Formulas for Divorced Parents

Of course it is an option. Thousands of students go to FAFSA only schools and some are doing that because their parents wouldn’t/couldn’t pay for a more expensive school.

Say a student’s mother makes $30k and the father makes $200k, but the parents aren’t going to contribute at all to college.

  1. If the parents are divorced and student lives with mother, the student files FAFSA with just mother’s income and will likely qualify for some grants and subsidized loans. Probably won’t get anything from a CSS school but this student can still afford a FAFSA only school.

  2. If parents aren’t divorced, student files FAFSA with a $230k parental income. Will probably get nothing at a FAFSA only school, and probably nothing at CSS school. This student isn’t able to afford any school.