Whose financial info do I use on the FAFSA if my parents are divorced?

If your parents are separated or divorced, the custodial parent is responsible for filling out the FAFSA. The custodial parent is the parent with whom you lived the most during the past 12 months. This is not necessarily the same as the parent who has legal custody. If you did not live with one parent more than the other, the parent who provided you with the most financial support during the past 12 months should fill out the FAFSA. Any child support and/or alimony received from the non-custodial parent must be included on the FAFSA.

Is the non-custodial parent required to help pay for college?

The government does not consider the non-custodial parent’s income or assets in assessing a student's financial need. But it does consider child support received by the custodial parent. Many colleges do consider the non-custodial parent as a potential source of support, and require a supplemental financial aid form from them.

Some states allow courts to order a non-custodial parent to help pay for college. These states are Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and West Virginia.

Alaska, Nebraska, and New Hampshire do not allow the court to order support for college costs.

My parents are divorced, and the parent I'm living with has remarried. Does my stepparent have to report his or her income and assets on the FAFSA?

Yes, if your stepparent and parent are married at the time you fill out the FAFSA, they must report their income and assets.

What if my stepparent signed a prenuptial agreement that absolves him/her from financial responsibility for my education?

Prenuptial agreements are ignored by the federal process.