Do both parents need to report on FAFSA if one doesn't work?

Yes, both parents need to provide information on the FAFSA if they're married, even if one doesn't work. The FAFSA considers the total household income and assets, not just the working parent. For the non-working parent, you'll enter zeros for income questions but still need to provide other information like social security number, date of birth, etc. Both parents will also need to create FSA IDs to sign the form electronically.

we were in same boat last yr. both parents info required if married. doesnt matter who works

This FAFSA parent requirement is RIDICULOUS! My husband hasn't worked in 8 years due to disability (not officially on disability though) and they still counted him! Our SAI was way higher than it should have been because they assume two working parents which is NOT our reality. The system is broken and penalizes traditional families!!

I went through this exact situation with my son's FAFSA last fall. Yes, you absolutely must include both parents' information if you're married, regardless of work status. The non-working parent still needs an FSA ID and will need to provide their social security number, date of birth, etc. For income sections, you'll enter zeros where appropriate. One thing to be careful about: make sure the parent who doesn't work doesn't accidentally mark themselves as "dislocated worker" thinking it means "unemployed" - that's actually a special category for people who lost jobs due to economic conditions and can significantly affect your aid calculation.

My wife hasn't worked in 15 years and we had to put all her info in our daughter's FAFSA too. It's annoying but that's how the system works. They look at the whole household.

Anybody else get stuck in verification hell after submitting their FAFSA? I'm wondering if having a non-working parent increases your chances of getting flagged??

One additional important point: When you list both parents on the FAFSA (which you must do if married), make sure the parent listed as Parent 1 on the form matches who was Parent 1 in previous years if this isn't your first FAFSA. Switching the order can create verification issues. Also, even though your spouse doesn't work, if you file taxes as "Married Filing Jointly," the FAFSA will want information from that joint tax return. Just be consistent with how you report things on your taxes.

I was in your exact position when filling out my son's FAFSA last year! I tried calling the Federal Student Aid hotline like 5 times to check if I was doing it right and kept getting disconnected. Super frustrating! I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and got through to a real person in about 10 minutes who confirmed I needed to include all my info even though I don't work. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Saved me hours of redials and hold music!

To summarize for anyone who finds this thread in the future: 1. Yes, both parents must provide information on FAFSA if they're married, regardless of work status 2. The non-working parent will need their own FSA ID to sign the application 3. Report zeros for income questions that don't apply to the non-working parent 4. All assets from both parents must be reported, even accounts only in one parent's name 5. If you file taxes jointly, information from that joint return will be used 6. Don't confuse "unemployed" with "dislocated worker" - they mean different things on the FAFSA 7. Keep Parent 1 and Parent 2 consistent from year to year on future FAFSAs

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation - my wife has been out of the workforce for 10 years raising our kids, and I was stressed about whether we were filling out the FAFSA correctly. Reading everyone's experiences here has been really reassuring. One question I have: when it asks for the non-working parent's "tax filing status," what should we select if we file jointly but she technically doesn't have her own tax return? Should I select "will not file" for her even though she's included on our joint return?

As someone who just went through this process with my youngest daughter's FAFSA, I can confirm everything everyone has said here is correct. Both parents absolutely must provide information even if one doesn't work. I was a stay-at-home dad for 8 years and had to include all my info too. One tip I wish someone had told me: make sure you have your Social Security card handy when creating the FSA ID - they're pretty strict about matching exactly what's on your official documents. Also, don't stress too much about making mistakes - you can always go back and correct the FAFSA after submission if needed. The colleges will let you know if anything looks off during their review process.

I went through this same situation last year with my twin daughters' FAFSAs! I've been a stay-at-home mom for 14 years, and yes, you absolutely need to include all your information even though you don't work. Here's what I learned: create your FSA ID early (it can take a few days to process), have your Social Security number ready, and don't overthink the income sections - just put zeros where they don't apply to you. The most important thing is that both parents must sign electronically, so you'll both need those FSA IDs. Also, if you have any assets in your name (like that inheritance you mentioned in the comments), those definitely need to be reported. The whole process felt overwhelming at first, but once you get started it's more straightforward than it seems. Good luck!

I'm just starting this process with my oldest child and this thread has been incredibly helpful! One thing I'm still unclear about though - when they ask for the non-working parent's "wages, salaries, tips" on the FAFSA, do I literally just put $0.00, or is there a specific way I should indicate that this parent doesn't work? I don't want to accidentally leave something blank that should have a zero, or put a zero where I should indicate "not applicable" somehow. Also, has anyone had experience with how long the whole FAFSA process typically takes when you have a non-working parent situation? I'm trying to plan out our timeline.

I'm just starting to navigate this FAFSA process myself and this whole thread has been a lifesaver! My situation is almost identical - I've been out of the workforce for 9 years as a stay-at-home parent, and my husband handles all our finances. I was getting so stressed thinking I might mess up my son's financial aid chances by not understanding how to handle the parent information sections correctly. Reading everyone's experiences here has given me so much confidence that we can figure this out. The tip about creating FSA IDs early is especially helpful - I had no idea that was even required for the non-working parent. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and making this less intimidating for those of us going through it for the first time!

I'm jumping in as someone who just completed this process with my daughter's FAFSA last month. Yes, you definitely need both parents' information even when one doesn't work! I was in your exact situation - haven't worked in 11 years and was so confused about what to include. Here's what I learned: you'll put zeros for all income fields that don't apply to you, but you still need to provide your personal info (SSN, birthdate, etc.) and any assets in your name. That inheritance you mentioned absolutely needs to be reported as an asset. The process is actually more straightforward than it seems once you get started. Don't stress too much - the schools will contact you if they need clarification on anything!

I'm a new parent going through this exact same situation! My husband and I are married, but I've been a stay-at-home mom for the past 6 years. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea that both parents needed FSA IDs even when one doesn't work. One thing I'm still wondering about: if I have a small 529 education savings account that I set up years ago for my daughter (but it's technically in my name as the account owner), does that count as a parent asset that needs to be reported? Or is it treated differently since it's specifically for education? I know every dollar matters when it comes to the aid calculation, so I want to make sure I understand how to handle this correctly. Also, has anyone had experience with the FAFSA customer service phone line being helpful, or is it better to work with the college financial aid offices directly if you have questions?

I'm a newcomer to this community and going through my first FAFSA experience with my daughter! This thread has been incredibly enlightening - I had so many of the same questions that have already been answered here. As a stay-at-home parent for the past 7 years, I was really worried about whether I was handling the parent information correctly. One additional tip I'd like to share for other newcomers: I found it helpful to do a "practice run" by looking at the FAFSA website's demo version before actually starting our real application. It gave me a good sense of what information I'd need to gather ahead of time without the pressure of making actual submissions. Also, for anyone feeling overwhelmed by this process - you're not alone! This community seems incredibly supportive and knowledgeable. Thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences and advice. It's made what felt like an impossible task seem much more manageable!