FAFSA strategy for blended family with 2 seniors - which parent should file for 50/50 custody daughter?

ur ex should definitely do it!!! my cousin was in almost exact situation. the lower income always gets more aid. multiple student thing isnt as big a deal as overall income from what i heard.

This is a common blended family question. For 50/50 custody situations where financial support is also roughly equal, the FAFSA guidelines recommend using the household that would generate the most advantageous SAI (Student Aid Index) for the student. In your case, there are two competing factors: 1. Your ex-husband's lower income ($76K single income vs your $124K dual income) 2. Your household's multiple students in college simultaneously The multiple student factor does still provide a benefit, though not as much as in previous years. The 2024-2026 FAFSA formula makes adjustments when more than one student from a household is in college, but the impact isn't as significant as having a much lower household income. I'd suggest running calculations through the Federal Student Aid Estimator tool using both scenarios. Given the income differential, your ex-husband filing would likely produce a lower SAI, but run the numbers to be certain.

UGGGGH THE FAFSA IS THE WORST FOR BLENDED FAMILIES!!! I've been fighting with this system for years. My stepdaughter's mom always files even though WE provide most support, and they NEVER question it! Meanwhile, we got selected for "verification" THREE YEARS IN A ROW for my biological son's FAFSA. The whole system is designed for traditional families and punishes everyone else.

In my experience helping families navigate FAFSA, when there's truly equal custody and financial support in a 50/50 situation, the lower-income household filing almost always results in more aid. The multiple student benefit in the current FAFSA formula typically doesn't offset a $48K difference in household income. However, there's another factor to consider: if your daughter is closer to one parent and plans to live with that parent during breaks, that can technically qualify as the primary household despite the legal 50/50 custody arrangement. The parent she lives with more (even slightly more) during non-school periods would be the one to complete the FAFSA. One important warning: do not submit two separate FAFSAs. This will trigger a review and delay processing. You and your ex need to decide which household will file.

Has anyone actually tried calling the Federal Student Aid helpline about this? I spent 3 hours on hold last week trying to get answers about my own blended family situation and never got through. Is there anyway to actually TALK to someone who knows the rules??

Financial aid advisor here. For true 50/50 custody with equal financial support, you should compare the potential SAI outcomes. However, there's a critical detail many families miss: the CSS Profile (required by many private colleges) asks different questions than the FAFSA and may require both biological parents' information regardless of who files the FAFSA. If your daughter is applying to any private schools using the CSS Profile, they might require your ex-husband's financial information even if you file the FAFSA, and vice versa. Check each school's specific CSS Profile requirements. Also worth noting: once you choose which parent files the FAFSA, consistency across years is important. Switching between parents can trigger verification and reviews that delay aid processing.

wat about if ur ex doesnt wanna cooperate?? my frend's ex refuses to do FAFSA even tho he has way lower income. can she force him to do it somehow???

I had a similar situation last year with my kids. We ended up having my ex (lower income) file for our daughter and it made a HUGE difference - like $7,000 more in grants! The multiple students thing didn't matter as much as I thought. Whatever you do, start early because we had to get a correction processed and it took forever!

One additional consideration: check if your state offers need-based grants and whether their eligibility aligns with FAFSA. Some states have early FAFSA filing deadlines for state grant consideration (as early as February in some states). If your daughter qualifies for state grants based on the lower-income household filing, that could be another reason to have your ex-husband complete the FAFSA. Also consider: once you choose which parent files, that same parent should continue filing throughout her college years. Switching between parents can trigger verification flags and delay aid processing.

To answer your follow-up question: You don't need the same parent filing for both children, just consistency for each individual student throughout their college years. So your ex could file for your daughter all four years, while you and your husband file for your stepson all four years. After running numbers for many blended families, I can tell you that in approximately 90% of cases with similar income disparities to yours, the lower-income household filing results in a better SAI and more aid eligibility, even with the multiple student factor considered. The $48K income difference will likely outweigh the multiple student benefit in the current formula.

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who works in college financial aid - make sure to document your decision-making process! Keep records of why you chose which parent to file (income comparison, custody arrangement details, etc.) in case you ever need to explain it during verification. Also, don't forget that if your daughter receives any outside scholarships, those might need to be reported and could affect her aid package regardless of which parent files the FAFSA. The school's financial aid office can help coordinate everything once you've made your filing decision. Good luck with the process - it sounds like you're being very thoughtful about maximizing her opportunities!

As someone who just went through this exact situation last year, I can confirm that having the lower-income parent file made a huge difference for us! My ex-husband (single, $68K income) filed for our daughter while my current husband and I (combined $135K) filed for my stepson. The key thing that helped us decide was actually calling the financial aid offices at her top choice schools directly. They walked us through how they handle blended families and confirmed that the income difference would likely outweigh the sibling discount. Our daughter ended up getting about $5,200 more in federal grants compared to what the estimator showed when we ran it with our higher household income. One tip: make sure your ex understands he'll need to renew the FAFSA every year and keep his tax info ready. We had some coordination hiccups in year two, but the financial aid office was understanding once we explained the family situation.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm finding this discussion incredibly valuable! I'm in a somewhat similar situation with my stepdaughter - we have her 60/40 with her mom, and I've been agonizing over which parent should file. Reading through everyone's experiences, it seems like the income difference really is the most important factor to consider. @Anderson Prospero - thank you for mentioning the Federal Student Aid Estimator tool! I didn't know that existed and it sounds like exactly what I need to run the numbers both ways. @Emma Morales - your real-world results are so encouraging. It's reassuring to know that the lower-income parent filing can make such a concrete difference. One question I have after reading all this: for those who had the lower-income parent file, did you run into any issues with schools questioning the arrangement? I'm worried about potential complications since we do provide significant financial support even though her mom would be the one filing.

Welcome to the community! As someone who's navigating FAFSA complexities myself, this thread has been incredibly educational. I'm dealing with a slightly different blended family situation - my partner and I are unmarried but living together, and we're trying to figure out the best approach for his daughter's FAFSA (she lives with us full-time but her mom is still in the picture financially). Reading through everyone's experiences here, it's clear that running the numbers through the Federal Student Aid Estimator really is the key first step. The consistent advice about income differences typically outweighing the multiple student benefit seems to apply across different family structures. @Abigail bergen - have you and your ex had a chance to sit down and discuss the logistics of coordination? I'm curious how those conversations went, especially around the commitment to stick with the same filer for all four years. That seems like such an important detail that could easily get overlooked in the stress of application season. One thing I'm wondering about after reading all these responses: for families where the relationship with the ex is more strained, are there any tips for making this coordination work smoothly? The financial benefits seem clear, but the practical aspects of working together on something this important for four years straight seems potentially challenging.

Welcome to everyone who's new to the community! As someone who's been helping families navigate FAFSA complexities for several years, I'm impressed by the quality of advice being shared here. A few additional points that might help: For those asking about coordination with difficult exes - consider setting up a shared Google calendar with FAFSA deadlines, renewal dates, and tax document sharing deadlines. This creates a neutral space for coordination without requiring direct communication. I've seen families use this successfully even in high-conflict situations. @Omar Fawzi - your unmarried situation actually gives you more flexibility. Since only your partner's income would count (not yours), you might want to compare his solo income against the ex's income when running those estimator calculations. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet: if anyone is considering having the lower-income parent file, make sure that parent has their FSA ID set up early and understands the process. Nothing derails a good strategy like technical difficulties during crunch time! The documentation advice from @Yara Nassar is spot-on. I'd also suggest taking screenshots of your estimator results with both scenarios - colleges sometimes ask families to explain their filing decisions during verification, and having the data helps tremendously.