Does the parent who claims child on taxes have to be the FAFSA filer? (Divorced with disability income)

For the FAFSA, the rule for divorced parents is that the parent who provides MORE than 50% of the student's financial support is the one who completes the form. It's not necessarily tied to who claims them on taxes, though that's often the same person. If you have 50/50 custody, then it would be the parent the student lived with the most during the 12 months before filing the FAFSA (even if it's just slightly more time). But here's where it gets tricky - for the 2025-2026 FAFSA, they've changed things. They're using the term 'contributor' instead of 'parent' now. The student will list all contributors (could be both divorced parents in some cases) and their income info will be considered based on their percentage of financial support. So I'd recommend looking into the new rules carefully for next year's application!

I went thru this last yr with my daughter!!!! The parent who the kid lives with MORE than 50% of the time is supposed to be the one who fills out FAFSA. But if its exactly 50/50 then its whoever provides more financial support. They dont care about who claims them on taxes anymore. Thats what the financial aid lady at my daughters college said when we called.

The tax dependency and FAFSA filing are separate issues. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA (the new simplified version), here's what applies to your situation: 1. If you have 50/50 custody, the parent who provided more financial support in the past 12 months should complete the FAFSA. 2. If financial support is also equal, then the parent with the higher income would complete the form. 3. Social Security Disability Income is reported differently on the FAFSA than earned income. It's considered untaxed income but still counts toward your total income. 4. The student can choose which parent to list on the FAFSA if truly everything is equal, but this should be a strategic decision based on which scenario would result in more aid. Importantly, if you remarried, your current spouse's income must also be included, which could significantly impact the SAI calculation.

Adding to my previous comment - you mentioned disability income. The treatment of SSDI on the FAFSA is specific. It IS reported as untaxed income on the FAFSA, which means it counts toward your SAI (Student Aid Index, formerly EFC) calculation. However, if you receive SSI (Supplemental Security Income) instead of SSDI, that is typically NOT reported on the FAFSA. Given your specific situation, it might actually be beneficial for your child if your ex-spouse completes the FAFSA, depending on your respective income levels. This is something you might want to discuss with a financial aid counselor who can look at both scenarios.

my situation wasnt exactly like yours but kinda similar. i filled out the fafsa for my son last yr and i never even asked my ex for ANY info cuz we hate each other lol. nobody questioned it. just put the parent who the kid lives with more. if its equal then just pick whoever will get them more money honestly thats what everyone does

Has anyone else had ENDLESS problems getting through to FAFSA when calling with questions about this stuff? I tried for THREE DAYS last month to get someone on the phone about a similar divorced parent situation. The wait times were insane and then I kept getting disconnected!

Thank you all for your responses! This is really helpful information. From what I'm gathering, it seems like: 1. The tax dependency doesn't directly determine who files the FAFSA 2. For 50/50 custody (which we have), it's about financial support 3. The new FAFSA might require both parents' information as "contributors" 4. My SSDI will count as untaxed income I think my next step is to talk to a financial aid counselor to figure out which parent should file to maximize my son's aid. Does anyone have experience with how colleges verify the custody/support situation for divorced parents? Do they ask for documentation?

just my 2 cents but with the new fafsa being a mess this year, id start this process EARLY next year. like as soon as its available in october!! dont wait till the deadline, theres been so many glitches and problems that ppl who waited are still trying to get things fixed even now

One more thing I just thought of!!! Make sure u get your FSA ID set up ahead of time too. Me and my ex BOTH had to get one even tho i was the only one filling it out, and it takes like 3 days to get approved sometimes. Just another thing to think about!!!

I'm in a very similar situation! Divorced with shared custody and my ex and I alternate tax years too. What I learned from going through this with my daughter last year is that you really need to focus on who provides more financial support rather than the tax claiming. Since you mentioned you're on SSDI and your ex might have higher income, it could actually benefit your son if your ex files the FAFSA since lower income typically means more aid eligibility. But here's the catch - make sure you understand how your SSDI gets reported because it does count as income on the FAFSA. I'd definitely recommend calling the financial aid offices at the colleges your son is interested in to ask about their specific policies for divorced parents. Some schools have been more flexible than others in my experience. Good luck!