FAFSA spouse income reporting for US citizens living abroad - do I include non-US citizen husband's income?

yes you have to report his income. fafsa doesnt care where u live or if spouse is citizen. married = report both incomes. i went thru this last yr w/ my canadian wife. sucked but those are the rules

Unfortunately, the previous commenter is correct. For FAFSA purposes, your marital status determines whose income must be reported, not citizenship status. Since you're legally married, you must report both your income and your spouse's income, even though he's not a US citizen and doesn't file US taxes. The Department of Education rules require this regardless of how you file taxes or where you live. You'll need to convert his income to US dollars using the appropriate exchange rate. There's a section in the FAFSA where you can indicate that your spouse is a foreign tax filer, but his income still factors into the Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation.

My sister had a similar situation when she lived in Mexico with her husband. The financial aid office at her son's school actually made an adjustment after they submitted the FAFSA because of the cost of living difference. You should definitely talk to the schools directly about a professional judgment review once you get your SAI score!

I went through this EXACT situation last year with my Spanish husband! Yes, you absolutely must report his income on the FAFSA. But there's good news - after we submitted, I contacted each school's financial aid office directly and explained our situation (separate finances, different cost of living, etc). Two of the three schools adjusted my daughter's aid package through professional judgment! One tip: when you convert his income to USD, make sure you're using the official exchange rate from the IRS or Dept of Education (I can't remember which). There's a specific date they want you to use for the conversion. Also gather documentation about cost of living differences between your country and the US - this helped tremendously with our professional judgment requests.

Yes! I provided: copies of our separate tax returns, statements from our separate bank accounts (with sensitive info blacked out), a letter explaining our financial arrangement, and a cost-of-living comparison between Madrid and the US city where my daughter's schools were located. I also included a letter from my husband stating that he wasn't contributing to my daughter's education costs. It was a LOT of paperwork, but worth it in the end!

The system is COMPLETELY rigged against international families. I'm in Japan with my Japanese husband and they counted ALL his income even though he's never even BEEN to America and doesn't contribute a DIME to my son's education. Our aid package was a JOKE because they thought we were wealthy based on the raw numbers, completely ignoring that Tokyo is one of the most expensive cities in the world!!! The SAI calculation is DESIGNED for traditional American families and PUNISHES anyone with an international situation.

Having worked in international financial aid for several years, I can confirm you must report your spouse's income regardless of citizenship or asset situation. However, I strongly recommend these steps: 1. Complete the FAFSA accurately including all required income information 2. Document your separate financial arrangements thoroughly 3. After receiving your SAI, contact each school directly about a professional judgment review 4. Prepare a detailed explanation of your financial situation, cost of living differences, and why the standard formula doesn't accurately reflect your ability to pay Schools have significant discretion to adjust financial aid packages for unusual circumstances. International families with separate finances often qualify for adjustments, but you must advocate for yourself after submission.

Try reaching the Federal Student Aid (FSA) people directly to explain your situation and see if they can give you any specific guidance. When I was dealing with a similar situation (US citizen married to German spouse), I spent HOURS trying to get through to someone who could help me. I finally found this service called Claimyr that got me through to a human at FSA within 20 minutes instead of the 2+ hour wait I kept getting. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ and their site is claimyr.com. The FSA agent was actually super helpful and gave me specific instructions for my situation that made the whole process much clearer.

i have a friend who just didnt report being married on fafsa bc her husband lives in another country and they have nothing financial together. she got way more $ that way. just saying lol

My cousin had to report her non-citizen husband's income on FAFSA and it totally messed up her daughter's financial aid. They ended up taking out way more loans than they expected. Such a broken system!!

dont forget that if u convert from thai currency to usd your husbands income might look smaller than it actually is compared to living costs?? maybe that would help not sure tho

One important clarification: When the school conducts a professional judgment review, they're looking at your family's ability to contribute to educational expenses, not just the numbers from the FAFSA formula. Make sure your appeal clearly explains: 1. Your husband's income supports your household in Thailand where the cost of living is different 2. Your separate financial arrangements mean his income isn't available for US education expenses 3. Any cultural or legal factors that affect how finances are handled in your marriage Provide documentation for everything. Most schools are reasonable when presented with clear evidence of unusual circumstances.

I'm in a very similar situation - US citizen living in Germany with my German husband since 2019. Just wanted to add that when you do the currency conversion, make sure you document which exchange rate you used and the date. I used the IRS yearly average exchange rate for the tax year, and when schools asked for documentation during the professional judgment process, they wanted to see how I calculated the conversion. Also, keep records of ALL your communications with financial aid offices - some schools were more helpful than others, and having a paper trail helped when I had to escalate to supervisors. The whole process was frustrating but ultimately worth it for the adjustments we received!

I'm facing a similar situation as a US citizen living in the UK with my British husband! From what I've learned through research and talking to financial aid offices, you definitely need to report his income even though he's not a US citizen. However, the good news is that many schools are experienced with international family situations and can make adjustments through professional judgment. A few things that helped me prepare: - Document everything about your separate finances (tax returns, bank statements, etc.) - Research cost of living comparisons between Thailand and the US cities where your daughter's schools are located - Write a clear letter explaining your financial arrangement and why the standard FAFSA formula doesn't accurately reflect your ability to pay for US education Don't get discouraged by the initial SAI calculation - that's just the starting point. The real work happens when you contact each school's financial aid office directly. I found that schools with larger international student populations or study abroad programs tend to be more understanding of these situations. Good luck!

I'm also dealing with this exact situation as a US citizen married to a non-US citizen living abroad! Based on everyone's advice here, it sounds like I definitely need to report my spouse's income on the FAFSA regardless of citizenship status, but there's hope for adjustments through professional judgment. A few follow-up questions for those who've been through this process: 1. When documenting separate finances, did you need to get any official translations of foreign bank statements or tax documents, or were English summaries sufficient? 2. For the cost of living comparisons, did you use any specific websites or sources that financial aid offices found more credible? 3. How long did the professional judgment review process typically take? I'm trying to plan my timeline since we're already cutting it close with application deadlines. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has been incredibly helpful in understanding what we're facing and how to navigate it!

As someone who went through a similar situation as a US citizen living abroad with a non-citizen spouse, I want to emphasize that while you do have to report your husband's income on the FAFSA initially, don't let that discourage you from applying! The professional judgment process really can make a significant difference. A few additional tips based on my experience: - When you contact financial aid offices, be prepared to explain not just the cost of living differences, but also how your household finances actually work in practice. Many aid officers don't realize that spouses in different countries often maintain completely separate financial lives. - If possible, get a letter from your husband explicitly stating that he will not be contributing to your daughter's US education expenses. Some schools found this helpful in understanding the actual family contribution. - Consider applying to schools that have strong international programs or significant populations of students with international backgrounds - they tend to be more experienced with these complex situations. The system isn't perfect, but don't give up before you've had a chance to explain your unique circumstances to each school individually!

I'm in a similar boat as a US citizen living in Australia with my Australian husband! Just wanted to add one more tip that really helped me - when you're preparing your professional judgment appeal, also include information about any currency fluctuations that might affect the income conversion. The exchange rate between Thai baht and USD has fluctuated quite a bit over the years, so if your husband's income looks particularly high when converted at the current rate, you might want to note what it would have looked like at different points during the tax year. Some schools were understanding about this volatility factor. Also, don't forget to mention if your husband has any financial obligations in Thailand that wouldn't show up on a US-style financial analysis (like supporting extended family, which is more common in many Asian cultures). These cultural context details can really help financial aid officers understand why the standard formula doesn't work for international families!

Thank you all for sharing your experiences - this has been incredibly helpful! I'm feeling much more prepared now to tackle this process. It sounds like the key steps are: 1) Complete the FAFSA accurately including my husband's income (even though it feels unfair), 2) Document everything about our separate finances and cultural/cost of living factors, 3) Contact each school's financial aid office for professional judgment reviews after getting the SAI, and 4) be persistent but patient with the appeals process. I'm particularly grateful for the specific tips about currency conversion documentation, getting a letter from my husband about not contributing to education costs, and including information about cultural financial obligations. It's reassuring to know that so many of you have successfully navigated similar situations and gotten meaningful adjustments to your aid packages. I'll start gathering all the documentation now so I'm ready to move quickly once we submit the FAFSA. Fingers crossed that the schools will be understanding of our unique international family situation!

Great question about reaching out to schools proactively! I did exactly this when my daughter was applying and found it really helpful for narrowing down her list. I called about 8 schools and asked to speak with someone about international family situations. The responses varied dramatically - some schools immediately understood what I was asking about and had clear processes, while others seemed confused or dismissive. This actually helped us focus on schools that were more likely to be accommodating. For the multi-year question, it depends on the school. Two schools automatically applied the adjustment to all four years (amazing!), but one required us to reapply for professional judgment each year. Make sure to ask about this during your appeals process so you know what to expect. Also keep all your documentation organized because you might need it again!

Wow, this thread is incredibly thorough and helpful! I'm also a US citizen living abroad (in Canada) with a non-citizen spouse, and my daughter will be starting the college application process soon. Reading through everyone's experiences has been both eye-opening and reassuring. I'm particularly struck by how consistent the advice is - report the spouse's income as required, but don't despair because the professional judgment process can really make a difference. The specific tips about documentation (separate tax returns, bank statements, cost of living comparisons, currency conversion records) are invaluable. One thing I'm taking away is that this really requires a two-pronged approach: completing the FAFSA accurately according to the rules, then immediately pivoting to advocacy mode with individual schools. It sounds like the key is being proactive, organized, and persistent while remaining respectful throughout the process. For those still going through this - it's clear that while the system isn't designed for our international family situations, there are real success stories here of families getting meaningful adjustments. The amount of detailed, practical advice in this thread gives me hope that with proper preparation and documentation, we can navigate this process successfully. Thank you all for sharing your experiences so openly!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! As a US citizen living in Brazil with my Brazilian husband, I was feeling completely lost about the FAFSA requirements for our daughter's college applications next year. Reading everyone's experiences has given me both the reality check I needed (yes, we have to report his income) and the hope that professional judgment can make a real difference. I'm taking notes on all the practical advice here - documenting our separate finances, preparing cost of living comparisons, getting that letter from my husband about not contributing to education expenses, and being prepared for currency conversion questions. The tip about calling schools ahead of time to gauge their experience with international families is brilliant and something I'll definitely do. One thing I'm wondering about - for those who had success with professional judgment appeals, did you find it helpful to submit the appeal documentation along with your initial financial aid application, or is it better to wait until after you receive the initial aid package? I'm trying to figure out the optimal timing to present our case without seeming presumptuous. Thanks again to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this community support is exactly what international families need when navigating this complex system!