FAFSA requiring ex-husband's info even though I have full custody - can he refuse?

This is actually a common situation with the new FAFSA for 2025-2026. Based on your description, if you're divorced and have primary physical custody, only YOU need to complete the FAFSA as the parent who provides the most financial support. The non-custodial parent (your ex) is NOT required to provide information. However, the system sometimes automatically generates contributor invitations to both biological parents. You should be able to remove him as a contributor through the "Manage Contributors" section. Look for the option to indicate that he is not financially responsible for your daughter. If you can't find this option, call FSA directly and explain the situation - they can manually update this status on their end.

I went through this exact scenario last year. Your ex does NOT need to complete the FAFSA if you have full custody and claim your daughter on taxes. The system is just automatically generating these invites. Here's what to do: 1. Take screenshots of the current application status 2. Contact Federal Student Aid directly (note that wait times are RIDICULOUS right now) 3. Request a "contributor exemption" for the non-custodial parent 4. Be prepared to submit your tax return showing you claim her 5. They might also ask for custody documentation Most importantly, don't panic! This won't delay your daughter's aid if you get it resolved within the next 2-3 weeks.

Omg the same thing happened to me!!! My ex husband refused to give his information too and we missed the priority deadline because of it! So frustrating. We ended up just submitting without his info and writing a letter of explanation to each school financial aid office. Some schools were cool about it but others made us fill out their own special forms. My daughter got wait-listed at her top choice and I'm convinced it was because of the FAFSA mess.

Try using Claimyr to get through to an FSA agent quickly. I was on hold for THREE HOURS trying to solve a similar contributor issue, then found claimyr.com and got through in like 10 minutes. They have this system that waits on hold for you then calls you when an agent picks up. Saved my sanity! They have a video demo here if you want to see how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ

THE ENTIRE FAFSA SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!! Why should your ex have ANY say in your daughter's future??? My son lost out on thousands in aid because my ex refused to provide info and by the time we got an exception processed, all the institutional aid was gone. The whole system discriminates against divorced parents and the CHILDREN ARE THE ONES WHO SUFFER. The colleges don't care, FSA doesn't care, and no one takes responsibility. I'm still fighting with our university about this and we're in sophomore year now.

cant u just put $0 for his income? thats what my cousin did when her dad wouldnt cooperate lol

The specific answer depends on whether you're dealing with just the FAFSA or also the CSS Profile. For FAFSA (federal aid), as others mentioned, only the custodial parent's information is required. You'll need to get the contributor invitation canceled through FSA directly. However, if your daughter is applying to private colleges that require the CSS Profile, many of them DO require non-custodial parent information even if you have full custody. Each school sets their own CSS Profile requirements, and some will require a Non-Custodial Parent Waiver form if he refuses to participate. This is completely separate from the FAFSA process. Make sure you're clear about which forms each school requires and handle them separately.

After reading through all the advice here, I wanted to share a quick update. I finally got through to FSA today (took nearly 2 hours on hold). The agent confirmed that since I have full custody and claim my daughter on taxes, her father does NOT need to contribute to the FAFSA. They removed his contributor invitation and noted the exemption in our file. The agent also suggested I have my daughter check with each school's financial aid office about their specific requirements, especially for the private universities that might want additional documentation. Thanks everyone for your help! Such a relief to have this resolved before the deadline.

Wait, I'm confused - I see an update from Daniel Washington saying he got through to FSA and resolved the issue, but the original post was from The Boss. Are you Daniel Washington posting an update under a different account, or is this a separate person who had the same issue? Either way, this is really helpful information for anyone else dealing with this situation! The key takeaway seems to be that you need to call FSA directly to get the contributor invitation removed rather than trying to work around it in the system.