FAFSA rules for divorced parents - when should both file vs just one? Impact on SAI?

You're on the right track - with the new FAFSA, only ONE parent should report financial information. This is specifically the parent who provided more financial support in the last 12 months (in your case, that's you with the 65%). Having your ex also submit information would absolutely hurt your daughter's aid eligibility because the system would capture additional income and assets that wouldn't otherwise be considered. The ONLY scenario where both divorced parents might file is if you have multiple children attending college and different parents provide primary support for different children. For example, if your ex primarily supports your son while you primarily support your daughter, then each parent would file for the respective child they support more.

we had the same situation last year and my ex insisted on filing his own fafsa for our son even tho i told him not too... ended up causing a huge mess because the school got confused about which parent was supposed to be the one on the application. took like 2 months to straighten out and almost lost his aid!!

Financial aid counselor here. This is one of the most common questions with the new FAFSA. To clarify: 1. Only the parent providing more financial support in the past 12 months should complete the FAFSA 2. The system calculates SAI based on household size and income of that parent (and current spouse if remarried) 3. The other biological parent's financial information is NOT considered at all 4. Having both parents file will either cause processing delays or potentially double-count income Important: When determining which parent provided more support, include ALL forms of support (housing, food, medical, clothing, etc.) not just direct cash payments. Document how you calculated the 65% in case verification is required.

The new FAFSA is SUCH a nightmare for divorced families!!! My daughter got ZERO aid because they counted both parents income when they shouldn't have. The financial aid office wouldn't fix it even after THREE appeals. The whole system is designed to punish divorced families.

I've been through this exact scenario with my kids. Here's what you need to know based on my experience: 1. Only submit FAFSA information for you since you provide more support (65%) 2. Your ex-husband's other children with his new wife are completely irrelevant to your daughter's FAFSA 3. The system no longer considers household size the way the old FAFSA did One thing to watch out for: Make sure you and your ex are on the same page. If he also completes a FAFSA claiming to provide more support, it will trigger a conflict and verification process that will delay aid processing by months. I recommend documenting how you calculate your support percentage (receipts, bank statements, etc.) in case verification is required.

When I was trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid about this exact issue last semester, I discovered Claimyr (claimyr.com) and it saved me HOURS of hold time. They have this service that basically holds your place in line and calls you when an actual human picks up. Took forever to get through otherwise. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. Was worth it to get clarification straight from FSA about our complicated divorced parent situation.

Actually, there's a loophole some divorced families have been using. If Parent A provides 51% of financial support but has much higher income than Parent B, some families have strategically arranged for Parent B to provide slightly more support for that application year (like 52/48 split) so Parent B's lower income is used for FAFSA. This is completely legal as long as the support calculation is legitimate. Might be something to consider depending on your specific financial situations.

On the disadvantage side: if both divorced parents complete FAFSAs (even if they file for different children), the system may still flag potential conflicts and trigger verification, which delays processing and could jeopardize aid packages with approaching deadlines. My recommendation: submit the FAFSA early (October/November) to allow plenty of time for verification issues to be resolved before aid deadlines in spring.

As someone who went through this exact situation two years ago, I can confirm that you should absolutely NOT have both parents file. I made that mistake initially and it created a nightmare that took months to resolve with the financial aid office. The key thing to remember is that the new FAFSA is designed to be simpler - only ONE parent files, period. Since you provide 65% of support, you're the filing parent. Your ex's household size with his new wife and other kids is completely irrelevant to your daughter's aid calculation. One practical tip: I'd suggest having a clear conversation with your ex about this BEFORE you file. Make it crystal clear that only you will be completing the FAFSA. Some divorced parents get confused and think they both need to provide information "to be fair" but that actually hurts the student's aid eligibility. Document your support calculation (housing costs, medical expenses, school costs, etc.) in case verification is needed later. Good luck!