What Constitutes a “Divorced or Separated Family” for Faculty Financial Assist?

Colleges don’t see a distinction between a divorced or separated household.  In case you occur to file tax returns individually AND are separated out of your confederate, colleges take into consideration you a two household family.

How Does a Two Household Family File Financial Assist Sorts?

It’s dependent upon the school!  There could also be under no circumstances a simple reply.  It’s important to try colleges like a enterprise. All firms operate a bit differently- similar to all colleges.  One of many easiest methods to understand how the schools you are interested in cope with two household households is to reach out to the school financial assist division, make clear your family members state of affairs, and ask for steering.

2023-2024 Financial Assist Sorts

Federal Methodology (FAFSA)

Faculties that use the FAFSA, or the federal methodology for financial assist eligibility solely require the custodial mom or father to fill out the FAFSA. This means solely ONE household recordsdata the FAFSA in a two household family state of affairs. The household that recordsdata is the mom or father who the student lives with, or lives with additional.

If the custodial mom or father is remarried, then the custodial mom or father and the step-parent’s blended information is entered on the FAFSA to seek out out financial assist eligibility.

Institutional Methodology (CSS Profile)

The CSS Profile is used to seek out out a scholar’s eligibility for institutional assist by about 300 colleges and universities. The CSS Profile is used  to current out grants, scholarships, and loans instantly by the schools.

These colleges moreover use the FAFSA which determines a scholar’s eligibility for federal assist.  In consequence, you is perhaps eligible for assist from every the federal pot of money with the FAFSA and the institutional pot of money with the CSS Profile.

The CSS Profile takes a additional in depth take a look at your family members’s financial state of affairs and requires additional information.  Click on on proper right here to see in case your faculty or faculty requires the CSS profile.

Most schools that require the CSS profile would require every the custodial and non-custodial households to complete an software program.  Throughout the hyperlink above you probably can see if the non-custodial mom or father is required to fill out the CSS Profile in your college. If every households are required to complete it you will full separate functions and no person will see each other’s information.

2024-2025 Financial Assist Sorts

For the 2024-2025 college 12 months, the FAFSA will seemingly be altering!  This may increasingly impact the way in which you fill out your FAFSA inside the fall of 2023. In case you’re a divorced or separated family the FAFSA will no longer be the custodial mom or father’s accountability.

The FAFSA will seemingly be filed by the mom or father that provides most likely essentially the most financial assist. It gained’t matter who the student lives with anymore, nevertheless as a substitute who financially helps the student additional. This is not going to be the custodial mom or father.

This can seemingly make points a bit additional troublesome and complex for divorced or separated households, nevertheless remember- we’re proper right here to help! We’ll present assist, steering, webinars, and additional weblog posts regarding the upcoming FAFSA changes as we get nearer to subsequent fall.

Financial Assist Options

Pay attention to the actual financial assist requirements for each college you make use of to. Every college might require one factor completely completely different for financial assist eligibility. It is YOUR accountability to take care of them straight, submit the correct sorts, and meet the deadlines!

In case you’re a divorced or separated family there are only a few additional nuances to the way in which you file for financial assist, however it’s not inconceivable!  While you’ve acquired any questions, please ask!