Kntbrooks

Is it better to use child support or child in house for financial aid?

thumper1

What does this question mean? If you get child support, you don't have a choice about whether to use it or not when completing the financial aid forms.

Kntbrooks

We pay child for a child that lives in our home (it's complicated). Financial aid questionare is asking us to choose one option

lerkin

Is financial aid for a child in question?

If it is, then you have say that a child lives with you.

mom2collegekids

Are you saying that you pay child support to an exspouse, even tho that child is LIVING with you?

If so...and FAFSA wants you to either say that the child lives with you ....or you're paying CS for the child to live elsewhere?

It sounds like you have to indicate that the child lives with you, because that's true.

Why are you paying CS for a child that is living with you?

Kntbrooks

I did state that the child lives with me AND that we pay child support. I was hoping someone could tell me which choice would give me a better chance for more help with financial aid.

momofthreeboys

maybe it's alimony, not child support. Some states still have alimony.

lerkin

Correct me if I am wrong, but if you state that you pay child support for the child, then it implies that you are non-custodial parent and therefore it is your ex-spouse information that needs to be used for FAFSA, not yours. Which will not be true.

Since you are using your information, then you will have to state that the child lives with you and don't mention child support.

Kntbrooks

It's not alimony. Like I said it's complicated. I just need to know if anyone can help with the question. The dependent questionare is wanting us to pick one of the options.

Kntbrooks

We are custodial parents.

lerkin

Then the answer is obvious - state that the child lives with you and don't mention child support. By definition custodial parents do not pay child support to non-custodial parents (even though due to your unique circumstances you do).