Do I need to submit it since I'm the higher-income parent? Does he submit it since he claims her as a dependent? Or do we somehow both need to complete portions of it? The FAFSA website instructions seem to assume divorced parents live separately, which doesn't apply to our situation. Has anyone dealt with something similar?
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Lara Woods
For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, you need to determine which parent provides more financial support to your daughter, regardless of who claims her on taxes. Since you live together, it's not about physical custody. Instead, look at who pays more for her expenses like food, clothing, medical care, etc. That parent should complete the FAFSA. However, because you're living together despite being divorced, you'll need to report BOTH incomes on the FAFSA if you're considered to be living together as unmarried parents. The new FAFSA specifically asks about this situation.
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Oliver Alexander
AuthorThanks for responding! I'm still confused though. We split a lot of expenses pretty evenly, so it's hard to say who provides more support. And if I have to report both our incomes anyway, does it even matter which one of us fills it out? Will she get less aid because we live together versus if we lived apart?
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Adrian Hughes
omg i have almost the same situation!! my parents r divorced but dad moved back in 2 yrs ago and they both claim diff kids on taxes. when we did fafsa last yr it was a NIGHTMARE!! ended up having to call the fafsa ppl like 5 times because the online instructions made no sense for our situation
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Oliver Alexander
AuthorThat's exactly what I'm afraid of! Were you eventually able to get it sorted out? Which parent ended up filling it out for you?
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Adrian Hughes
ya we got it fixed but took FOREVER. they made my mom do it since she pays more of my expenses even tho dad claims me on taxes. but they had to count both incomes. my SAI ended up being higher than if they lived separate which sucked for aid amounts :
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Molly Chambers
This is a great question that many families with complex living arrangements face. According to the official FAFSA guidelines for 2025-2026, when divorced parents live together, both parents' information must be reported on the FAFSA - this is considered an "unmarried and both parents living together" situation, regardless of your legal divorce status. The parent who provides more financial support to the student should be the one to complete the application, but both parents' income and assets will need to be included. Tax filing status and who claims the student as a dependent for tax purposes doesn't determine who completes the FAFSA. Importantly, this situation is different from divorced parents living separately, where only one parent's information would be required (the parent providing more financial support).
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Oliver Alexander
AuthorThank you for this clear explanation. So it sounds like we're basically treated the same as if we weren't divorced at all for FAFSA purposes? That's frustrating since we are legally divorced, but I understand the reasoning. I guess either of us could fill it out as long as we include both incomes?
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Molly Chambers
Yes, from the FAFSA's perspective, you're essentially treated as unmarried parents living together. Either of you can complete the form, but I would recommend the parent who handles most of the financial documentation for the household does it for simplicity. You will need to provide income and asset information for both parents, and your combined household income will be used to calculate your student's SAI (Student Aid Index, formerly EFC).
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Ian Armstrong
Wait I'm confused about something - does this mean that divorced parents who live together actually get LESS financial aid than divorced parents who live separately? That seems really unfair! Why should kids be punished just because their parents figured out how to coparent under the same roof?
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Lara Woods
You've identified one of the frustrating aspects of the FAFSA formula. Yes, generally speaking, when both parents' incomes are counted (which happens when divorced parents live together), the student may qualify for less need-based aid compared to if only one parent's income was considered. The system is designed to assess the full household resources available to the student, not to judge the parents' relationship status. But you're right that it can feel like a penalty for parents who make the practical choice to continue sharing a household despite being divorced.
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Eli Butler
I had to deal with this EXACT situation last year! After hours on hold with FSA, I finally got someone who explained it clearly. Since you're divorced but living together, the FAFSA considers you "unmarried parents living together" - it's an official category on the form. The parent who provides more than 50% of the student's support should complete the FAFSA, but BOTH of your financial info must be reported. Trying to reach FSA was a nightmare until I found Claimyr (claimyr.com). They got me connected to an agent in about 10 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ That agent confirmed that who claims the kid on taxes doesn't matter for FAFSA - it's about financial support. Since your income is higher, you'll probably be considered the supporting parent, but both incomes count anyway.
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Oliver Alexander
AuthorThank you so much for sharing your experience! It's really helpful to hear from someone who's been through this exact situation. I'll definitely check out that service if I need to call FSA - I've heard the wait times are ridiculous. Did you have to provide any documentation to prove who provided more support, or was it just based on your statement?
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Eli Butler
No problem! They didn't ask for documentation upfront about who provides more support - you just indicate it on the form. BUT they might ask for verification later (my daughter's school did). We had to show records of who paid for what, so I recommend keeping receipts for major expenses. The FSA agent advised me to document things like who pays for health insurance, school expenses, clothing, etc. just in case.
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Marcus Patterson
The FAFSA system is SO BROKEN for modern family structures!!! I've been through this nightmare with my stepkids. Even though you're divorced, since you live together, they're going to count BOTH incomes - which means less aid than if you lived separately. It's just another way the system PUNISHES families who try to make things work! And don't get me started on how they handle stepparents' income... 🤬
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Lydia Bailey
I feel this so much. When my parents got divorced my dad moved just 2 blocks away but because they had separate addresses my brother got way more financial aid than I did after they moved back in together (but stayed divorced). The system makes no sense!
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Oliver Alexander
Thanks everyone for your helpful responses. I just spent some time going through the FAFSA preview and now see the section about "unmarried and both parents living together." It seems clear that I should complete the form since I provide more of her financial support, but we'll need to include both our financial information. I'm a bit disappointed that our unique living arrangement might result in less aid, but at least I understand how to proceed now. I'll start gathering our financial documents and will use Claimyr if I run into issues and need to speak with FSA directly.
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Molly Chambers
That's the right approach. One more tip: make sure to distinguish between support you provide directly versus what your ex-husband provides. For example, if you pay for health insurance and most daily expenses, but he pays for specific items like cell phone or car insurance, document that clearly. Also, once you submit the FAFSA, contact each college's financial aid office directly to explain your situation. They often have some discretion for unique family circumstances and may be able to adjust the aid package if you provide additional context.
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Tyler Murphy
I just wanted to add that you should also consider reaching out to your daughter's prospective colleges' financial aid offices directly once you submit the FAFSA. Many schools have experienced financial aid counselors who have dealt with complex family situations like yours before. They might be able to provide school-specific guidance or even consider professional judgment adjustments to your aid package based on your unique circumstances. Some schools are more flexible than others when it comes to unusual living arrangements, so it's worth having that conversation early in the process. Good luck with everything!
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