FAFSA when both divorced parents receive SSDI - how to report correctly?

i went through this last year. only report the parent u live with more than 50% of the time. the other parent isnt required for FAFSA at all if ur parents r divorced.

Thank you! So I only include my mom's SSDI since I live with her most of the time? Do you know if I have to report her SSDI as income? I'm worried because I don't think she files taxes since that's her only income.

For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, you'll only need to report information for your custodial parent (the one you lived with most during the past 12 months). SSDI is considered untaxed income and benefits for FAFSA purposes, so yes, you will need to report it, even though it might not appear on tax returns. There's a specific section for untaxed income where this should be entered. Make sure your custodial parent has their SSA-1099 form available when you're filling out the application, as that shows the total SSDI benefits received for the year.

This is really helpful, thank you! I'll ask my mom to find her SSA-1099 form. Do you know if her SSDI will significantly impact my eligibility for aid? Her benefits aren't very high.

SSDI benefits do count toward your Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation, but many students with parents on disability still qualify for substantial aid, especially Pell Grants. The new FAFSA has special provisions for families with limited income. While all untaxed income must be reported, the system recognizes disability benefits differently than earned income. Also, make sure to answer the question about dislocated workers appropriately, as recipients of SSDI often qualify for this status, which can positively impact your aid eligibility.

Just want to add that I handled this for my daughter's FAFSA last year and we actually got MORE aid because of the SSDI situation. The system recognizes that disability benefits are often the only source of income for the family. Make sure you check the box for 'dislocated worker' status if your parent qualifies - it made a HUGE difference for us!

I'm a financial aid counselor, and I see confusion about this frequently. To clarify: 1) Only report the custodial parent (who you lived with more) 2) SSDI is reported as untaxed income on the FAFSA 3) Don't include the non-custodial parent's information anywhere on the form. \n\nHowever, some private colleges might require additional information through the CSS Profile, which is different from FAFSA. If you're applying to private schools, check if they require the CSS Profile, which may ask about both parents regardless of divorce status.

I'm only applying to state schools right now, so I think just the FAFSA is all I need. Does the custodial parent designation have to match anything legal from the divorce? My parents split custody pretty evenly, but I technically spend a few more days with my mom.

For FAFSA purposes, it's simply which parent you physically lived with for more days during the 12 months before filing. No legal documentation of this is required on the FAFSA. So if you spend slightly more time with your mom, she would be your custodial parent for FAFSA. If it's exactly 50/50, then you would use the parent who provided more financial support.

This is WRONG!! My son put me as custodial parent (more days with me) and we got AUDITED by financial aid office!!! They made us prove it with the court custody agreement. Had to show calendars & everything!!! Be careful what you put down!!!!

While some schools may request verification documentation, the federal FAFSA instructions specifically state to report the parent you lived with more. Most students aren't asked for proof, but in verification cases, some schools may request additional documentation. If your custody is nearly 50/50, it's good practice to keep records of your living arrangements, but this isn't a standard requirement for most applicants.

Trying to reach anyone at Federal Student Aid to ask FAFSA questions is a nightmare. I spent 3 weeks trying to get clarification on disability income reporting. After hours on hold and multiple disconnections, I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to a real person. They got me connected to an agent in under 10 minutes who explained exactly how to report SSDI on the form. You can see how it works in their video: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ - saved me so much frustration. The agent was super helpful explaining all the disability income reporting requirements.

Thanks for the tip! I've been worried about messing up our disability income reporting. Did they help explain where exactly on the FAFSA to report the SSDI benefits? I might try this service if I get stuck.

Yes! The agent walked me through exactly which section to report it in (it's under

My sister went through the same thing when both our parents were on disability!!! She put the wrong parent down at first (the one she DIDNT live with most) and it messed up her whole application!!! She had to redo everything and almost missed her school's priority deadline!!! Double check which parent you lived with MOST before submitting!!!!

Oh that's scary! Did she eventually get her financial aid figured out? I'm worried about making mistakes since this is all new to me.

Yeah she got it all fixed but it was SUPER stressful!!! She almost lost her housing because the aid came in late!!! Just be super careful and maybe ask your school's financial aid office for help before submitting!!!

when i filled mine out, my dad is on ssdi and mom gets ssi and i had to claim it as income but we still qualified for maximum pell grant. there's some kinda income protection allowance for families with disability so don't worry too much. just be honest about what they get.

That's reassuring to hear. I'm hoping we'll qualify for substantial aid too. Did you have any issues proving their disability income? My mom doesn't keep the best records.

To answer your follow-up question about documentation, your parent should receive an SSA-1099 each January showing the previous year's benefits. If your mom has lost hers, she can request a replacement through her my Social Security account online at ssa.gov, visit a local Social Security office, or call the SSA. For FAFSA purposes, it's important to have the exact amount rather than an estimate. Also, remember that SSDI and SSI are different programs with different reporting requirements on the FAFSA, so make sure you know which one your parent receives.

I just checked with mom and she definitely gets SSDI, not SSI. She says she can log into her Social Security account to get the information. Thank you so much for all the help! I feel much better about starting my FAFSA application now.

Great to hear you're feeling more confident about the process! Just wanted to add one more tip - when you're filling out the FAFSA, take your time with the disability income section and double-check the numbers against your mom's SSA-1099. Also, if you run into any technical issues with the FAFSA website (which happens more often than it should), don't panic - you can always save your progress and come back to it later. The system saves automatically as you go. Good luck with your application, and remember that having parents on disability often means you'll qualify for good aid packages!