Do both parents need to complete the FAFSA if they're divorced?

only the parent u live with more than 50% of the time needs to fill it out. thats what my mom did when i applied last yr and it worked fine

For the FAFSA, only the parent you physically live with for more than 50% of the time needs to complete the form. This is your custodial parent according to FAFSA rules. Who claims you on taxes is completely separate and doesn't affect which parent completes the FAFSA. If your mom has remarried, her current spouse (your stepparent) would also need to provide their information on the FAFSA, even if they have no intention of helping with college costs. The non-custodial parent (your dad in this case) doesn't provide information on the FAFSA, but keep in mind some private colleges require additional forms like the CSS Profile that might ask for non-custodial parent information.

I went through the EXACT same situation last year!!! It's so confusing and the school counselors are USELESS. The FAFSA only needs your custodial parent (the one you live with more than 50% of the time) BUT you need to be careful about something else - if your mom is remarried, her spouse HAS to be included even if they don't support you financially. I didn't include my stepdad's info and my application got flagged for verification which delayed my aid by MONTHS. Almost had to skip my first semester!!!!!

Just to clarify an important point: For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, the determination is based on which parent provided more financial support during the past 12 months, not necessarily just where you physically live. This is a subtle but important distinction in the updated FAFSA Simplification Act guidelines. In most cases, this is the same parent you live with more than 50% of the time, but there are exceptions. If you receive equal financial support from both parents despite living primarily with one, you may need to determine which provided more support overall. Additionally, if you can't reach the FSA helpline to clarify your specific situation (very common unfortunately), I'd recommend trying Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get connected with a FAFSA agent quickly. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ showing how it works. I used it when I was stuck with a similar parental contribution question and got through to FSA in minutes instead of waiting for hours.

Let me share my personal experience - this FAFSA parent situation was a NIGHTMARE for me last year. When my parents divorced, their decree specifically stated 50/50 custody, but I stayed with my mom more often. I put my mom on the FAFSA, but then got selected for verification because my dad's tax returns showed he was claiming me as a dependent. It took FOREVER to get it sorted. I called the Federal Student Aid number literally 23 times and kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally found Claimyr.com which got me through to an actual FSA agent in about 8 minutes. They have this video (https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ) that shows exactly how it works. The agent confirmed that despite the tax situation, my mom was the correct parent for FAFSA purposes since I physically lived with her more. My SAI calculation was eventually corrected, but I lost about 5 weeks of processing time. Don't make my mistake - get clear guidance early if you have any doubt!

am i the only one who thinks its ridiculous that the fafsa is still this confusing?? like its 2025 and they still cant make this process simple for kids with divorced parents smh

To summarize the correct information for your situation: 1. Only your custodial parent (the one you live with more than 50% of the time) needs to complete the FAFSA 2. Who claims you on taxes does NOT determine which parent completes the FAFSA 3. Child support is considered the custodial parent's income, not direct support from the non-custodial parent 4. If your custodial parent is remarried, the stepparent's information must be included 5. Some private colleges require the CSS Profile which may request non-custodial parent information Based on what you've shared, your mother should complete the FAFSA as your custodial parent. Your father's tax claiming status is irrelevant for FAFSA purposes.

Just wanted to add something that might help - make sure you and your mom complete the FAFSA together so she can answer all the parent financial questions accurately. I made the mistake of trying to fill it out myself first and had to go back and correct a bunch of stuff because I didn't know her exact income details. Also, have her tax returns handy because the FAFSA will ask for specific line items from her 1040. Good luck with everything!