Recent divorce affecting FAFSA - how to report only my income not ex-husband's?

you need to file a special circumstances appeal with her school's financial aid office. just call them and tell them ur divorced now and they'll tell u what paperwork they need

This is a common situation that requires a professional judgment review (sometimes called a special circumstances appeal). Here's what you need to do: 1. Complete the FAFSA as is using the 2023 joint tax return data 2. Contact each college's financial aid office to request their professional judgment process 3. Prepare documentation including: - Divorce decree showing date of March 2024 - Documentation of your current income (recent pay stubs, etc.) - Statement explaining the change in circumstances - Proof you're providing more support (receipts for tuition deposits, etc.) Each school handles these differently, but they have the authority to adjust the FAFSA to reflect only your income. Don't wait - contact them immediately as these reviews take time.

went thru this last yr with my son! the financial aid ppl at his school were ZERO help and kept giving me the runaround. took 3 months to get it fixed and almost lost his housing!!!

I went through something similar and found that using Claimyr helped me get through to FSA agents quickly instead of waiting on hold forever. When I had questions about my professional judgment review, I needed to talk to someone at Federal Student Aid but kept getting disconnected. Used their service at claimyr.com and got connected in about 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works too: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The FSA agent clarified exactly what documentation was needed for my specific situation so I wasn't wasting time gathering unnecessary paperwork.

The process you need is officially called "Professional Judgment" under Section 479A of the Higher Education Act. Each school has discretion in how they implement this, but divorce after filing the base tax year is one of the most common reasons for adjustment. You need to complete what's called a "PJ Request Form" or "Special Circumstances Form" from each school's financial aid office. Some important technical details: 1. Your daughter's FAFSA should list her status as "Parents Divorced/Separated" 2. The school will need to see your individual income portion extracted from the joint return 3. Some schools may request a "tax transcript" rather than just the tax return 4. Be prepared to provide W-2s showing your separate income 5. The adjusted SAI calculation will only include the custodial parent (you) Don't focus on grants specifically - the entire SAI (Student Aid Index) will be recalculated based on your income alone, which affects all aid eligibility.

my ex and i have been divorced for 3 years and FAFSA STILL keeps asking for his information even tho I have 100% custody!!! the system is completely broken and designed to PREVENT students from getting aid they deserve. they make it IMPOSSIBLE on purpose!!!!! 😡

I had this same problem when I divorced my husband in 2023! The school told me I needed to file the FAFSA with the 2022 info, then file an appeal. Here's what I learned: 1. The financial aid offices need a LOT of documentation - they asked for bank statements, utility bills (to prove where my daughter and I were living), and even mortgage statements 2. Every school handles this differently - one was super easy and just needed the divorce decree, another put us through the wringer for months 3. My daughter's SAI went down by almost 10,000 points after the adjustment, which made her eligible for a Pell Grant she wouldn't have received otherwise Don't get discouraged if the first person you talk to seems confused - ask specifically for someone who handles "professional judgment reviews for divorce situations" - the regular front-line staff often don't know the process well.

why dont u just wait til next year when ur taxes are separate? thats what my cousin did

I work at a university financial aid office. Professional Judgment (PJ) is exactly what you need. One tip: when you submit the documentation, include a cover letter that clearly lists all the documents you're providing and briefly explains each one. We get hundreds of these requests and the ones that are well-organized get processed much faster. Also, call the financial aid office first to ask if they have specific forms - some schools have dedicated divorce situation forms while others use a general special circumstances form.

I went through this exact situation two years ago when my divorce was finalized in January but we had filed jointly for the previous tax year. The key thing that saved us time was being proactive about gathering documentation BEFORE submitting the professional judgment request. Here's what I wish I had known upfront: - Get certified copies of your divorce decree (schools often want originals or certified copies, not just photocopies) - Request your individual wage transcripts from the IRS website (irs.gov) - these show your individual earnings separate from the joint return and schools love these because they're official - If you're receiving or paying child support, get documentation of the exact amounts even if it's informal The timing worked out that my daughter got significantly more aid, including work-study she wouldn't have qualified for otherwise. One school processed it in 2 weeks, another took 6 weeks, so definitely submit to all schools simultaneously. Don't get discouraged by the paperwork - it's absolutely worth the effort and most financial aid offices deal with divorce situations regularly, so you're not asking for anything unusual.

I'm going through something very similar right now! My divorce was finalized in February 2024 but we also filed jointly for 2023. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea about the professional judgment process or that I needed to submit the FAFSA first with the joint info before appealing. @Yuki Kobayashi - I hope your situation gets resolved quickly! From what everyone is saying, it sounds like the key is being super organized with documentation and contacting multiple schools simultaneously. One question for those who've been through this - did any schools ask for proof of who's been paying the student's expenses? I've been covering everything for my son since we separated but wasn't sure if I need to gather receipts or bank statements showing those payments.