FAFSA complicated situation - retired foreign parent, remarriage, bankruptcy impact?

Okay so first off - yes, you MUST include your current husband's information. FAFSA requires ALL parent household income when you're remarried, even if your husband isn't legally responsible for your son. The system is SO unfair for blended families!!

To clarify some important points for your FAFSA submission: 1. You do NOT include the biological father who lives abroad if you're the custodial parent and remarried. Only your household information (you and current spouse) is required. 2. Regarding bankruptcy: While your current tax returns are what matter most for the SAI calculation, there is a process for special circumstances. Bankruptcy itself isn't a direct adjustment factor on the FAFSA, but the reduced income resulting from bankruptcy payments can be documented through the professional judgment process. 3. After submitting the FAFSA with your current household information, contact each college's financial aid office directly about their professional judgment/special circumstances process. They can consider the bankruptcy payments as a factor reducing your ability to pay.

Been thru something similar with my daughter last year. Here's what we had to do: 1. File the FAFSA with ALL current household info (you + husband) 2. Gather bankruptcy documentation including payment schedule 3. Get copies of all bank statements showing payments 4. Write a letter explaining how the bankruptcy payments impact monthly cash flow 5. Submit all of this to EACH school's financial aid office separately Every school handled it differently - some adjusted our SAI, others didn't. But most were pretty understanding once we showed them the actual numbers.

my son just went through this!!! except it was medical bankruptcy not business. anyway you DEFINITELY dont include the dad abroad if he doesnt provide any support. we had to do special circumstances forms for every single school and it was a NIGHTMARE

I work in financial aid and deal with these situations regularly. Yes, bankruptcy can significantly impact your actual ability to pay for college, but it requires additional documentation after FAFSA submission. The standard FAFSA doesn't have a field for bankruptcy payments, so your initial SAI will be calculated without considering this situation. However, nearly all schools have a Professional Judgment process (sometimes called Special Circumstances review) where they can adjust your FAFSA data based on documented financial changes. What you'll need for each school: - Copy of bankruptcy filing - Court-ordered payment schedule - Monthly budget showing impact on household finances - Letter explaining situation One important tip: start this process EARLY! Many schools have deadlines for professional judgment reviews.

just my 2 cents but u should prob still contact ur sons dad for his tax info cuz even tho he lives abroad the fafsa might still want it? idk just something to think about

I spent WEEKS trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid about a similar situation. Calling their regular number was useless - always disconnected or 2+ hour waits. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and it got me through to an actual agent in under 20 minutes who helped resolve everything. They have a video demo of how it works at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ - totally worth it for complicated situations like yours where you need to speak with someone who actually knows the rules.

WATCH OUT about how you submit your professional judgment forms!!! My friend had a similar situation, sent in all her bankruptcy paperwork, and then found out the financial aid office never reviewed it because she didn't follow up!!! Call each school after submitting to confirm they received everything!!!!

One additional important note: The 2025-2026 FAFSA uses the streamlined formula with the Student Aid Index (SAI) replacing the old EFC. For your bankruptcy situation, this means: 1. The base FAFSA still won't account for your bankruptcy payments 2. The changes mostly affect how parent income and assets are assessed 3. The professional judgment process still works the same way (schools have authority to adjust data elements) Make sure you're ready to file when the FAFSA opens (December 1st) and then IMMEDIATELY begin the professional judgment process with each school. Don't wait until aid offers come out.

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I'm going to: 1. File FAFSA with just my and my current husband's information 2. Prepare a complete bankruptcy documentation package 3. Contact each school's financial aid office about their professional judgment process 4. Submit all documentation before their deadlines 5. Follow up to confirm receipt and processing And if I have trouble reaching FSA, I'll definitely try that Claimyr service. This is all so much more complicated than I expected, but at least now I have a plan.