Grandparent custody and FAFSA - how to report when dad pays child support but mom is absent?

This is actually a clear-cut situation according to FAFSA rules. Since you have legal custody, your granddaughter is considered YOUR dependent, not her biological parents'. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, you'll report your financial information as the legal guardian. The biological parents' information isn't required at all - not her dad's (even though he pays support) and not her absent mom's. Make sure you have documentation of your legal guardianship/custody ready because the financial aid office may request verification. The child support your granddaughter receives from her dad will need to be reported as untaxed income for her, not for you.

my couzin was raised by her grandma and they put the grandma as the parent on fafsa. worked fine and she got pell grants plus state aid. but some colleges asked for extra paperwork to prove the situation.

I work in financial aid, and I'd like to clarify a few things: 1. For FAFSA purposes, legal guardians are NOT considered parents. This is a common misconception. 2. If you have legal custody/guardianship, your granddaughter will file the FAFSA as an INDEPENDENT student. This means only HER income and assets are reported (which includes the child support she receives from her father). 3. Neither your information, nor her biological parents' information, should be included on the FAFSA. 4. You'll need to submit documentation proving your legal custody/guardianship to each college's financial aid office. 5. Some private colleges that use the CSS Profile (different from FAFSA) may still request your financial information as the guardian. This is actually advantageous since only your granddaughter's income will be considered, likely resulting in more aid eligibility than if your income was included.

Sorry, I need to correct my earlier response! The financial aid expert is absolutely right. Legal guardianship is one of the special circumstances that allows a student to file as independent even if they're under 24. This means your financial information won't be considered - only your granddaughter's. This is actually better for aid eligibility in most cases.

Yes, court-issued documentation from 8 years ago will work perfectly as long as the guardianship/custody arrangement is still in effect. Your granddaughter qualifies as independent because legal guardianship is one of the exceptions to the age 24 rule, along with being married, having dependents, military service, etc. On the FAFSA, she'll answer "Yes" to the question about having a legal guardian determined by a court. This automatically classifies her as independent. One important note: The guardianship must be court-appointed. If you have informal custody without legal documentation, then different rules apply.

my daughter tried calling FSA about a similar guardian situation and was on hold for 3+ HOURS before giving up!!!! bureaucratic nightmare!!!

WATCH OUT! My niece was in a similar situation with her grandmother as guardian. When she submitted FAFSA as independent, the college financial aid office requested ADDITIONAL documentation beyond just the guardianship papers. They wanted to verify the parents were actually uninvolved and not just trying to game the system. Make sure you have records showing the history of the situation - maybe dad's support payment records and any documentation about mom's absence. They can be REALLY picky about this!

btw make sure ur granddaughter fills out that css profile thing too if shes applying to private schools!!! my friend didnt know about it and missed out on tons of aid from her top choice school

CSS Profile deadlines vary by institution, but they're often earlier than FAFSA deadlines - sometimes as early as November for early decision applicants. For regular decision, they typically align with admission application deadlines. I strongly recommend checking each school's specific financial aid deadlines. One more thing to consider: If your granddaughter is choosing between schools, make sure to ask financial aid offices about any special circumstances they might consider. Some schools have discretionary funds specifically for unique family situations like yours. This won't appear on their websites, but a direct conversation with the aid office might reveal additional options.

I was raised by my grandparents too! One thing nobody mentioned - if your granddaughter has any savings accounts that were set up when she was younger, make sure they're not in a custodial account with either biological parent named. Those can create complications for financial aid. My grandfather had to move some money around before my FAFSA because my absent father was still technically on one of my childhood accounts.

As someone new to this community and facing a similar situation with my nephew, I want to say how incredibly helpful this thread has been! The clarification about independent student status for those with legal guardianship is exactly what I needed to understand. One question I haven't seen addressed yet - does the timing of when guardianship was established matter for FAFSA purposes? My nephew has been with me for 3 years (since age 15) versus the original poster's 8-year situation. I'm wondering if there's a minimum time requirement or if recent guardianship arrangements are treated the same way? Also, has anyone dealt with situations where the biological parent lives in the same state but isn't involved? I'm worried the financial aid offices might question why formal guardianship was necessary if the parent is geographically close.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm amazed by how helpful and detailed this discussion has been! I'm in a very similar situation with my 16-year-old grandson who I've had legal custody of for 4 years. Reading through all these responses has cleared up so much confusion I had about the FAFSA process. The clarification about independent student status for legal guardianship situations is a game-changer - I had no idea this could actually work in our favor for financial aid eligibility. I was dreading having to include my retirement income in the calculations. One additional question for those who've been through this: Do colleges ever request updated guardianship documentation if the original court order is several years old? My grandson's paperwork is from 2020, and I'm wondering if I need to get anything refreshed before we start the application process next year. Also, has anyone dealt with explaining the guardianship situation in college admission essays or applications? I'm not sure if this is something that should be mentioned as part of his story or if it's better to keep it purely in the financial aid realm. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences here - this thread should be bookmarked by every guardian navigating college financial aid!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to echo what others have said about how incredibly helpful this thread has been! I'm facing a similar situation with my 17-year-old niece who I've had legal guardianship of for the past 5 years. Reading through all the expert advice here, especially from Carmen who works in financial aid, has cleared up so much confusion I had about the FAFSA process. I had no idea that legal guardianship would actually make my niece eligible for independent student status - I was worried about having to include my income which would hurt her aid eligibility. One thing I'd like to add for other guardians reading this: make sure to keep organized records of everything from the start. I've learned to maintain a dedicated folder with all the legal documents, any correspondence about the guardianship situation, and records showing the biological parents' lack of involvement. It's been incredibly helpful when dealing with various agencies and will likely be useful for the college financial aid process. Also, don't be afraid to reach out directly to the financial aid offices at schools your student is considering. I've found them to be much more helpful and understanding about unique family situations than I expected. They deal with guardianship cases regularly and can often provide specific guidance for your situation. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise here - this community is such a valuable resource!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm incredibly grateful for this detailed and helpful discussion! I'm currently facing a very similar situation with my 16-year-old granddaughter who I've had legal custody of for 6 years. The clarification about independent student status for legal guardianship has been eye-opening - I had completely misunderstood how this would work for FAFSA purposes. Like many others here, I was worried that including my income would negatively impact her financial aid eligibility, so learning that only her income (including child support) needs to be reported is actually wonderful news. One question I haven't seen addressed yet: Has anyone dealt with situations where the student receives support from multiple sources? My granddaughter receives child support from her father, but I also provide her with a monthly allowance and her aunt occasionally sends money for clothes and activities. I'm wondering how to properly report these different income sources, or if some don't need to be reported at all. Also, I want to thank Carmen especially for the professional insights - having someone who actually works in financial aid participate in this discussion has made it so much more valuable for all of us guardians trying to navigate this complex process. This thread should definitely be a go-to resource for anyone in similar situations!

As a newcomer to this community and someone navigating a similar guardianship situation, this thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm currently preparing for my nephew's college applications (I've been his legal guardian for 2 years), and I had completely misunderstood the FAFSA process. The clarification about independent student status for legal guardianship is huge - I was dreading having to report my income and thought it would hurt his aid chances. Learning that only his income needs to be reported actually makes this much more hopeful for us financially. I wanted to add one resource that might help other guardians here: I found that contacting the high school's guidance counselor early in the process was really beneficial. Our counselor had dealt with guardianship situations before and was able to connect us with a local nonprofit that helps families navigate college financial aid. They even have workshops specifically for non-traditional family situations. Also, for anyone feeling overwhelmed by all the documentation requirements mentioned in this thread - start gathering everything now, even if your student is still a junior. Having the court papers, any correspondence about the guardianship, and records of support payments organized early will save so much stress later. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences, especially Carmen for the professional insights. This community is such a valuable resource for those of us in unique family situations!