FAFSA dependent status confusion - daughter with estranged father and protective order

Your instinct is correct. Unless your daughter meets specific criteria for independence (like being married, having her own dependents, being in foster care, etc.), she is considered a dependent student regardless of the situation with her father. You should complete the parent portion as the custodial parent. The FAFSA doesn't require information from both parents if they're separated/divorced - only the parent she lives with primarily. After submission, she can contact each school's financial aid office about the protective order situation if they need clarification.

omg we went thru something similar last yr with my son!! the skool counselors sometimes give BAD advice about fafsa stuff. your daughter is DEF a dependent unless she's 24, married, has kids, is military, or emancipated. just fill out your part with YOUR info only since ur the custodial parent she lives with!

You're absolutely right - your daughter is almost certainly a dependent student for FAFSA purposes. Independence for FAFSA is very narrowly defined and difficult to obtain. A safety issue with one parent doesn't automatically qualify for independent status. Here's what you need to do: 1. You should complete the parent contribution section as her custodial parent 2. Only YOUR information is required (not her father's) since you're the parent she lives with 3. After submission, request a professional judgment review from each college's financial aid office 4. Be prepared to provide documentation about the protective order The counselor may have been thinking about the professional judgment process (sometimes called a dependency override), but that happens AFTER the FAFSA is submitted, not before.

Honestly, the system is BROKEN. Your daughter's counselor probably knows from experience that even with the protective order, some schools will STILL demand the father's information because the FAFSA system is rigid and unfair. I've seen cases where safety concerns were totally ignored by financial aid offices obsessed with getting full parental information. She might be trying to help your daughter prepare for that fight up front. BUT - you're still right. You have to submit as parent first, then fight for the professional judgment review at each school. Be prepared for a bureaucratic battle.

My neice had this exact situation! Her dad was dangerous & had a restraining order. What we did was completed FAFSA with just my sister's info (the mom), and then immediately contacted each school financial aid office. Most were understanding but 2 schools gave us problems and wanted "proof" of the situation which was super traumatic for my neice. Eventually they accepted the court docs but it took forever and was stressful.

Has anyone had any success getting the FSA to recognize these situations earlier in the process? I spent HOURS on hold trying to speak to someone at Federal Student Aid about a similar situation for my son last year. It's ridiculous that families in dangerous situations have to go through this stress.

Thank you all for your advice! I'm going to complete my portion of the FAFSA today. I'll have all the protective order documentation ready when we contact schools. I wish her counselor had explained this better instead of making it sound like she needed to somehow qualify as independent - that had us both really stressed out. It's unfortunate that the system makes situations like ours so complicated.

make sure u save copies of EVRYTHING u submit!! my friends daughter had her docs "lost" by 2 different colleges n had to resubmit multiple times. so frustrating!!

When you contact the schools, ask to speak with the financial aid director or someone who specializes in "special circumstances" cases. The front-line staff often don't have authority to handle these situations. Be persistent and document every conversation with names and dates. The system wants you to give up, don't let it win.

I went through this exact situation with my daughter three years ago. The key thing to remember is that you're doing the right thing by completing your portion first. I made the mistake of listening to well-meaning but incorrect advice initially and it delayed our application by weeks. A few practical tips that helped us: - When contacting schools, email rather than call when possible - it creates a paper trail - Include the phrase "special circumstances due to safety concerns" in your initial contact - Don't be discouraged if the first person you speak with doesn't understand - ask for a supervisor - Some schools have specific forms for these situations, so ask if they have a "special circumstances worksheet" The whole process took about 6-8 weeks total, but my daughter ended up getting great aid packages. The schools that were most difficult initially actually ended up being the most generous once they understood the situation. Hang in there!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now with my son - his father has been completely absent since he was 5 and we have no way to contact him safely. What I learned from our financial aid advisor is that you absolutely need to complete your portion first as the custodial parent, then each school will handle the missing parent information differently. Some schools have been really understanding and just needed a brief letter explaining the situation, while others wanted more formal documentation. The most important thing is getting that FAFSA submitted with YOUR information - don't let the missing father's info delay the whole application. You can always provide additional context to schools after submission, but you can't get financial aid if you miss the deadline entirely.