<p>Question: My daughter is about to fill out the FAFSA. Her mother and I are divorced. Mom’s yearly income is higher than mine. Mom has been claiming her as a dependent on her tax returns (while I’ve been claiming our son). Will red flags be raised if my daughter lists me as the primary provider […]</p>
<p>[View</a> the complete Q&A at CC’s Ask The Dean…](<a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/archives/can-dad-with-lower-income-serve-as-primary-parent-on-fafsa.htm]View”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/archives/can-dad-with-lower-income-serve-as-primary-parent-on-fafsa.htm)</p>
<p>the instructions on the fafsa are very specific about which parent to report when they are divorced. She reports the parent she has lived with the most in the last 12 months… to me, that does not sound like you. You can’t just choose the parent with the lower income. If mom is currently married, her husbands income is required as well.</p>
<p>FAFSA4EVER–If you read the whole “Ask the Dean” Q&A, you’ll see that this has been explained already. And when it comes to choosing the parent with the lower income, in some cases there IS a choice. When the child moves back and forth between parents on a regular basis throughout the year, it’s simple enough to report that the child spends 51% of his or here time with the parent whose income is lower.</p>