FAFSA confusion during divorce: Can I be sole parent contributor if we filed taxes jointly?

You absolutely can be the sole contributor parent. The FAFSA looks at where the student physically resides, not legal custody or who claims them on taxes. Since your daughter lives with you full-time, you're the custodial parent for FAFSA purposes, regardless of your marital filing status. The key factors are: 1) where does she physically live most of the time (with you - check), and 2) are you separated (living at different addresses - check). The joint account doesn't matter for this determination. Just make sure to accurately report the joint income on your portion since you filed taxes together.

The previous response is mostly correct, but I want to add some important nuance. Since you filed taxes jointly for 2023, you'll need to report the TOTAL household income from that joint return on the FAFSA, not just "your portion." For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, they're using 2023 tax information, and there's no way to separate out individual income from a joint return for FAFSA purposes. You'll be the sole parent contributor, but reporting the full joint income. The good news is that only your household size will be counted (you + your daughter + any other dependents in your home), which can help with the SAI calculation.

I went thru this exact thing last yr!!! We also filed jointly but were separated and my son lived w/ me. You ARE the custodial parent. Just use the total income from ur joint return but only include ppl who live w/ you for household size. My sons SAI was higher than expected bc of the joint income but overall it worked out ok and he still got decent aid. The divorce finalized after we filed FAFSA so next yr will be easier lol

The FAFSA system is completely broken for families in transition. When I was in your situation, they counted ALL our household income but didn't factor in that my ex wasn't contributing anything! My daughter ended up with basically no financial aid because on paper we looked wealthy. You might want to contact each college's financial aid office directly after submitting the FAFSA to explain your situation. Some schools have professional judgment processes for special circumstances like divorce/separation.

I recently struggled with this too for my son. The FSA helpline was completely useless - was on hold for 2+ hours then got disconnected. Tried calling back multiple times with same result. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a real person at Federal Student Aid who confirmed I could be the sole contributor parent despite joint filing. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ showing how it works. Saved me days of frustration and got my question answered in 20 minutes.

your overthinking this!! just put yourself as the parent and move on. my brother and his wife been separated for 3 years but file joint taxes and fafsa never asked for proof. as long as kid lives with you your the one who fills it out period

Make sure to keep documentation of your separation!! Even if you don't need it for FAFSA, having separate addresses on driver's licenses, utility bills, rental agreements, etc. can protect you if they select your application for verification. My neighbor got flagged for verification because they said her "separation" looked suspicious, and she had to scramble to prove they actually lived apart.

Question -- will ur sons father be helping pay for college at all? If he will be contributing ANYTHING, some schools will require his financial info too even if ur the custodial parent. CSS Profile schools especially. My ex and I had a nightmare with this even tho I had full custody but he was paying 1/4 of tuition per our divorce decree. Just something to consider...

Just to follow up on the CSS Profile question - that's a separate form used by about 200 private colleges in addition to the FAFSA. If your daughter is applying to schools that require the CSS Profile, they may request non-custodial parent information even if you're the sole FAFSA contributor. Each school has their own policies on this, so check with the financial aid offices at those specific colleges to see if they'll require your ex's information or if they'll grant a waiver given the circumstances.

Your situation sounds similar to mine from last year. Since I was the parent with primary physical custody and we were living separately (though not legally separated in our state either), I was able to be the only parent on the FAFSA. Just be prepared that because of the joint tax return, your daughter's Student Aid Index (SAI) might be higher than it would be with just your income. When you get the SAI calculation back, you might want to appeal directly to the colleges if it doesn't accurately reflect your financial situation.

Regarding appeals - wait until you receive the initial financial aid packages, then contact each school's financial aid office about their "professional judgment" or "special circumstances" process. Every school handles these differently, but most will require documentation of your separation, decreased household income, and changed financial circumstances. The most effective appeals include specific numbers showing the difference between the joint tax return and your actual current financial situation. Be prepared to provide bank statements, proof of separate residences, and any relevant court documents.