FAFSA parent accounts for divorced/remarried situation - who needs FSA IDs?

This depends on who has primary custody. If your daughter lives with you more than 50% of the time, then only you and your current husband need to be on the FAFSA. Your ex-husband doesn't need to be included. Both you and your current spouse will need FSA IDs and will need to provide financial information, even if you file taxes separately. The FAFSA considers both spouses' income when determining the Student Aid Index (SAI).

Thank you! She does live with me primarily. So even though we file separately, my husband still needs to be included? I was hoping to avoid that complexity since we keep our finances pretty separate.

i went thru this last yr with my stepson!!! its confusing as hell. the parent who has custody (whoever the kid lives with more) is the one who does the fafsa. if ur remarried then ur new spouse HAS to be on there too even if u file taxes seperate. its dumb but thats how it works

Ugh, that's frustrating but good to know. I guess we'll both need to create accounts then. Did your stepson's biological parent have to be involved at all?

The FAFSA rules for divorced/separated parents are actually very specific. The parent who provides MORE financial support (usually the custodial parent) is the one who completes the FAFSA. If you're remarried, your current spouse's information MUST be included regardless of how you file taxes. Your ex-husband's information is NOT included at all - even if he pays child support. Child support received is reported as untaxed income by you.\n\nBoth you and your current husband will need FSA IDs to sign the application. Your daughter will also need her own FSA ID.\n\nThe new FAFSA for 2025-2026 is actually much easier than previous years because it directly imports tax information, but the household definition still causes confusion.

Thank you for the detailed explanation! I guess there's no way around including my current husband then. Do you know if our

For 'married filing separately' status, both you and your current husband will need to provide consent for tax data transfer using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Each of you will need to log in with your own FSA ID when prompted. The system will pull both tax returns, but you might need to manually enter some information that doesn't transfer. Make sure both of you have your tax returns accessible when completing the FAFSA.

my wife & i do married filing separate too & the data retreval didnt work for us last year so don't count on it!! had to enter everything manual which was a HUGE pain

I've been working with FAFSA applications for 15 years, and this is one of the most common questions I get! Here's the definitive answer:\n\n1. If you have custody of your daughter (more than 50% of the time), you are the parent who completes the FAFSA\n2. Since you're remarried, your current husband's information MUST be included - this is federal law and there are no exceptions\n3. You both need separate FSA IDs to sign the application\n4. Your ex-husband is NOT included on the FAFSA at all - even if he pays child support\n5. Any child support you receive counts as untaxed income on your portion\n\nThe \

Thank you for such a clear explanation! That definitely confirms what others have said. I'll make sure my husband creates his FSA ID this weekend so we're ready to go.

I had the EXACT same situation last year with my daughter's FAFSA. Trying to reach the Federal Student Aid helpline was a NIGHTMARE - 3+ hour waits and then getting disconnected. I finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an agent in about 15 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ \n\nThe agent confirmed that with divorced parents, only the custodial parent (plus their new spouse if remarried) needs to be on the FAFSA. My ex wasn't needed at all. Saved me so much stress trying to coordinate with him!

Oh that's really helpful! I've tried calling FSA before for a different issue and kept getting disconnected. I'll check out that service if we run into problems. Thanks for sharing!

DONT ADD YOUR EX!!!!! I made this mistake and it completely messed up my daughter's financial aid package!!!! The financial aid officer at her college had to manually correct it and it delayed her aid disbursement by MONTHS. Only custodial parent + current spouse should be on there!!!!

This is absolutely correct - adding a non-custodial parent is one of the most common errors that can significantly delay processing. The FAFSA instructions can be confusing on this point.

so ur current husband has to make an fsa id too? i thought if u file separate he doesnt need to be on there? my sister did her fafsa without her new husband last year....

Your sister's FAFSA was completed incorrectly then. Federal regulations are very clear that if the custodial parent is remarried, the stepparent MUST be included regardless of tax filing status. This was true on the old FAFSA and continues to be true on the new simplified FAFSA. Her application either wasn't selected for verification (lucky!) or she may face corrections and possible aid adjustments later.

This whole system is ridiculous. My daughter barely sees her father but I still had to chase him down for his tax info every year for college. The new FAFSA is supposed to be 'simplified' but they're still making blended families jump through hoops. Good luck!

Actually, the FAFSA rules don't require information from non-custodial parents at all. If your daughter lives primarily with you, only your information (and your current spouse if you're remarried) is needed. It sounds like you might have been providing information that wasn't necessary, or perhaps you were completing the CSS Profile which does have different rules for some private colleges.

Thank you all for the helpful advice! I've asked my husband to create his FSA ID this weekend so we can both be ready to contribute to the application. It seems very clear now that since my daughter lives with me primarily, I need to include myself and my current husband, but NOT my ex-husband. That definitely simplifies things! I appreciate everyone's experiences and expertise.

You're welcome! One last tip: make sure both you and your husband create and verify your FSA IDs well before you plan to complete the application. The verification process can sometimes take 1-3 days, and you don't want that to delay you when you're ready to submit the FAFSA.

As someone who just went through this process with my own stepson, I can confirm what everyone is saying - it's definitely confusing at first but becomes clearer once you understand the rules! The key thing to remember is that the FAFSA only cares about the household where your daughter actually lives. Since she lives with you primarily, your ex-husband is completely out of the picture for FAFSA purposes. Your current husband absolutely needs to be included though - I know it feels like you're involving more people than necessary, but that's just how the federal rules work. The good news is that once you get both FSA IDs set up, the actual application process is much smoother than it used to be. Hang in there!

As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to say how helpful this entire thread has been! I'm in a very similar situation - divorced, remarried, and trying to navigate my son's first FAFSA application. Reading through everyone's experiences and advice has cleared up so much confusion for me. It's reassuring to know that I only need to worry about my current household (me and my current husband) and don't need to involve my ex at all. The tip about getting FSA IDs set up well in advance is especially valuable - I'll definitely do that this week rather than waiting until the last minute. Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and making this process feel less overwhelming for those of us just starting out!

As someone new to this community and going through the exact same situation, I can't thank everyone enough for this incredibly detailed discussion! I'm a divorced parent with primary custody of my daughter, recently remarried, and was completely overwhelmed trying to figure out who needs to be involved in the FAFSA process. The clear consensus here that only the custodial parent (me) and current spouse need FSA IDs, while the ex-husband is completely excluded, has saved me so much stress and confusion. I was actually considering reaching out to my ex to get his information, which would have been a nightmare! The advice about setting up FSA IDs early and having all tax documents ready beforehand is also gold. It's amazing how this community breaks down such complex federal regulations into understandable steps. Thank you all for making what felt like an impossible process seem totally manageable!

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to echo what everyone else has said about how incredibly helpful this thread has been! I'm in almost the identical situation - divorced mom with primary custody, remarried to someone who files taxes separately from me, and completely confused about the FAFSA parent requirements. Reading through all these responses has been like having a personal consultation with financial aid experts! The key takeaway that only my current household (me + current husband) needs to be involved, while my ex-husband stays completely out of the FAFSA process, is such a relief. I was dreading having to coordinate with my ex and was worried about delays if he didn't cooperate. Now I know that's not even necessary! The practical tips about creating FSA IDs early and having all tax documents ready are also super valuable. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - you've made what seemed like an overwhelming process feel totally doable for those of us just starting this journey!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to add my voice to this incredibly helpful discussion! I'm currently dealing with the exact same situation - divorced with primary custody of my son, remarried, and feeling completely lost about the FAFSA requirements. This thread has been an absolute lifesaver! The consistent message from everyone here that only the custodial parent (me) and current spouse need to be involved, while excluding the biological father entirely, has eliminated so much anxiety I was carrying about this process. I was actually planning to reach out to my ex-husband to start gathering his financial information, which would have been both unnecessary and probably contentious. The practical advice about setting up FSA IDs well in advance and having all tax documents organized beforehand is also incredibly valuable - I'll definitely be doing both this week. It's amazing how this community has taken what feels like an overwhelming federal bureaucracy and broken it down into clear, manageable steps. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and expertise with those of us just beginning this journey!