FAFSA vs Excelsior Scholarship - Whose income counts for remarried parents?

The Excelsior Scholarship follows TAP (Tuition Assistance Program) guidelines for income reporting, not FAFSA guidelines. For TAP/Excelsior, you report: - If your parents are divorced/separated, you report the income of the parent who provides more financial support (plus their spouse if remarried) - Unlike FAFSA, you DON'T automatically use the custodial parent - The parent who claims you as a tax dependent is typically considered your supporting parent So if your mom provides more support AND claims you on taxes, you'd report her income + your stepdad's income, just like FAFSA. But if your biological dad provides more support or claims you on taxes, you'd report his income (plus stepparent if applicable). The 2025-2026 income cap for Excelsior is $135,000 for adjusted gross income.

not sure but i had a friend whos parents were divorced and i think she said excelsior only counted the parent she lived with??? but idk if thats still true anymore they change everything all the time lol

The Excelsior Scholarship is super strict about income verification. When I applied, they made me submit ALL kinds of documentation - tax returns from both parents, affidavits about living situations, everything. Even though FAFSA only needed one parent's info. What nobody tells you is that even if your income is below the threshold, Excelsior is a "last dollar" scholarship - meaning they only cover what's left AFTER your TAP award, Pell Grant, and other scholarships. So don't count on getting the full tuition amount regardless. Also, remember the Excelsior requires you to: - Complete 30 credits per year (fall+spring+summer if needed) - Maintain a specific GPA (varies by school but usually 2.0) - Live and work in NY after graduation for as many years as you received the award If you break any of these rules, your scholarship converts to a LOAN you have to repay.

I went through this exact situation 2 years ago with my parents divorced and remarried. For Excelsior, they ONLY counted my mom's income (plus stepdad) because she was listed as the parent who provided more than 50% of my support on the TAP application. The tricky part is that the support question on TAP isn't automatically the same as who claims you as a dependent for taxes! My dad claimed me on taxes but my mom provided more day-to-day support, so I used her info. Honestly though, you NEED to talk to someone at HESC (Higher Education Services Corporation) to confirm for your specific situation. But good luck getting through to anyone there...

I've been dealing with Excelsior issues for months and finally got answers after using Claimyr to reach an actual human at Federal Student Aid. It connects you directly to an agent without the endless hold times. I watched their demo video (https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ) and was connected to someone in minutes who clarified that for Excelsior: 1. The income reporting follows who provides more financial support (like TAP) 2. If custody is split 50/50, then they use the parent with higher income 3. Remarried parents DO include the step-parent's income Check out claimyr.com - saved me hours of frustration and I finally got my aid sorted out.

Why is this so COMPLICATED??!! Every financial aid program has different rules! FAFSA uses the custodial parent, TAP uses the supporting parent, some scholarships want BOTH parents regardless of marital status! It's like they WANT students to fail and give up. I nearly lost my entire aid package last year because of these confusing parent income rules. The financial aid system is BROKEN. And don't even get me started on how they expect divorced parents who haven't spoken in years to somehow coordinate on financial aid forms...

Just to clarify a few things about Excelsior that might help: 1. For the 2025-2026 application, they'll look at your 2023 federal tax returns to determine income eligibility 2. The parent who provided more support is determined on the TAP application, which then carries over to Excelsior 3. If your parents have 50/50 custody and alternate tax claims, Excelsior will generally go with whoever claimed you on the 2023 tax return 4. Yes, the residency requirement is real - you must live in NY after graduation for the same number of years you received the scholarship, or it converts to a loan 5. Remember Excelsior only covers TUITION, not fees, room, board, or books I recommend checking your eligibility on the HESC website and applying even if you're not sure. Worst case, they'll deny you.

I don't think anyone mentioned this, but the income limit for Excelsior changes every year. It was $125k for 2023-2024, and now it's $135k for 2025-2026. So if your family was close to the cutoff before, you might qualify now even if nothing else changed. Also, they use FEDERAL AGI (Adjusted Gross Income), not state taxable income or total income, which can make a big difference if your parents have certain deductions.

One big caveat that tripped me up: If you're claimed as a dependent on ANYONE'S tax return (even a non-custodial parent who doesn't support you financially), Excelsior will count that person's income. My dad claimed me even though I hadn't seen him in years, and I got denied because his income pushed us over the limit. Also - double check ALL your application materials. Excelsior is notorious for denying applications over tiny mistakes or missing documents. And appeals take FOREVER to process.

Hey everyone! I'm new to this community but dealing with similar issues. Just wanted to share what I learned from my financial aid counselor at my school - they said that for complicated family situations like divorced/remarried parents, it's really important to keep detailed records of who provides what support. My counselor suggested creating a simple spreadsheet tracking things like: - Who pays for housing, food, medical expenses, etc. - Who claims you on taxes each year - Any court orders about financial support This helped me figure out which parent to use for TAP/Excelsior vs FAFSA. Also, she mentioned that some schools have emergency aid funds that can help bridge gaps if you don't qualify for Excelsior but still need help with costs. @Sasha - sounds like you need to dig up that 2023 tax info ASAP! And honestly, even if the NY residency requirement seems scary now, a lot can change in 4 years. Don't let that stop you from applying if you might qualify. Good luck everyone! This stuff is so confusing but at least we're all figuring it out together.