Understanding the FAFSA: Do both my parents need to fill it out?

Hi everyone, I'm about to start the FAFSA for my college applications, but I'm confused about the parental information section. My parents are divorced, and I've read different things about who needs to fill out their info. My dad has custody, but my mom helps sometimes too. Does anyone know if both of them need to provide their financial details? I'd love to hear how other people in similar situations have handled this.

In situations where the parents of a student are divorced or separated, the rule of thumb for the FAFSA is that the parent who the student lived with the most during the 12 months preceding the date of the application is the parent who fills out the parental information section. This is often referred to as the "custodial parent" for FAFSA purposes.

Since you indicated that you live primarily with your dad, he would be the one to fill out the FAFSA parental information section. If your dad is remarried, his current spouse's information would also need to be included, regardless of whether the step-parent has a legal obligation to support you.

Your mom's financial information will not be required on the FAFSA. Even though she may assist financially, the details of her income and assets are not factored into the FAFSA calculation if she is not the custodial parent according to the FAFSA's rule.

Keep in mind that while this is the federal guideline for the FAFSA, some colleges might have additional forms such as the CSS Profile which could require financial information from non-custodial parents. It's always good practice to double-check with your prospective schools to see if they have any additional financial aid forms or requirements.