Do I need to include new spouse's income on FAFSA if we married in 2024 after tax year 2023?

This is actually a common situation! For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, they look at your marital status as of the date you submit the application, not the tax year. So even though you weren't married in 2023 (the tax year they're using), if you're married when you complete the FAFSA, you need to include your new spouse's income and assets. This is true even if you have a prenup or keep finances separate - the Department of Education doesn't recognize those arrangements for financial aid purposes. Your spouse's children, however, would not be counted in your household size unless you provide more than half their support.

I went thru this last year! Got married in April 2023 but FAFSA was using our 2022 taxes. Had to add my new husbands info even tho we file taxes seperately and dont share $$ for the kids college stuff. My daughter got wayyyy less aid because of it. The system is so broken!!

I have a similar issue and called the Federal Student Aid office THREE TIMES and got different answers each time! The first person said I didn't need to include my new spouse's information since we weren't married during the tax year. The second said I did need to include it. The third person put me on hold for 15 minutes and then the call dropped. So frustrating! Has anyone actually gotten a definitive answer from an official source?

Thank you everyone for the responses. This is just so frustrating. My husband's income is nearly double mine, and including it is going to destroy my kids' financial aid chances. It feels like I'm being punished for getting remarried. Has anyone successfully appealed this situation with their college's financial aid office? My ex barely pays any child support and that certainly doesn't help with college costs.

wait i think everyone is giving you wrong info. the 2024-25 fafsa is using 2022 tax info not 2023. or are you talking about next years fafsa?

I went through this EXACT situation and it cost my daughter about $12,000 in grants she would have gotten if I hadn't remarried. The worst part is that my new husband has his OWN two kids to put through college and we keep all that separate. I literally cried when I saw her financial aid package. The FAFSA formula is incredibly unfair to blended families.

To summarize for everyone following this thread: 1. Your marital status on the day you submit the FAFSA is what matters, not your status during the tax year 2. If you're married when you submit, your spouse's income must be included regardless of financial arrangements 3. College financial aid offices can make adjustments through professional judgment 4. Document your separate financial arrangements thoroughly for any appeals 5. Each school has different policies on professional judgment adjustments While the system doesn't handle blended families well, a well-documented appeal to individual schools can sometimes help mitigate the impact.

Thank you everyone for the helpful information! I've decided to: 1) File the FAFSA as required with my husband's information included, 2) Prepare a detailed financial statement showing our separate arrangements, and 3) Appeal to each school's financial aid office with documentation of our situation. I'm not optimistic but at least I have a plan now. This forum has been so much more helpful than the FSA website!

Good luck with your appeals process! I'd suggest also documenting any child support payments (or lack thereof) from your ex-spouse, as this can sometimes help demonstrate your actual financial situation versus what the FAFSA formula assumes. Some schools are more flexible than others with professional judgment, so don't get discouraged if the first school you appeal to doesn't budge much. Also, make sure to submit your appeals early in the process - financial aid offices typically have more flexibility with institutional funds earlier in the year before their budgets are depleted.