Choosing custodial parent for CSS Profile

[Jakelolno8]

My parents are divorced with a 50/50 custody split. On the CSS website, it says

"Typically, the parent that selects that they provide more than half of the student’s financial support is the primary custodial parent.

If support is split evenly between households, select the parent with the higher income and assets"

Is there any true way to measure which parent provides more financial support? In theory, could I say the parent who makes less and would therefore give me a better shot at getting more aid provides more for me or would they check and want me to do the higher income and assets parent?

[TonyGrace]

@Jakelolno8

In theory, could I say the parent who makes less and would therefore give me a better shot at getting more aid provides more for me or would they check and want me to do the higher income and assets parent?

You are going to have to provide information for both. Don’t try to game the system.

[Mwfan1921]

Which parent filed FAFSA (or intends to file FAFSA assuming you weren’t chosen for early access)? FAFSA parent should be the parent who provides the most financial support, so keep the profile parent the same. There aren’t really guidelines for how to measure which patent provides the most financial support. Choose a way and then be able to back it up.

Many CSS Profile schools require both parents to send in their financial documents.
You can sort this list by those schools that require/don’t require noncustodial parent financial info. https://profile.collegeboard.org/profile/ppi/participatinginstitutions.aspx

[thumper1]

@Jakelolno8

could I say the parent who makes less and would therefore give me a better shot at getting more aid provides more for me or would they check and want me to do the higher income and assets parent?

It’s pretty clear that if it’s indeed 50/50, that you MUST choose the parent with the higher income. That’s what it says to do.

Why are you thinking this doesn’t apply to you?