FAFSA for separated parents - which parent should submit 2023 tax info?

For the FAFSA, your daughter should include information from the parent she lived with more during the past 12 months. If she split time equally, then use the parent who provided more financial support. Since her mom did it last year, there might be a reason for that (like your daughter living with her more). Switching which parent reports CAN significantly change the SAI calculation and potentially affect her aid package.

we had this EXACT same situation!!! my ex handled the first year fafsa and then i did the 2nd year. HUGE MESS. turns out ur supposed to be consistent with which parent fills it out unless theres a major change in living situation. our daughter almost lost her aid package bc of it!!

The FAFSA has specific rules about separated parents. Which parent provided more financial support in the last 12 months? That's who should complete the FAFSA. If it's 50/50, then it's who she lived with more. If that's also equal, then it's the parent with higher income (though that obviously results in less aid). Importantly - if your daughter already listed her mom on last year's FAFSA, you should generally stick with the same parent for consistency unless circumstances have significantly changed.

Just went thru this nightmare situation with my son. Spent WEEKS trying to get someone from FSA to actually help us understand the rules for separated parents. Their phone lines are always busy and I kept getting disconnected. Finally found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual human at FSA within 30 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent confirmed that switching parents can trigger a verification review, but it's perfectly legal if your living situation has changed. In our case, we had to submit documentation proving the change in living arrangements.

my cousins parents are divorced and they always put the parent who makes less $ on the fafsa...they got way more financial aid that way lol. i don't think it matters which parent as long as they lived with them at some point

This whole separated parents thing is why I hate dealing with the FAFSA. The rules are ridiculous! They should just let students apply as independent once they're in college anyway. Why should parents income even matter?

Thanks everyone for the advice. I called my daughter's financial aid office this morning, and they confirmed I should NOT change which parent reports unless there's been a major change in living situation. Since her mom did it last year and my daughter still technically lived with her more than me (even though it's close to 50/50 now), we'll stick with her mom filing again. They said changing would likely trigger verification and potentially delay her aid. I appreciate all the help!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say thank you for this incredibly helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation with my son starting college next year and his father and I are separated. Reading through all these responses has really clarified the importance of being consistent with which parent files the FAFSA. I was initially thinking we could just pick whichever parent would result in more aid, but now I understand that's not how it works and could cause serious problems. The advice about calling the financial aid office first is gold - I'll definitely do that before we submit anything. It's reassuring to see a community where people share their real experiences, even the messy ones!

As someone new to this community, I'm really grateful for all the detailed advice shared here! My partner and I are going through a separation right now and our daughter will be applying for FAFSA for the first time next year. This thread has been eye-opening - I had no idea there were such specific rules about which parent should file, or that switching could cause verification delays. The recommendation to contact the financial aid office first seems crucial. I'm bookmarking this discussion to reference when we get to that stage. It's also reassuring to see that others have navigated similar situations successfully, even if it required some extra steps. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences, especially the cautionary tales - those are often the most valuable lessons!

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to thank everyone for sharing such detailed and helpful information! I'm currently dealing with a similar situation - my ex-husband and I have been separated for about 18 months, and our son will be a college sophomore this fall. I was completely overwhelmed trying to figure out which one of us should handle the FAFSA renewal, but reading through all these responses has given me a much clearer understanding of the rules and potential pitfalls. The emphasis on consistency really resonates with me - I was initially tempted to switch to my information since I make less, but now I understand that could create more problems than it solves. The advice about documenting living situations and contacting the financial aid office first is invaluable. It's so reassuring to find a community where people share both their successes and mistakes - those real-world experiences are worth their weight in gold when navigating this complex process!