FAFSA child support reporting confusion - split between kids or full amount?

For the FAFSA, you should report the TOTAL child support received for ALL children in your household. Unlike the NYS TAP which specifies only the student's portion, FAFSA wants the full amount. From the FAFSA instructions: "Enter the total amount of child support you received in 2022 for ALL children in your household." So if you reported the full $10K, you did it correctly! Regarding your SAI of 17000, that's on the higher end for Pell Grant eligibility but your student should still qualify for subsidized loans. The child support isn't what's hurting you as much as the life insurance policy liquidation that bumped your AGI. That's considered a one-time event though, so if your 2023 income is substantially lower, you might want to file a Professional Judgment appeal with the financial aid office.

ive been thru this exact situation lol. u put ALL child support for ALL kids on fafsa. thats what the financial aid ppl told me when i called. tap is different idk why. also that life insurance thing is gonna hurt u this year but next year when u do fafsa again it wont be there so ur aid might be better

A Professional Judgment (PJ) appeal is definitely something you should look into. Since your 2023 income is significantly lower than what was reported on the 2022 tax return (which is what the 2024-2025 FAFSA used), you can ask the financial aid office to review your current financial situation instead. For the PJ appeal, you'll need to provide documentation of your reduced income - pay stubs showing the elimination of overtime, a letter from your employer confirming the change in compensation structure, and any other evidence of reduced income. Each school has their own process for this, but typically it involves a form and supporting documentation. Regarding your younger child wanting to attend a private school - make sure they understand the financial implications. Have them run the Net Price Calculator on the private schools they're considering to get a realistic picture of what your out-of-pocket costs might be. Many private schools offer institutional aid, but rarely enough to make them as affordable as SUNY schools.

The whole FAFSA system is RIDICULOUS!!! They PENALIZE divorced parents who actually RECEIVE child support while deadbeat parents pay NOTHING toward college!!! My ex hasn't paid a dime in 7 years but my daughter's aid was calculated like I'm rolling in money!!! The system is BROKEN and punishes responsible parents! I had to take out Parent PLUS loans for everything and now I'm drowning in debt at 53!!! And don't get me started on how they count child support for siblings who aren't even in college!!! Pure INSANITY!!!

My sister went through something similar last year with her FAFSA. She spent hours on hold trying to talk to someone at Federal Student Aid to ask about the child support question. She eventually got through using some service called Claimyr that got her past the hold times (claimyr.com). They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. The agent confirmed she needed to report all child support for all children, not just the student.

idk if this helps but im a financial aid counselor and see this question all the time. for FAFSA you report ALL child support for ALL kids. for TAP you only report for the student. its confusing bc they have different rules for some reason. your SAI sounds right based on your income+that life insurance payout. next year will be better with lower income.

Thank you all SO much for the helpful advice! I'm definitely going to pursue that Professional Judgment appeal right away. And for next year when both kids are in college, I'll make sure to report the child support correctly on both FAFSA and TAP (full amount on FAFSA, split on TAP). I've already had a preliminary talk with my younger one about college costs. She's adamant about this one private school with a good program in her field, but I've made it clear we need to see the actual numbers before committing to anything. We're going to visit both some private options and a couple of SUNYs with similar programs. This forum has been such a lifesaver - I was really spiraling thinking I had messed up the FAFSA and potentially cost my kid thousands in aid. I feel like I can actually breathe now!

my daughter just finished college and i wished someone told me to appeal when my income changed! we lost out on so much aid cuz i didnt know about that professional judgmetn thing. also divorce makes fafsa 10x more complicated so dont feel bad for being confused everyone is

As someone who's been through the FAFSA process with multiple kids, I can confirm you did the right thing reporting the full $10K! The instructions are definitely confusing because different aid programs have different rules. One thing I'd add about the Professional Judgment appeal - make sure to submit it as soon as possible. Many schools have deadlines for these appeals, and the earlier you get it in, the better your chances of getting additional aid for the current year. Also, keep copies of everything you submit. For planning ahead with both kids in college next year, your SAI should actually go down significantly just from having two students enrolled simultaneously. The FAFSA formula divides the parent contribution between enrolled students, so even without the income change, you should see better aid packages across the board. Good luck with everything! The first year is definitely the steepest learning curve, but you've got this.

As a newcomer to this whole FAFSA process, this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm currently helping my sister navigate her first FAFSA application and we were completely confused about the child support reporting too. She receives support for three kids and wasn't sure if she should divide it or report the full amount. Reading through everyone's responses, it's clear that FAFSA wants the TOTAL amount for ALL children, which is the opposite of what we assumed. We were thinking it should be proportional like some other aid applications. The Professional Judgment appeal information is also really valuable - I had no idea that was even an option when circumstances change. We'll definitely keep that in mind if her work situation changes (she's in a similar boat with inconsistent overtime). One quick question for those who've been through this: when you have multiple kids and file the Professional Judgment appeal, does it affect the aid calculation for all enrolled students, or do you need to file separate appeals for each child? Thanks for all the helpful advice in this thread!

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who made a similar mistake on my first FAFSA! I also got confused about the child support reporting and initially only put down a portion for my college-bound kid. Had to call and get it corrected, which was a whole ordeal. One tip I wish someone had told me - when you do that Professional Judgment appeal that others mentioned, also include any documentation about your ex's employment instability. I included court records showing my ex's pattern of job changes and unemployment, plus documentation of missed payments. Some schools will factor in the unreliability of child support income, especially when there's a history of arrearages. Also, start prepping your younger daughter NOW about realistic college costs. My youngest had stars in her eyes about expensive private schools until we sat down with actual numbers. We ended up finding some amazing programs at SUNY schools that she initially overlooked. Sometimes the "dream school" fantasy needs a reality check before it becomes a financial nightmare for the whole family. You're doing great navigating all this complexity - divorce definitely makes the FAFSA process way more complicated than it needs to be!

As someone new to this community but unfortunately not new to FAFSA confusion, this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation with child support reporting - receiving support for two kids but only one heading to college next year. What really struck me from reading everyone's responses is how many of us divorced parents seem to struggle with the same issues. The child support reporting rules being different between FAFSA and state aid programs is just one example of how needlessly complicated this whole system is. I wanted to thank everyone who mentioned the Professional Judgment appeal option - I had never heard of this before and it could be a game-changer for my family. My income took a hit last year due to company restructuring, but since it happened after tax filing, it won't be reflected in this year's FAFSA calculation. One question for those who've been through the PJ appeal process: do you typically hear back before the May 1st decision deadline for most schools? I'm worried about having to commit to a school and financial aid package before knowing if the appeal will be approved. Thanks again to everyone for sharing their experiences - it's comforting to know we're not alone in navigating this maze!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm really grateful for this thread! I'm currently helping my nephew navigate his first FAFSA application and we were completely stumped by the child support question. His mom receives support for him and his younger sister, and we had no idea whether to report the full amount or try to split it somehow. Reading through all these responses has been so enlightening - it's clear that FAFSA wants the TOTAL amount for ALL children, which honestly seems counterintuitive at first. The fact that different aid programs (like FAFSA vs TAP) have completely different rules just adds to the confusion. I'm also taking notes about the Professional Judgment appeal process since his mom's hours got cut significantly in late 2022, but after taxes were filed. It sounds like this could really help their situation for next year. One thing that really stands out to me from reading everyone's experiences is how much of this crucial information isn't clearly explained anywhere in the official materials. Without communities like this, so many families would be navigating blind. Thank you all for sharing your hard-won knowledge!

As a newcomer to this financial aid journey, this thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm currently preparing my FAFSA for the first time and was completely confused about the child support reporting rules. My situation is similar - I receive support for two children but only my eldest will be starting college next fall. Like so many others here, I initially assumed I should only report the portion that "belongs" to my college-bound student, but reading everyone's explanations makes it crystal clear that FAFSA wants the TOTAL amount for ALL children in the household. It's frustrating that this isn't explained more clearly in the official instructions! I'm also dealing with variable income due to freelance work, so the Professional Judgment appeal information shared here is incredibly helpful. I had no idea this option even existed, and it sounds like it could make a real difference for families whose financial circumstances have changed since filing taxes. What really strikes me from reading all these responses is how common these confusions are, especially for divorced parents. The system seems unnecessarily complex, with different rules for different aid programs. Thank you all for creating such a supportive space where people can get real answers from those who've actually navigated this process successfully!

As a newcomer to this community and the FAFSA process, this entire thread has been a lifesaver! I'm in almost the exact same situation - divorced parent receiving child support for two kids with my oldest starting college this fall. I was completely torn about whether to report the full amount or try to split it proportionally. Reading through everyone's experiences, it's now crystal clear that FAFSA wants the TOTAL child support received for ALL children in the household. Thank you especially to those who quoted the actual FAFSA instructions - that direct citation really helped cement my understanding. I'm also dealing with income volatility (worked reduced hours for part of 2022 due to a family medical situation), so learning about Professional Judgment appeals from this discussion is incredibly valuable. I had no clue this option existed and it sounds like it could significantly impact my daughter's aid package. What really resonates with me is how many divorced parents seem to struggle with these same exact issues. The child support reporting confusion, dealing with unreliable ex-partners who won't contribute to college costs, trying to figure out the system while managing everything solo - it's comforting to know we're not alone in this maze. Thank you all for sharing your hard-earned wisdom. This community is providing the kind of practical, real-world guidance that's impossible to find in official FAFSA materials!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for sharing their experiences with this FAFSA child support reporting issue! I'm currently helping my sister navigate her first application and we were completely confused about this exact question. Reading through all the responses here has been incredibly enlightening - it's now clear that FAFSA requires reporting the TOTAL child support for ALL children, while programs like NYS TAP have different rules. The fact that these programs have conflicting instructions is so frustrating for families trying to do everything correctly. I'm particularly grateful for the information about Professional Judgment appeals. My sister's work situation changed significantly in late 2022 (company downsizing), and we had no idea this option existed to address income changes that happened after tax filing. This could make a real difference for her family's aid eligibility. What really stands out to me is how common these confusions are among divorced parents. It seems like the financial aid system adds extra complexity for families who are already dealing with challenging circumstances. Communities like this are invaluable for getting practical advice from people who've actually been through the process. Thank you all for creating such a supportive space where newcomers can learn from your hard-won experience!