FAFSA confusion after separation - schools wanting different marital status updates

omg this sounds exactly like what im going thru!!! separated last august, did my fafsa in october and i put separated but used our joint tax return. financial aid office at my son's first choice school is saying one thing, but his second choice is telling us something completely different! the whole process is a NIGHTMARE and im so stressed about it affecting his aid packages

The confusion you're experiencing is unfortunately common with the 2025-2026 FAFSA. The issue is that different schools interpret the "separation" rules differently, especially with informal separations that occurred after the tax year being reported. Here's what I recommend: 1. Contact each school's financial aid office individually to understand their specific requirements 2. Document every conversation (date, advisor name, instructions given) 3. Ask if they can place a note in your file about the situation 4. Consider requesting a special circumstances review or professional judgment The key is making sure each school understands your actual current financial situation, regardless of what the FAFSA technically shows.

FAFSA is THE WORST with these situations! When I separated, one school told me to declare "married filing separately" even though we filed jointly that year. Another wanted me to submit a formal legal separation document which I didn't have yet. Total nightmare. Each school seems to make up their own rules.

Financial aid counselor here. This scenario happens frequently. The issue stems from FAFSA requiring your marital status as of the day you submit the application, but using tax information from a previous year when your status was different. Many schools will request a "Special Circumstance Form" where you document your current financial situation. This is processed through Professional Judgment, allowing aid officers to adjust your FAFSA data to more accurately reflect your actual financial situation. One important note: Your SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation may differ between schools based on how they handle your separation. This is normal and within their discretion.

When I went through this last year, I spent DAYS trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid to get a definitive answer because every school was telling me something different. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual FSA agent instead of waiting on hold forever. They have this quick video that shows how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent confirmed that my marital status should reflect the day I submitted the FAFSA, but that schools have discretion to request additional documentation for special circumstances. At least having the official FSA guidance helped me when talking to the different financial aid offices.

lol welcome 2 the wonderful world of FAFSA where the rules r made up and nothing makes sense 😂 i just did whatever each school told me to do and hoped for the best honestly

Same situation and I FINALLY got some clarity after weeks of confusion. What worked for me was submitting a letter explaining the separation along with documentation showing separate addresses (utility bills, lease, etc). I included approximate date of separation and current individual income info. I submitted this to EVERY school my daughter applied to, not just the ones that asked. Most schools processed this through their "professional judgment" process and recalculated her aid package based on just my income. Don't keep changing your actual FAFSA! The correction process is too slow. Let the schools make the adjustments on their end.

Just to follow up with more specific advice: when schools ask for different things, it's because they're approaching your situation through different institutional policies. All of them are working toward the same goal - accurately assessing your current financial situation - but their processes differ. Instead of making multiple FAFSA corrections, I recommend: 1. Return to your original FAFSA (either separated or married, whichever matches your status on the day you first submitted) 2. Create a standard documentation package (separation explanation, current income, living situation proof) 3. Submit this package to all schools proactively 4. Include a cover letter explaining the FAFSA confusion you've experienced This approach puts you ahead of the process rather than constantly reacting to different school requests.

I went through something similar last year when my divorce was finalized right after I submitted my FAFSA. What helped me was creating a timeline document that showed exactly when my marital status changed and what income/tax information I was using for which time periods. I included this with every communication to financial aid offices along with copies of relevant legal documents. Most schools were actually pretty understanding once they could see the full picture laid out clearly. The key is being proactive and consistent with your documentation across all schools rather than waiting for them to ask for different things. Good luck - I know how overwhelming this process can be!