helppAnswered
hi guys, does anyone have a good idea of how financial aid works/differs for separated families? ive always wondered about this because my parents income when put together would likely not get me good financial aid. however both my parents pay for their own homes which significantly changes the amount they’d be able to use for college. I worry that this will cause my parents to be sucked dry if I get into any larger schools with bigger prices.
Earn karma by helping others:
4 answers
hi love,
so, my best friend is in the same situation that you are in right now so I feel like I can say something and give a little advice that she will be doing. when filling out the FAFSA, you can mention your parents are separated, but you also can mention that your parents have a maximum amount they have when considering college tuition as well as if you are paying for college yourself or mostly are. the FAFSA is a very thorough form, and even though it technically isn't open yet, it asks so many questions about your parent's income that you can answer in a way that communicates your financial state and your parent's financial states. hope this helped ease your anxieties and i hope it all works out for you!
Focus on the parent you live with more when filling out financial aid forms. Some schools might ask for both parents' info, but you can explain the separate homes in the special circumstances section.
Hi! I believe that when you do your FAFSA form you can select that your parents are separated. I think after this you may be able to put in each of their incomes separately. They also have a help line that you could contact if this is not the case.
The FAFSA is a little different as of recent years, and I'm not sure what your family situation is like, but if one of your parents is your legal primary caregiver, whether they're married/divorced/etc. I'm pretty sure you're able to list only one parent as your like financial support. Again, I'm not entirely sure, as I've not gone through the FAFSA process, but of what I do understand, I think it depends on legal stuff after a certain point.
Your chance of acceptance
Your chancing factors
Community Guidelines
To keep this community safe and supportive:
- Be kind and respectful!
- Keep posts relevant to college admissions and high school.
- Don’t ask “chance-me” questions. Use CollegeVine’s chancing instead!
thank you so much! this did make me feel better about the whole process:)