FAFSA question: Do grad students count in 'number in college' section?

yes u should include her! the fafsa counts both undergrad and grad students in the # of household members in college. my brother is in med school and i'm in my sophomore year and my parents counted both of us

You definitely include her. The FAFSA question about "number in college" includes all family members enrolled at least half-time in a degree or certificate program at an eligible postsecondary institution. This includes both undergraduate AND graduate students. Having more family members in college typically reduces your Student Aid Index (SAI) because the family's resources are considered to be spread among multiple students.

Actually, I think this changed with the new FAFSA. I remember reading something about how they're calculating family contribution differently now and the "number in college" doesn't reduce the SAI as much as it used to. Anyone know for sure? The whole FAFSA simplification has me confused about everything.

I tried calling the Federal Student Aid office to get a clear answer on this exact question last month and was stuck on hold FOREVER. Ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through - they called and waited on hold for me, then connected me when an agent was ready. They have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. The agent confirmed that yes, graduate students DO count in the number in college as long as they're enrolled at least half-time.

I almost made this exact same mistake!!! Last year I didn't include my son who was in his first year of law school, and our financial aid officer told me during a review that I should have included him. She said it would have potentially lowered our SAI calculation. So definitely include your daughter if she'll be enrolled at least half-time next year.

Just wanted to add my experience - I work at a college financial aid office and can confirm that graduate students absolutely count! The key requirement is that they're enrolled at least half-time in a degree or certificate program at an eligible institution. This includes master's programs, doctoral programs, professional programs like law or medical school, etc. One thing to keep in mind though - if your daughter is considered a graduate student, she'll likely be filing her own FAFSA as an independent student (grad students are automatically considered independent for federal aid purposes). But for YOUR son's FAFSA, you would still count her in the "number in college" section since she's part of your household and will be enrolled. Hope this helps clarify!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! My oldest just got accepted to a master's program and my youngest is a sophomore in college. From what I've learned through this process, you definitely want to include your daughter. I made the mistake of not including my grad student initially and had to go back and correct it. The financial aid office at my youngest's school walked me through it - they said as long as she's enrolled at least half-time in an eligible program, she counts toward the household number in college. It can make a real difference in your SAI calculation, so it's worth getting it right the first time. Good luck with your son's FAFSA!

This is such a common source of confusion! I went through this same situation two years ago when my daughter started her PhD program while my son was still an undergrad. The key thing to remember is that graduate students DO count in the "number in college" section as long as they're enrolled at least half-time. What helped me was calling the financial aid office at my son's school directly - they were really helpful in explaining how to report it correctly. The good news is that including your daughter should help lower your son's SAI, which could mean more aid eligibility. Make sure to have her enrollment information ready when you fill out that section. The FAFSA can be tricky but you're asking the right questions!

I just went through this same situation last year! My daughter was starting her master's program while my son was finishing his sophomore year. I was so confused about whether to include her, but after talking to multiple financial aid offices, I can confirm that graduate students absolutely count in the "number in college" section. The key is that she needs to be enrolled at least half-time in an eligible degree program. What really helped me was creating a simple checklist: Is she enrolled at least half-time? Yes. Is it a degree-seeking program? Yes. Is the school eligible for federal aid? Yes. Then she counts! Including her ended up reducing our SAI by quite a bit and my son qualified for additional grant money. Don't second-guess yourself on this one - include your daughter and it should work in your favor. The new FAFSA system might have changed some calculations, but the basic rule about counting all enrolled family members hasn't changed.

I'm actually in the middle of this exact situation right now! My older daughter just started her MBA program this fall and my younger son is a freshman. When I was filling out his FAFSA, I was so uncertain about whether to include her that I actually reached out to three different financial aid offices to confirm. They all gave me the same answer - yes, graduate students count as long as they're enrolled at least half-time in an eligible program. What really sealed it for me was when one counselor explained that the whole point of the "number in college" question is to recognize that families with multiple students have their resources stretched across more educational expenses, regardless of whether those are undergrad or grad expenses. Including my MBA daughter reduced our SAI significantly and my son ended up qualifying for a larger Pell Grant than we initially expected. So definitely include your daughter - it's the right thing to do and it should help your family's aid eligibility!

Adding to all the great advice here - I'm a financial aid counselor and want to emphasize one important detail that hasn't been mentioned yet. When you include your daughter in the "number in college" count, make sure you're consistent across all sections of the FAFSA. If she's living at home or you're providing more than half her support, she should also be counted as part of your household size in the earlier demographic questions. The FAFSA system does cross-check these numbers, and inconsistencies can flag your application for verification or delay processing. Also, even though graduate students file their own FAFSA as independent students, they can still be counted on their parents' FAFSA for siblings if they meet the household criteria. It's one of those quirky rules that trips people up, but it's totally legitimate and beneficial for families like yours!

As someone who just went through this process with my twin daughters (one starting grad school, one finishing undergrad), I can definitely confirm that graduate students count! The confusion is totally understandable though - I spent hours researching this exact question. What helped me was looking at it from the FAFSA's perspective: they want to know how many family members are incurring college expenses simultaneously, regardless of degree level. Both undergrad and grad school are expensive! Just make sure your daughter will be enrolled at least half-time when you're filling out the form. If she's still in the application process, you can estimate based on her likely enrollment status. The key is being consistent - if you count her in the "number in college" section, make sure she's also included in your household size earlier in the application. Good luck with your son's FAFSA!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation with my daughter starting her master's program next fall while my son will be a sophomore. Based on all the responses here, it's clear that graduate students absolutely should be counted in the "number in college" section as long as they're enrolled at least half-time. What really stands out to me is how consistent everyone's experiences have been - from financial aid professionals to parents who've been through this exact situation. The key takeaways I'm getting are: 1) Graduate students count if enrolled at least half-time in an eligible program, 2) Make sure to be consistent between household size and number in college sections, and 3) Including graduate students can significantly reduce your SAI and potentially increase aid eligibility. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - it's made what seemed like a confusing question much clearer!

I'm so grateful I found this thread! I'm dealing with the exact same situation - my oldest is starting her master's in social work next fall and my youngest will be a junior in college. I was completely stumped by the "number in college" question and wasn't sure if graduate programs counted differently. Reading through everyone's experiences has been incredibly reassuring. It's clear that graduate students absolutely should be included as long as they're enrolled at least half-time. The real-world examples of how much it can impact the SAI calculation are eye-opening too - it sounds like including my daughter could make a meaningful difference in my son's aid package. Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and especially to the financial aid professionals who provided the technical details. This community is amazing for helping families navigate these confusing processes!