Will my legal guardian status for Medicaid-eligible child affect FAFSA eligibility?

your fine! i have a similar situation with my nephew we have guardianship of and hes on medicaid. you should definitely include her as part of your household since she lives with you and you provide more than half her support. the medicaid question is actually a good thing because it can qualify your son for simplified needs test which might mean more aid! at least thats what happened for us last year

You absolutely answered correctly. The FAFSA household questions are about who lives in your household and who you support financially, not just biological relationships. Since you're her legal guardian and she receives Medicaid, you were correct to include her and indicate that someone in your household receives these benefits. This shouldn't negatively impact your son's financial aid at all - in fact, it might help his SAI calculation, as having a member of your household receiving certain benefits can make you eligible for the simplified needs formula.

The whole FAFSA system is broken anyway. They ask all these intrusive questions about benefits and family structure but then give minimal aid. My daughter got barely anything despite our low income and her sister being on state benefits. Expect to be disappointed no matter what you put on that form.

You made the right call. I work with guardianship cases, and the 2024-2025 FAFSA specifically states that legal guardians should count all members of their household, including those for whom they have legal guardianship. The fact that your daughter receives Medicaid is actually potentially beneficial for your son's FAFSA calculation because it can trigger what's called the "simplified needs test" or even an "auto-zero EFC" (now called a zero SAI) depending on your income level. So don't worry - you didn't mess anything up!

i had the exact same worry last year omg!!! my little brother is on medicaid and i was like wait will this mess up my parents when they fill out the fafsa for me?? turns out it was totally fine and actually helped!

You answered correctly. For FAFSA purposes, your household includes: 1. You and your spouse (if married) 2. Your children (including those for whom you have legal guardianship) if you provide more than half their support 3. Other people who live with you if you provide more than half their support Since you're the legal guardian of your 7-year-old and she receives Medicaid, your answers were accurate. If your FAFSA gets selected for verification (which happens randomly to about 30% of applications), be prepared to provide documentation of the guardianship and possibly Medicaid eligibility. Just have those documents ready, but don't worry - you haven't made any errors here.

Has anyone been able to actually TALK to someone at FSA about these weird situations? I tried calling 6 times last week about a similar question (my foster child who's on state benefits) and literally couldn't get through to anyone who could help. Just automated messages and disconnects.

Just to add one more piece of information - if you're selected for verification (which is random and happens to about 30% of FAFSA applicants), be prepared to provide: 1. Legal guardianship documents 2. Proof that the child lives in your household 3. Possibly proof of the Medicaid coverage But this is only if you're selected for verification. Your answers on the FAFSA were correct, and as others have mentioned, having a household member receiving Medicaid may actually improve your son's aid package through the simplified needs test.

Thank you all SO much for the reassurance and information! I feel much better now. It sounds like I did answer correctly by including her and her Medicaid status, and that it might even help my son's financial aid calculation. I'll keep all our guardianship documents and her Medicaid information ready in case we get selected for verification. What a relief - one less FAFSA worry!

I'm glad you got this sorted out! Just wanted to add that as someone who works in financial aid at a community college, I see this situation fairly often. You absolutely did the right thing including your ward in your household and indicating the Medicaid benefits. The simplified needs test that this can trigger is one of the few "good surprises" in the FAFSA process - it can really help families qualify for more aid. Don't stress about verification either - if selected, it's just a matter of providing the documents you already have. Your son is lucky to have such a thoughtful parent navigating this process!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly helpful discussion! I'm in a similar situation - we have legal guardianship of my husband's teenage niece who receives state benefits, and I've been putting off filling out the FAFSA because I was so confused about these exact questions. Reading through all your responses has given me the confidence to move forward. It's amazing how something that seems like it would complicate the process (having a ward who receives benefits) might actually help with financial aid through the simplified needs test. This community is such a valuable resource for navigating these complex situations!

Welcome to the community! As someone who's been through this exact situation, I can confirm what everyone else is saying - you absolutely made the right choice including your ward and her Medicaid benefits. I remember having the same panic when filling out my daughter's FAFSA last year because we have guardianship of my sister's son who's on state insurance. The financial aid office at her college actually thanked me for being thorough with the household information because it helped them process her aid more efficiently. The simplified needs test that others mentioned is real and can make a significant difference - in our case, it meant they didn't count our small savings account, which kept our Student Aid Index lower. Keep those guardianship documents handy just in case, but don't lose sleep over it. You're clearly doing everything right for both kids!

As a newcomer to this community, I want to add my voice to echo what everyone has said - you absolutely did the right thing! I'm actually a social worker who helps families navigate these exact situations, and I see this confusion all the time. Legal guardianship creates a true parent-child relationship for FAFSA purposes, regardless of biology. The fact that your ward receives Medicaid is actually a positive factor that can trigger beneficial calculation methods. I always tell the families I work with to think of the FAFSA household questions as "who do you financially support and provide a home for?" rather than "who is biologically related to you." Your answers were spot-on, and your son is fortunate to have someone so thorough looking out for his educational future. Keep doing what you're doing!

As a newcomer to this community, I just want to say how incredibly helpful this entire discussion has been! I'm currently preparing to fill out the FAFSA for my daughter who starts college in the fall, and we also have legal guardianship of her younger cousin who receives state benefits. I was honestly dreading this part of the FAFSA because I had no idea how to handle the household and benefits questions, but reading through everyone's experiences and advice has completely put my mind at ease. It's amazing to see both personal stories and professional insights all confirming the same thing - that including our ward and indicating their benefits is not only the correct approach but might actually help with the financial aid calculation through the simplified needs test. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences, especially those who work in financial aid and social services. This community is such a valuable resource for parents trying to navigate these complex situations while doing right by all the children in our care!