FAFSA for single parent: Do I include ex's info and child support?

You DO NOT need to include the non-custodial parent on the FAFSA if you have full legal custody. Only the custodial parent (you) and their current spouse, if remarried, need to provide information. However, you DO need to report child support received as untaxed income. It will factor into your SAI calculation, but this is completely normal and expected. Make sure you have documentation of your custody arrangement in case of verification. Some private colleges might require the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA, and that might ask for the non-custodial parent's information separately.

my situation is almost EXACTLY the same except my ex is completely absent. you definitely dont need his info for fafsa!!! just report the child support as income when it asks. its actually pretty easy when ur the only parent involved. good luck!!

Just to clarify what others have said - on the 2025-2026 FAFSA, you'll be filling out the information as the custodial parent. Child support received is reported in the "Untaxed Income" section. You'll need to report the total received for the 2023 tax year (which is the base year for the 2025-2026 FAFSA). Make sure you're keeping good records of the child support payments, as the financial aid office may request documentation if your application is selected for verification. This is extremely common for households reporting child support income.

I had to deal with this exact situation last year. The FAFSA is actually pretty straightforward about it - you're the custodial parent, so only your info goes on the form. But I got selected for verification and had to provide my divorce decree and custody papers to prove I had full custody. It was a huge headache because I had to order certified copies from the court. If your child support is through the state system, you can usually get an official payment record that shows all payments received. I'd recommend getting that documentation ready now in case they ask for it.

Just make sure ur ex isnt claiming ur kid on taxes!!! My ex did that without telling me and it created a HUGE mess with FAFSA because the IRS info didn't match what I reported. took months to fix and my son almost lost his financial aid package

had to file an amended tax return and then call the financial aid office at the school to explain. took FOREVER. i spent like 3 weeks calling the student aid hotline trying to get someone to help me fix it in the system

One more important note: While FAFSA only requires the custodial parent's information, if you're applying to private colleges that use the CSS Profile for institutional aid, many of them DO require non-custodial parent information. Each school has different policies, so check with each financial aid office. Some schools offer non-custodial parent waivers if there's minimal contact, but you'll need documentation proving the absence of relationship or inability to contact.

The child support question trips up SO MANY people! Remember it asks for what you RECEIVED in the tax year, not what you were SUPPOSED to receive. If he's inconsistent with payments, only report what actually came in. Also, are there multiple children? If so, only include the portion for the student applying for aid if you can determine that amount.

For child support that covers multiple children but isn't itemized per child, the standard practice is to divide it equally among all children. So yes, you would report 50% of the total child support received as being for your college-bound daughter. Make sure to keep documentation of your calculations in case of verification. The financial aid office may ask you to explain how you determined the amount.

Don't stress too much - you've got this! As a newcomer who just went through this process with my son, I can tell you that single parent FAFSA applications are actually more straightforward than joint custody situations. Since you have full legal custody, you only report YOUR information and income. The $9,000 annual child support goes in the untaxed income section, and yes, it will affect the SAI calculation but that's totally normal. My biggest advice: start gathering your documents now (tax returns, bank statements, custody papers) because if you get selected for verification, having everything ready will save you weeks of stress. Also, don't let the process intimidate you - the financial aid offices are usually very helpful if you need to call with questions!

As someone who just navigated this exact situation last year, I want to echo what others have said - you're doing great by asking these questions early! The key things to remember: 1) You only report YOUR information since you have full legal custody, 2) Report the child support as untaxed income (sounds like $4,500 for your college-bound daughter if splitting between two kids), and 3) Keep excellent records of everything. I'd also suggest creating a simple spreadsheet tracking all child support payments received in 2023 (the base year for 2025-2026 FAFSA) - this saved me during verification. One tip nobody mentioned: if your ex is inconsistent with payments, only report what you actually received, not what the court order says you should receive. The FAFSA cares about actual income, not theoretical income. You've got this!