FAFSA confusion: Do I report college savings account in ex's name if we're separated?

This depends on who is listed as the owner of the 529 account. If your ex is the account owner (not just contributor) and your daughter is the beneficiary, then you do NOT report it on your FAFSA. The 2024-2025 FAFSA specifically asks for assets that belong to the parent completing the form. Assets belonging to a non-custodial parent are not reported on the FAFSA.

the same thing happened to my sister!! her ex had a college fund 4 their son but she didnt have to put it on fasfa. but i think they got divorced tho so maybe different???

As a parent who went through this exact situation last year, I can confirm that 529 plans are reported by the account owner only. Even though you filed taxes jointly, the asset itself belongs to your ex if he's the account owner. You only report YOUR assets on the SAI portion of the FAFSA. HOWEVER - and this is important - if you're separated but not legally divorced, you technically are supposed to include both parents' information on the FAFSA. The new FAFSA rules are strict about this. If you've been living separately for at least 6 months and can document that, you might qualify to file as a separated household. Do you have documentation showing separate residences?

This is one of those tricky FAFSA situations where the technical rules and practical application don't always match up. Here's the official stance: 1. If you're separated but not legally divorced AND don't meet the criteria for filing as separated (which includes living apart for at least 6 months with documentation), you should include both parents' information including all assets. 2. If you DO meet the separated criteria (sounds like you might), then you only include your information as the custodial parent, and the 529 owned by your ex would NOT be reported. But here's what often happens in practice: many parents in separation file as the custodial parent only, and unless you get selected for verification, it often goes through without issues. Just be prepared to provide documentation if needed.

FAFSA IS THE WORST WITH SPLIT FAMILIES!!! When my husband and I separated, I had to argue with THREE different financial aid officers about this exact situation! His 529 for our son kept causing my FAFSA to get flagged. Even with all the proper documentation, it was a NIGHTMARE getting through to anyone at Federal Student Aid who actually understood the rules. Spent HOURS on hold just to get disconnected!!!

wait but doesnt the new fafsa ask for less info anyway? my niece just did hers and said they didn't even ask about savings accounts anymore just household size and income???

Lol why are you even stressing about this? The 529 barely affects SAI calculation anyway. My ex had like $40K in a 529 for our kid and it changed our aid by like $100. Not worth the headache.

Just wanted to share my experience as someone who went through this last year. I'm also separated (for 2 years now), and I did NOT report my ex's 529 plan on my daughter's FAFSA. We got selected for verification, but once I provided documentation showing we lived at separate addresses and that the 529 was solely in his name, they approved everything without issues. The financial aid office at my daughter's college was actually really helpful in navigating this.

I went through something similar when my ex and I separated in 2022. One thing that helped me was calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center directly at 1-800-433-3243 to ask about my specific situation before submitting the FAFSA. They were able to clarify that since I met the separation criteria (living apart for 6+ months with documentation) and was the custodial parent, I should only report MY assets, not his 529. It gave me peace of mind knowing I was following their official guidance. Also, make sure you have copies of everything - lease agreements, utility bills, custody documentation - because if you do get selected for verification, having it all organized makes the process much smoother.