FAFSA dependent verification nightmare - daughter's university won't process without ex-husband's tax info

I've gone through exactly this with my son last year. You need to request a 'Dependency Override' from the school's financial aid office directly. The Federal Student Aid hotline won't help much with this specific issue because it's ultimately the school's decision. You'll need to provide your custody documentation and a letter explaining the situation - specifically addressing the lack of financial support and contact. Many schools have a specific form for this situation. Email the financial aid office directly and use the phrase 'professional judgment request for dependency override' in your subject line to get faster attention. The verification process is separate from establishing that your ex shouldn't be considered in the FAFSA. Focus on resolving that first, then tackle the verification if it's still required.

OMG this same exact thing happened to me!! The finacial aid office kept asking for my ex's tax stuff even tho I haven't talked to him in like 5 yrs. So frustrating!!! It took almost 2 months to get it figured out and my daughter almost lost her scholarships bc of the delay.

Important clarification: There's confusion in some of the advice here. What you need is NOT a dependency override (that's for when a student wants to file as independent without parental information). What you need is a SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE REVIEW due to parental non-participation. Your daughter is still a dependent student, but you need the school to process her FAFSA with only your information. Here's what to do: 1. Gather your legal custody documents 2. Get documentation showing lack of financial support (bank statements showing no deposits from him) 3. Write a detailed letter explaining the situation 4. Contact the school's financial aid office and specifically ask for a "Special Circumstance Review based on non-custodial parent non-participation" Every school has different requirements for this, but most will accept a court order showing custody and a personal statement. Some might also require a letter from a third party like a counselor or social worker confirming the absence of the other parent.

I spent 3 days trying to get through to the FSA helpline for a similar problem. Waste of time!!! Finally used Claimyr.com to connect with an agent in about 10 minutes. They have this service where they wait on hold for you and then call you when an agent is on the line. Saved me hours of frustration. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The FSA agent confirmed that the school has the authority to process aid with just one parent's info in cases like yours. Get it in writing from them though!

have you tried submitting a verification of non-filing letter from the IRS for your ex? sometimes thats enough if you cant get his actual returns

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AGAINST SINGLE PARENTS!!! I went through this NIGHTMARE last year with my twins. Had to provide DNA TESTS, COURT RECORDS, POLICE REPORTS, and STILL got denied extra aid. They act like every divorce is amicable and ex-spouses just happily share all their financial info. RIDICULOUS! The verification process is just a way to deny aid to students who need it most. I ended up taking out Parent PLUS loans at INSANE interest rates because we missed all the grant deadlines fighting with this broken system.

Financial aid administrator here. This is a common issue with a specific solution. What you need is a "Professional Judgment Request for Non-Custodial Parent Contribution Waiver." This is different from a dependency override. The FAFSA itself doesn't distinguish between custodial and non-custodial parents - it asks for info from both legal parents regardless of divorce status. However, schools have authority to exercise professional judgment to exclude a non-custodial parent in certain circumstances. Documentation typically needed: 1. Copy of divorce decree and custody agreement 2. Documentation showing lack of contact/support (court records of missed payments) 3. Letter explaining situation 4. Some schools require a letter from a third party (teacher, counselor, etc.) confirming the parent's absence Call the school's financial aid office directly and ask specifically about their "Non-Custodial Parent Waiver" process. Most have a form for this exact situation.

Does your daughter have a college counselor at her high school? Mine helped SO MUCH with all the FAFSA drama. She even called the college financial aid office directly and that seemed to speed things up.

Update us on what happens! My daughter's starting college this fall too and I'm so stressed about the whole financial aid process. Everything seems to take forever to process this year with the new FAFSA system.

UPDATE: Success! Wanted to share what worked in case anyone else runs into this issue. 1. Used Claimyr to reach FSA - got through in 15 minutes after days of trying on my own. The agent confirmed schools can process FAFSA with just custodial parent info in cases like mine. 2. Got a letter from my daughter's counselor confirming the situation. 3. Submitted a formal "Non-Custodial Parent Contribution Waiver" request to the financial aid office with: divorce decree, custody documentation, bank statements showing no child support, and the counselor's letter. 4. Called the financial aid office every other day (politely) to check status. The school approved the waiver yesterday and her full aid package was processed today! She qualified for a Pell Grant and some institutional scholarships. We still need loans but WAY less than we feared. Thanks everyone for your help! The specific terminology made all the difference - once I started asking for the right thing, doors opened.