FAFSA asset reporting during divorce - Do I include house when my name is being removed?

This is a really common question with divorce situations. The general rule is that you report assets as they are on the day you submit the FAFSA. So if your name is still legally on the deed when you submit, technically you should include it. However, there's an important consideration here - are you and your ex filing taxes separately already? If so, and if you're the custodial parent for FAFSA purposes, you'd only report your own assets, not your soon-to-be ex's.

my sister went thru the EXACT same thing last yr!! she ended up calling fafsa directly and they told her NOT to include the house since it was already decided in the divorce agreement that her ex was keeping it. they said what matters is the INTENT not the current legal status. good luck!!!

You need to be precise about this to avoid complications later. According to the Federal Student Aid guidelines, you should report assets as they exist on the day you complete the FAFSA. If your name is still on the deed, technically the house is still partially your asset. However, since you're separated and filing taxes separately, AND you're the custodial parent, you only report YOUR assets on the FAFSA, not joint assets. If you can document that the house is being transferred solely to your ex as part of the divorce settlement, you have a good case for not including it. My recommendation: Include a note in the FAFSA comments section explaining your situation and that the asset is in transition due to divorce proceedings. This creates a paper trail of your good-faith effort to be transparent.

when i did my fafsa during my divorce i just left off EVERYTHING that was going to my ex husband. the financial aid office at my kids school said that was fine since i had documentation showing who was getting what. just keep copies of your divorce paperwork showing the house is going to him!

Have you tried calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center? I was on hold for THREE HOURS last month trying to get a similar question answered about my divorce situation. Finally gave up.

One additional consideration: The 2025-2026 FAFSA uses the base year of 2023 for income reporting. If your divorce wasn't final in 2023, you might have additional complications regarding how you report income. Did you file your 2023 taxes jointly or separately?

Based on everything you've shared, here's what I would recommend: 1. Since you filed taxes separately in 2023 and you're the custodial parent, you should only report YOUR assets on the FAFSA 2. Since you have documentation showing the house is going to your ex (divorce papers filed with court), you have a solid basis for excluding it 3. Add a note in the comments section explaining that the house is legally being transferred to your ex-spouse per divorce agreement 4. Keep copies of all documentation in case of verification If your FAFSA is selected for verification (which happens more often with unusual situations like divorce), you'll need to work with your daughter's financial aid office and provide the divorce documentation. They have the authority to make professional judgment adjustments based on your actual circumstances.

just make sure u keep ALL the paperwork from the divorce that talks about the house!!!! my sister got selected for that verification thing and had to show proof of everything

One thing nobody's mentioned - if your daughter is living with you most of the time and you're supporting her financially, make absolutely certain you're listed as the custodial parent on the FAFSA. That's actually MORE important than the house asset question in most cases because it determines whose income and assets are considered. I've seen so many people mess this up during divorce situations.

I went through something very similar two years ago! Based on my experience, since you're the custodial parent, filed taxes separately in 2023, and have signed divorce paperwork showing the house goes to your ex, you should NOT include it as your asset. The key is that you're only reporting YOUR assets now, not joint assets from the marriage. I'd definitely add a note in the comments section like others suggested - something like "House being transferred to ex-spouse per divorce settlement, not included as parent asset." Keep all your divorce documentation handy because there's a decent chance you'll get selected for verification with a situation like this. The financial aid office at my daughter's school was actually really helpful when I had to explain my divorce asset situation during verification. You've got this!