FAFSA Question

Paying for College
1

<p>My niece’s parents never married. Her mom (my sister) then married someone else. Her bio-dad voluntarily paid child support for 18 years without any court intervention.</p>

<p>Now my niece is ready to start college and my sister says that niece’s dad is not a part of the FAFSA process. This doesn’t sound right to me given a few instances of divorced friends who have remarried and complained about 4 parents’ incomes being taken into account for FAFSA purposes.</p>

<p>I went to the FAFSA website and found the following instructions:</p>

<p>"Who is considered a parent? </p>

<p>If your parents are married, answer the questions about both parents. </p>

<p>If your parent is widowed or single, answer only the questions about that parent. </p>

<p>If your parents have divorced or separated, answer only the questions about the parent that you lived with most during the last 12 months. If you did not live with one parent more than the other, answer only the questions about the parent who provided most of your financial support during the last 12 months. </p>

<p>If your parent has remarried after being widowed or divorced, answer the questions about both your parent and your stepparent. </p>

<p>If you have a legal guardian, you cannot use your legal guardian’s information on your application. A legal guardian is not considered a parent in the financial aid process.</p>

<p>If you have foster parents, you cannot use your foster parent’s information on your application. A foster parent is not considered a parent in the financial aid process.</p>

<p>If you were adopted, follow the instructions above for parents, based on your parent’s current marital status.</p>

<p>Note: The following people are not considered parents on this form unless they have legally adpoted you: grandparents, foster parents, legal guardians, older brothers or sisters, and uncles or aunts."</p>

<p>None of these instructions seem to apply to this situation. Niece’s parents never married, never divorced, never separated…</p>

<p>So what is the correct answer to the question: “What is your parents’ current marital status?” AND is bio-dad off the hook when it comes to FAFSA? </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>“What is your parents’ current marital status?” AND is bio-dad off the hook when it comes to FAFSA?</p>

<p>Your niece lives with her mother and her husband correct?
Their income will be taken into account, they are considered her parents, whether or not the stepfather has adopted her. </p>

<p>Her biological father will not come into it- unless she attends a school that requires the PROFILE.</p>

3

<p>EmeraldK is correct - for FAFSA only the custodial parent and spouse are the ones whose information is asked for by FAFSA. </p>

<p>If your neice goes to a profile school then her Dads info plus his spouses, if there is one, will also be required.</p>

4

<p>Thanks EK4 and swimcat. </p>

<p>You cleared things up for me. My divorced friends must have been involved with PROFILE schools.</p>

5

<p>Some supplements will ask more questions. For example, one private fafsa school requires a signed supplement. In it are questions like: list of untaxed income for 06 to the student, parent, and spouse (specifically talks about child support). This supplement also asks how much the noncustodial parent plans to contribute to the student’s education, and if the answer is zero, they require that it be explained.</p>