How to Complete the FAFSA with Divorced Parents

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Abigail Eun
Abigail Eun
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Abigail Eun is a freelance writer and personal finance expert. Through diligent research and continuous learning, she has honed her knowledge in budgeting, saving, investing, and debt management. Abigail is passionate about helping people get their finances in order. She believes that everyone should have access to the information they need to make sound financial decisions. Her goal is to provide clear and concise information that is easy to understand.

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Daniel Kahn
Daniel Kahn
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Daniel is the co-founder and COO at Sparrow. Daniel is responsible for the day-to-day operations of a company, working closely with other members of the executive team to develop and implement strategies to support the growth and success of the company.
Daniel was a 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 lister in the Education category.  Daniel was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina and graduated from Duke University in 2020.
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Camden Ford
Camden Ford
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Camden leads Sparrow’s business operations – everything from product management to business analytics. After graduating Cum Laude from Duke University where he studied Civil Engineering, Camden worked as a Consultant for A.T. Kearney where he worked in their Strategic Operations practice. With a strong background in analytics, Camden strives to deliver data-driven conclusions and insights.

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Updated
January 26, 2024

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is open for next school year. The earlier you submit it, the better.

If you have divorced parents, navigating the FAFSA might be a little more difficult. It has its own set of guidelines on who you can report as your “custodial” parent on the application.

No matter what your family situation may be, we’re here to help. Keep reading for information on how to fill out the FAFSA with divorced parents.

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Who Counts as a Parent on the FAFSA?

Only legal parents count as a parent on the FAFSA. Grandparents, foster parents, and legal guardians do not qualify unless they have legally adopted you.

Even if you don’t live with either of your legal parents, you will still need to report their financial information on the FAFSA. If you have lived with a remarried legal parent for the majority of the past 12 months, you will also have to put your stepparent’s information down.

If you are legally emancipated, were a ward of the court after the age of 13, or have deceased parents, the FAFSA considers you as an independent student. There is a separate process for filing the FAFSA as an independent.

Which of the Divorced Parents Should Complete the FAFSA?

Depending on your living circumstances, there are two options for completing the FAFSA with divorced parents:

If Your Parents Live Together

If your parents do live together, you can indicate their living status as “unmarried and both legal parents living together” on the FAFSA.

If Your Parents Don’t Live Together

If your parents do not live together, the FAFSA will ask you which parent you have lived with for the majority of the past 12 months.

If you have lived with each parent equally, you will be asked about which parent gave you the most financial support during the past 12 months.

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Steps to Complete the FAFSA with Divorced Parents

There are three main steps you will have to take:

Step 1: Determine Your Custodial Parent

To figure out who your custodial parent is, ask yourself the following questions:

#1: Are your parents married?
If yes, report both of your parents’ information on the FAFSA. If not, ask yourself the following question.

#2: Do your parents live together?
If yes, report both of your parent’s information on the FAFSA (even if they have never been married, divorced, or separated).  If the answer is no, ask yourself the following question.

#3: Have you lived with one parent more than the other within the past 12 months?
If yes, report the information of the parent you have lived with more on the FAFSA. If the answer is no, go to the next step (#4).

#4: Report the information of the parent who provided you with more financial support over the past 12 months.
If this parent is remarried, you will also have to report the information of your stepparent on the FAFSA.

The following infographic from Federal Student Aid (FSA) can also serve as a visual guide for determining your custodial parent.

After determining your custodial parent, keep in mind that you should only report their information when prompted on parent information (and your stepparent if you have lived with them for over 12 months).

For example, when the FAFSA asks about your parent’s highest education, you should only report your custodial parent’s information (and your stepparent’s information if applicable), and not your other parent’s information.

Step 2: Gather the Correct Information

Gather the following information to complete the FAFSA. You will most likely have to work with your determined custodial parent to collect the necessary documents.

  1. Your social security card
  2. Your custodial parent’s social security card
  3. Any form of self-identification (driver’s license, real I.D., passport, etc.)
  4. Your custodial parent’s 2021 tax returns
  5. Your custodial parent’s 2021 untaxed income records
  6. Your custodial parent’s 2021 W-2 forms
  7. Your custodial parent’s current bank statements

Step 3: Include Child Support (If Applicable)

The FAFSA requires you to report any child support your custodial parent receives. Alimony is considered taxable income and is already reported on your custodial parent’s tax information, so it does not have to be reported again.

Do You Get More Money on the FAFSA if Your Parents Are Divorced?

It depends who your custodial parent is.

If your divorced parents live separately, you have to report the custodial parent’s income on the FAFSA, not the other parent’s. If you live with the parent who has a lower income, your estimated family contribution (EFC) will be lower, which can lead you to receive more aid.

That being said, child support and alimony are taken into account on the FAFSA, so there isn’t a guarantee that you’ll get more money simply because your parents are divorced.

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Loan products, terms, and benefits may be modified or discontinued by participating lenders at any time without notice. Rates displayed are reserved for the most creditworthy consumers who enroll to make automatic monthly payments. Your initial rate will be determined after a review of your application and credit profile. Variable rates may increase after consummation. You must be either a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident in an eligible state and from an eligible school, and meet the lender’s credit and income requirements to qualify for a loan. Certain membership requirements (including the opening of a share account, a minimum share account deposit, and the payment of any applicable association fees in connection with membership) may apply in the event that an applicant wishes to apply with, and accept a loan offered from, a credit union lender. If you are not a member of the credit union lender, you may apply and become a member during the loan application process if you meet the lender’s eligibility criteria. Applying with a creditworthy cosigner may result in a better chance of loan approval and/or lower interest rate. Loans for exam preparation classes, including, but not limited to, loans for LSAT, MCAT, GMAT, and GRE preparation, are not available via LendKey.com.

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Subject to floor rate and may require the automatic payments be made from a checking or savings account with the lender. The rate reduction will be removed and the rate will be increased by 0.25% upon any cancellation or failed collection attempt of the automatic payment and will be suspended during any period of deferment or forbearance. As a result, during the forbearance or suspension period, and/or if the automatic payment is canceled, any increase will take the form of higher payments. The lowest advertised APR is only available for loan terms of 10 years and is reserved for the highest qualified applicants, taking into consideration the applicant’s credit and other factors.

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1 – Terms and Conditions Apply

Loan products, terms, and benefits may be modified or discontinued by participating lenders at any time without notice. Rates displayed are reserved for the most creditworthy consumers who enroll to make automatic monthly payments. Your initial rate will be determined after a review of your application and credit profile. Variable rates may increase after consummation. You must be either a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident in an eligible state and from an eligible school, and meet the lender’s credit and income requirements to qualify for a loan. Certain membership requirements (including the opening of a share account, a minimum share account deposit, and the payment of any applicable association fees in connection with membership) may apply in the event that an applicant wishes to apply with, and accept a loan offered from, a credit union lender. If you are not a member of the credit union lender, you may apply and become a member during the loan application process if you meet the lender’s eligibility criteria. Applying with a creditworthy cosigner may result in a better chance of loan approval and/or lower interest rate. Loans for exam preparation classes, including, but not limited to, loans for LSAT, MCAT, GMAT, and GRE preparation, are not available via LendKey.com.

2 – Cosigner Release

Some lenders participating on LendKey.com may offer the benefit of cosigner release. Cosigner release is subject to lender approval. In order to qualify, the borrower, alone, must meet the following requirements: (1) Make the required number of consecutive, on-time full principal and interest payments as indicated in the borrower’s credit agreement during the repayment period (excluding interest-only payments) immediately prior to the request. Any period of forbearance will reset the repayment clock; (2) The account cannot be in delinquent status; (3) The borrower must provide proof of income indicating that he/she meets the income requirements and pass a credit review demonstrating that he/she has a satisfactory credit history and the ability to assume full responsibility of loan repayment; (4) No bankruptcies or foreclosures in the last sixty months; and (5) No loan defaults.

3 – Autopay Rate Reduction

Subject to floor rate and may require the automatic payments be made from a checking or savings account with the lender. The rate reduction will be removed and the rate will be increased by 0.25% upon any cancellation or failed collection attempt of the automatic payment and will be suspended during any period of deferment or forbearance. As a result, during the forbearance or suspension period, and/or if the automatic payment is canceled, any increase will take the form of higher payments.

4 – AutoPay Discount & Lowest Interest Rate

Subject to floor rate and may require the automatic payments be made from a checking or savings account with the lender. The rate reduction will be removed and the rate will be increased by 0.25% upon any cancellation or failed collection attempt of the automatic payment and will be suspended during any period of deferment or forbearance. As a result, during the forbearance or suspension period, and/or if the automatic payment is canceled, any increase will take the form of higher payments. The lowest advertised APR is only available for loan terms of 10 years and is reserved for the highest qualified applicants, taking into consideration the applicant’s credit and other factors.

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Student Loan Origination (Private Student Loan) Interest Rate Disclosure:

Actual rate and available repayment terms will vary based on your income. Fixed rates range from 3.94% APR to 16.74% APR (excludes 0.25% Auto Pay discount). Variable rates range from 5.87% APR to 17.10% APR (excludes 0.25% Auto Pay discount). Earnest variable interest rate student loan origination loans are based on a publicly available index, the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The variable rate is based on the rate published on the 25th day, or the next business day, of the preceding calendar month, rounded to the nearest hundredth of a percent. The rate will not increase more than once per month. Although the rate will vary after you are approved, it will never exceed 36% (the maximum allowable for this loan). Please note, Earnest Private Student Loans are not available in Nevada. Our lowest rates are only available for our most credit qualified borrowers and contain our .25% auto pay discount from a checking or savings account. It is important to note that the 0.25% Auto Pay discount is not available while loan payments are deferred.
Earnest Private Student Loans are made by One American Bank, Member FDIC, or FinWise Bank, Member FDIC. One American Bank, 515 S. Minnesota Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57104. Finwise Bank, 756 East Winchester, Suite 100, Murray, UT 84107
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(1) All rates include the auto-pay discount. The 0.25% auto-pay interest rate reduction applies as long as a valid bank account is designated for required monthly payments. If a payment is returned, you will lose this benefit. Variable rates may increase after consummation.

(2) As certified by your school and less any other financial aid you might receive. Minimum $1,000.

(3) This informational repayment example uses typical loan terms for a freshman borrower who selects the Flat Repayment Option with an 8-year repayment term, has a $10,000 loan that is disbursed in one disbursement and a 7.78% fixed Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”): 54 monthly payments of $25 while in school, followed by 96 monthly payments of $176.21 while in the repayment period, for a total amount of payments of $18,266.38. Loans will never have a full principal and interest monthly payment of less than $50. Your actual rates and repayment terms may vary.

Information advertised valid as of 11/1/2024. Variable interest rates may increase after consummation. Approved interest rate will depend on creditworthiness of the applicant(s), lowest advertised rates only available to the most creditworthy applicants and require selection of the Flat Repayment Option with the shortest available loan term.

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Variable APR
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College Ave Student Loans products are made available through Firstrust Bank, member FDIC, First Citizens Community Bank, member FDIC, or M.Y. Safra Bank, FSB, member FDIC. All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions, other terms, and conditions apply.

(1) All rates include the auto-pay discount. The 0.25% auto-pay interest rate reduction applies as long as a valid bank account is designated for required monthly payments. If a payment is returned, you will lose this benefit. Variable rates may increase after consummation.

(2) As certified by your school and less any other financial aid you might receive. Minimum $1,000.

(3) This informational repayment example uses typical loan terms for a freshman borrower who selects the Flat Repayment Option with an 8-year repayment term, has a $10,000 loan that is disbursed in one disbursement and a 7.78% fixed Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”): 54 monthly payments of $25 while in school, followed by 96 monthly payments of $176.21 while in the repayment period, for a total amount of payments of $18,266.38. Loans will never have a full principal and interest monthly payment of less than $50. Your actual rates and repayment terms may vary.

Information advertised valid as of 11/1/2024. Variable interest rates may increase after consummation. Approved interest rate will depend on creditworthiness of the applicant(s), lowest advertised rates only available to the most creditworthy applicants and require selection of the Flat Repayment Option with the shortest available loan term.

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Closing Thoughts From the Nest

As you navigate the FAFSA with divorced parents, don’t forget to ask for help. The school’s financial aid office has dealt with situations like yours and more, so don’t be afraid to reach out.

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