FAFSA for med school - divorce filing status impact on parent contributions?

The filing status for 2023 taxes does matter for the 2025-2026 FAFSA, since that's the tax year they'll be looking at. For med schools that only require the custodial parent's information, filing separately would generally be more advantageous if your income is significantly lower. When you file separately, only your income would be considered for the SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation at those particular schools. However, keep in mind that some medical schools require the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA, which often requires both parents' financial information regardless of divorce status. You should check each specific school's financial aid policies.

my sister went thru this same thing with her kids!!!! def file seprate, her ex makes like 200k and she only makes like 45k and her kid got waaaaay more money when they only looked at her income for fasfa. but like half the med schools made them fill out that other form too (css?) and then they saw both parents money anyway lol

I've been through this exact situation with my daughter who's now in her second year of medical school. Here's what we learned: 1. For FAFSA specifically, filing separately for that final tax year is typically beneficial if you'll be the custodial parent with lower income 2. BUT - and this is important - most top-tier medical schools use the CSS Profile which can still require both parents' financial information regardless of divorce or tax filing status 3. Each medical school has their own methodology - some will only use custodial parent info, others require both parents regardless of divorce 4. Filing separately can cause you to lose certain tax benefits like education credits I'd recommend checking directly with the financial aid office at each medical school your children are applying to. Some schools are surprisingly generous with need-based aid while others provide virtually none.

File separately!!! The whole system is designed to extract maximum $$ from parents. Med school financial aid is a JOKE and they'll use any excuse to count your ex's income. Trust me, I'm still paying off loans and my parents made too much on paper but couldn't actually help much. Gaming the system is the only way to survive.

Did u check if ur twins qualify as independent students? Med students r usually independent for FAFSA since its grad school

I work in financial aid at a university (though not specifically for medical school). For FAFSA purposes, if you're the custodial parent post-divorce and your income is significantly lower, filing separately for 2023 would generally be advantageous at schools that only require the custodial parent's information. However, there are important caveats: 1. Many prestigious medical schools use the CSS Profile which often requires financial information from both parents regardless of divorce status or who claims the student as a dependent 2. Filing separately might cost you more in taxes than you'd gain in financial aid 3. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA (which uses 2023 tax data), the rules have changed significantly with the FAFSA Simplification Act You should really compile a list of each school your children are applying to and check their specific financial aid policies. Then calculate whether filing separately would save enough in potential aid to offset any tax disadvantages.

Does anyone know if having a 529 plan affects this? We've been saving in 529s for years but I heard those count against you for aid purposes. Should we spend down the 529 before they apply?

I spent hours trying to get through to someone at Federal Student Aid to ask about this exact situation last year for my son. Was disconnected 4 times and then gave up. Finally discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) which got me through to an actual FSA agent in under 15 minutes. They explained that graduate/professional students are considered independent for federal aid purposes, but many medical schools still require parent information for their institutional aid. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ that shows how it works. Definitely worth it to get accurate information directly from FSA.

To address your specific question about filing status: For schools that only require the custodial parent's information, filing separately would typically be better IF your income is significantly lower. However, you should also consider: 1. What tax benefits you might lose by filing separately (potentially significant) 2. Whether the specific medical schools your children are applying to will actually only use custodial parent information (many still require both parents' information regardless) 3. Whether the financial aid advantage outweighs the potential tax disadvantages For medical school specifically, you should be aware that while federal loans don't require parent information since med students are considered independent, institutional grants and scholarships often do still consider parent finances - sometimes even requiring information from both divorced parents.

As someone who just went through the medical school application process with my daughter, I can confirm that filing separately was beneficial for us since I was the custodial parent with lower income. However, I'd strongly recommend getting professional tax advice first - we almost lost out on some education tax credits that would have saved us more than the potential FAFSA benefit. Also, make sure to check each school's net price calculator if they have one. Some schools like Harvard, NYU, and a few others have implemented free tuition programs for families under certain income thresholds, which could make your filing status decision less critical for those particular schools. One thing I wish we'd known earlier: start having conversations with the financial aid offices at your top choice schools now, before applications are due. They can often give you school-specific guidance about their policies regarding divorced parents.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm finding this discussion incredibly helpful as I'm facing a similar situation with my daughter who's applying to medical school next year. One thing I'm curious about that I haven't seen mentioned yet - does the timing of when the divorce was finalized matter for FAFSA purposes? My divorce won't be finalized until later this year, but we've been separated since early 2024. I'm wondering if the legal finalization date affects which parent is considered custodial, or if it's purely based on where the student lived during the 12-month period prior to filing. Also, has anyone dealt with schools that have different policies for in-state vs out-of-state students regarding parent financial information requirements? Thanks for all the insights everyone has shared - this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that's hard to find elsewhere!