How to report child's disability payments on FAFSA when they end during college?

Yes, you'll need to report those disability payments on the FAFSA. Since the payments will continue for part of the 2025-2026 academic year, they count as part of your daughter's untaxed income. The FAFSA asks for untaxed income from the prior-prior year (so 2023 for the 2025-2026 FAFSA), but there's a section where you can note special circumstances. As for who should be the contributing parent - since you're the custodial parent providing more support, YOU should be the parent on the FAFSA. The payments she receives are tied to her father's disability status, but that doesn't make him the contributing parent for FAFSA purposes. The contributing parent is determined by who the student lived with most during the 12 months prior to filing the FAFSA. Since that's you, you're the one who should be listed.

went thru something similar w/ my younger brother last yr. the SSDI payments go on ur daughters section not urs. but heres the annoying part - even tho they end during the yr, FAFSA still counts the full annual amount from 2023 in the calculation. its stupid AF but thats how it works. when u submit the FAFSA youll need to contact each financial aid office seperately to explain the payments r ending. each school handles it diffrent.

I'm in the exact same situation with my son except his SSA benefits from his dad already ended last summer. When I called the Federal Student Aid number, they told me to report it under the student's untaxed income (Question 92q I think?) and then submit a special circumstances form to each college explaining when the benefits end. You'll need to get a letter from Social Security showing the end date. But I was on hold for nearly 2 HOURS trying to get this info!

This is actually a common question with a clear answer under the 2025-2026 FAFSA guidelines: 1. Disability payments received by your daughter should be reported in question 38 under student untaxed income (not parent section). 2. You are DEFINITELY the contributing parent since you're the custodial parent providing more support. The source of her disability payments is irrelevant to who counts as the parent for FAFSA. 3. You MUST report the full annual amount from the base tax year (2023), but you SHOULD also submit a special circumstances form to each college financial aid office explaining the payments will end during the academic year. 4. Most colleges have a specific process for adjusting the SAI (Student Aid Index) when income changes significantly from the reported year. One more thing - your income of $72,000 is what matters for determining the Parent Contribution portion of the SAI calculation. Your ex's income is completely irrelevant since he's not the custodial parent.

OMG did anyone else notice that the new FAFSA has completely changed how they handle this stuff???? My nephew had disability payments from his mom and when we filled out the FAFSA last month, there was this whole new section about "untaxed income from government programs" that wasn't there before. The whole system is completely different now and NOBODY at my son's high school guidance office even knew how to handle it right!!! This new FAFSA is a NIGHTMARE and the instructions are so confusing!!!

when my daughter was getting benefits from her dads disability we reported it under HER untaxed income on the fafsa. we called the college financial aid office and they told us to write a letter explaining when the benefits would stop. then they adjusted her aid package after they got the letter. just make sure you do this EARLY because once aid is distributed its harder to get more.

dont 4get that the new FAFSA also has that confusing SAI number instead of EFC. so when u look at the final number ur like "wtf does this even mean?" my cousins SAI was negative $1500 and we had no clue if that was good or bad lol. turns out negative is good! but nowhere does it actually explain that clearly.

One final tip that's really important in your situation: Make sure you understand the verification process. Since your situation involves disability benefits that will change, there's a higher chance your FAFSA might be selected for verification. If that happens, you'll need to provide documentation proving all the income you reported. For disability benefits, that documentation would be: 1. The SSA-1099 form (or benefit statement) showing the annual amount your daughter received 2. The official SSA notice showing when benefits will terminate About 30% of FAFSA applicants get selected for verification, and having unusual circumstances increases those odds. Keep all documentation organized and ready to submit if requested.

Just wanted to share my experience as someone who went through this exact situation last year! My daughter's SSDI benefits from her father's disability ended halfway through her freshman year, and I was panicking about the same things you're dealing with. Here's what actually happened: I reported the full 2023 disability payments under her untaxed income on the FAFSA (around $11,760 for the year). Then immediately after she was accepted to her colleges, I contacted each financial aid office with a letter explaining the benefits would end in April and included the SSA termination notice. 4 out of 5 schools adjusted her aid package to account for the lost income, which actually INCREASED her aid eligibility for sophomore year. One school was less helpful, but the others were really understanding about the situation. The key is being proactive - don't wait for them to figure it out. Also, save copies of EVERYTHING because you'll likely need to provide the same documentation again when you file next year's FAFSA. You've got this! The process seems overwhelming but once you get through it the first time, it becomes much clearer.

This thread has been incredibly helpful - I'm in a very similar situation with my son who receives survivor benefits that will end during his freshman year. One thing I learned from our financial aid counselor that might help is to also check if your daughter qualifies for any state-specific aid programs. In some states, students who receive SSDI payments (even temporarily) may be eligible for additional state grants that aren't tied to the FAFSA income calculations. Also, make sure to ask each college about their "professional judgment" policies. Some schools have more flexibility than others in adjusting aid packages for changing circumstances like this. The schools that were most helpful in my research were the ones that specifically mentioned having experience with disability benefit transitions on their financial aid websites. Keep detailed records of all your communications with financial aid offices too - it'll save you time if you need to reference previous conversations later in the process.

As a newcomer to this community, I'm finding this thread incredibly valuable! I'm actually dealing with a similar situation but with a twist - my daughter receives both SSDI from her father's disability AND SSI benefits that she qualifies for on her own due to her autism. The SSI will continue through college, but the SSDI from her dad stops when she turns 18 next fall. From reading all these responses, it sounds like I need to report both types of benefits under her untaxed income section, but I'm wondering if anyone has experience with reporting multiple types of disability benefits? Do they all go in the same category or are there different sections for SSDI vs SSI? Also, @Carmen Vega, your experience gives me so much hope! It's reassuring to know that schools can be understanding about these transitions. I was worried that having disability benefits would hurt her chances, but it sounds like being proactive with documentation is key. Thank you all for sharing your experiences - this community is such a lifesaver for navigating these complex situations!

Hi there! As someone new to this community, I wanted to jump in and say thank you to everyone who's shared their experiences here. I'm in a somewhat similar situation with my stepson who receives SSDI benefits from his biological father's disability, and these responses have been incredibly enlightening. One thing I'd add that might be helpful - when you contact the financial aid offices after submitting your FAFSA, ask specifically about their "special circumstances" or "professional judgment" process. Some schools have standardized forms for exactly this type of situation (income that changes during the academic year), while others handle it more informally through letters and documentation. Also, @Mila Walker, you mentioned your ex thinks he should be the contributing parent because "his disability is paying for her anyway" - I dealt with something similar with my stepson's bio dad. It might be worth getting clarification in writing from the school's financial aid office about who should be listed as the parent, just so you have official documentation if your ex continues to push back on this. The FAFSA rules are very clear that it's based on custody and support, not the source of any benefits the student receives. Best of luck with the process - it sounds like you're being really thorough and proactive, which will definitely help!

As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to share something that might be helpful for your situation. I just went through the 2024-2025 FAFSA process with my son who has a similar disability benefit situation, and one thing I learned is to keep detailed records of every phone call and email exchange with financial aid offices. What really helped us was creating a simple spreadsheet tracking which schools we contacted, when we contacted them, who we spoke with, and what they told us about their special circumstances process. Some schools responded within days, while others took weeks, and having that tracking system helped me follow up appropriately without being pushy. Also, I noticed you mentioned feeling stressed about the whole process - totally understandable! One thing that helped reduce my anxiety was tackling it in phases: first complete and submit the FAFSA with the required information (including reporting the full disability payments), then immediately start gathering all your documentation for the special circumstances appeals, and finally contact schools systematically as your daughter gets accepted. The community members here have given you excellent technical advice - I just wanted to add the organizational perspective that helped me stay sane during the process! You're asking all the right questions and being proactive, which puts you way ahead of where I was at this stage last year.