FAFSA nightmare with divorced parents - ex claiming dependent but won't contribute to college costs

Your ex claiming your daughter on taxes and FAFSA contributor status are two separate issues. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, they use the new SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation which focuses on who provides the majority of support, not just who claims the dependent on taxes. Since you have primary custody, you should be the contributing parent on the FAFSA. You'll need to provide YOUR financial information. Your ex-husband's information isn't required unless you remarried and have a new spouse. The fact that he claimed her on taxes might create some questions if there's an audit/verification, but you can explain the custody arrangement if that happens.

i went thru this exact thing last yr with my son. ex claimed him on taxes but wouldnt help with college AT ALL. make sure u have a copy of ur custody agreement handy cause they might ask for it. my ex actually tried to mess things up for us by calling the financial aid office!! some people are just the worst

Financial aid counselor here. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA using the SAI model, the contributing parent is determined by who provides more than 50% of the student's financial support, regardless of who claims them on taxes. You should gather these documents in case verification is required: 1. Custody agreement showing you have primary physical custody 2. Documentation showing you provide more than 50% support (housing, medical, food, etc.) 3. Signed statement explaining the situation If selected for verification, you'll submit these through the studentaid.gov portal. The tax dependency claim and FAFSA contributing parent status are separate issues in divorce situations.

this is why i HATE the fafsa!!! my daughter got way less money because my ex husband makes 6 figures but hasn't given us a DIME in 3 years!!! the whole system is rigged against single parents!!!!!

I had this EXACT problem last year trying to fill out my daughter's FAFSA. I kept getting disconnected trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid to explain our situation. After three weeks of frustration, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual human at FSA in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Once I got through to someone, they explained exactly what documentation I needed to provide to show I was the supporting parent despite my ex claiming our daughter on taxes. Saved me so much stress!

hey just wanted to add that i went thru the verification process this year for my son cuz of a similar situation with my ex. it was stressful but not as bad as i thought. they asked for bank statements and bills showing i was paying for everything. took about 3 weeks to process everything once i uploaded all the documents.

my friend said her daughter got selected for verification and had to prove her mom was the supporting parent. took forever but she still got her aid. just be ready for extra steps!

One more thing to consider: Make sure your daughter lists your email and phone number on the FAFSA application, not her father's contact information. All communication about verification will go to those contact points, and you don't want him receiving those notices if he's uncooperative. Also, the 2025-2026 FAFSA uses a new contributor model rather than the old custodial parent approach. This actually helps in situations like yours because it focuses on financial support rather than just custody or tax claiming status.

After going through this last year with my son, I can tell you it all worked out fine even though my ex claimed him on taxes. I submitted our divorce decree showing I had primary custody, and financial aid office accepted that I was the contributor parent. My son still got his full Pell Grant and subsidized loans based on my income alone.

I'm going through almost the exact same situation right now! My ex claimed our daughter on his taxes but refuses to help with any college costs. Reading through all these responses has been so helpful - I didn't realize the new SAI system actually separates tax dependency from FAFSA contributor status. One thing I wanted to add is that I called my daughter's college financial aid office directly to explain our situation before submitting the FAFSA, and they were really understanding. They said divorced parent situations are super common and they're used to handling verification for these cases. The counselor told me to keep detailed records of all expenses I pay for my daughter (rent, groceries, medical, etc.) in case verification is needed. It's so frustrating that non-contributing parents can still claim kids on taxes and create these complications, but at least it sounds like the financial aid system has ways to sort it out. Hang in there - you're doing everything right by advocating for your daughters!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stressful situation! As a parent who went through something similar, I wanted to add that you should also check if your state has any specific provisions for divorced parent FAFSA situations. Some states have additional documentation requirements or processes that can actually help clarify things. Also, don't forget to save copies of EVERYTHING - your FAFSA submission, any correspondence with financial aid offices, verification documents, etc. I learned this the hard way when my daughter's college asked me to resubmit something I thought I'd already provided. One more practical tip: if you do get selected for verification, ask the financial aid office about their timeline. Most schools have deadlines for completing verification, and knowing those dates upfront can help you stay organized and avoid any delays in aid disbursement. You're clearly a dedicated mom working hard for your daughters' futures. The system isn't perfect, but there are people at these schools who genuinely want to help families in situations like yours get the aid they deserve!

I'm a financial aid officer at a community college, and I want to reassure you that this situation is more common than you think. We see divorced parent cases like this regularly, especially with the new FAFSA changes. Here's what you need to know: The 2025-26 FAFSA uses the "contributor" model, which means the parent who provides more than 50% of the student's support completes the FAFSA - regardless of who claims them on taxes. Since you have primary custody and are paying for housing, food, medical, etc., YOU are the contributor parent. A few key points: - Your ex's income won't be considered on the FAFSA - If selected for verification, you'll need to document that you provide majority support - Keep records of major expenses (housing, food, medical, school costs) - Your custody agreement will be helpful if requested The tax dependency issue is separate from FAFSA - it might cause a verification flag, but it won't disqualify your daughter from aid based on YOUR financial situation. Most colleges are very understanding about these situations and have processes in place to handle them smoothly. You're doing everything right by working to support your daughters. Don't let the stress of this process overshadow the fact that you're fighting for their futures!

I just want to say how grateful I am for this entire thread! As someone who's been panicking about this exact situation for weeks, reading all these responses has been like a weight lifted off my shoulders. My ex has been completely unhelpful throughout this process, and I was convinced that him claiming our son on his taxes was going to ruin our financial aid chances. But hearing from actual financial aid professionals and parents who've successfully navigated this gives me so much hope. I'm going to follow everyone's advice here: gather all my expense documentation, call the college financial aid office directly, and stop stressing about the tax dependency issue since it's separate from the FAFSA contributor determination. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise. This community is amazing, and you've all helped a stressed single mom feel like she can actually handle this FAFSA nightmare! 💕

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation with my daughter's FAFSA. My ex claimed her on his taxes but has made it clear he won't contribute a penny to college costs, and I've been losing sleep over how this would affect her financial aid. Reading all these responses from financial aid professionals and parents who've been through this successfully has given me so much relief. I had no idea that the new SAI system separates tax dependency from the FAFSA contributor determination - that changes everything! I'm definitely going to follow the advice here about gathering expense documentation and calling the college financial aid office proactively. It's such a comfort to know that divorced parent situations like ours are common and that there are established processes to handle them. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise. You've helped another stressed single parent feel like this FAFSA process is actually manageable! Sometimes you just need to know you're not fighting this battle alone.