Dear Roadie,
What happens if my son doesn’t submit the FAFSA? According to the new rules, my ex-husband is supposed to provide his financial income and assets because he earns more money, but he refuses. Can I submit it instead, and is it worth it if I make a nice living, too?
— Ready to Go It Alone
Dear Ready to Go It Alone,
First, it’s important to remember that it’s the student who submits the FAFSA, not the parent per se, but they are required to provide financial information for the parent who provides the most financial support, including spousal income if the FAFSA parent is remarried.
If your ex would be the parent to submit their income and assets and he doesn’t want to, your student should answer “Yes” to the question on the FAFSA form that says, “Are the student’s parents refusing to provide their information on this FAFSA® form?” — and submit it anyway.
While there are a few downsides to this, including not being considered for some forms of federal financial aid, such as the Pell Grant and Federal Work Study programs, your son won’t be out of options completely. He’ll still be eligible for direct unsubsidized loans, and private loans and merit scholarships are always options, too.
The primary drawback of submitting the form without his father’s financial information is that your son won’t receive a Student Aid Index (SAI), which is what many schools use to determine eligibility for non-federal forms of aid, such as school-specific scholarships.
Is It OK To Break the FAFSA Rules?
Filling out the form instead of your ex would be breaking the current FAFSA rules, mainly because it wouldn’t provide an accurate picture of your son’s financial support. No matter how much a parent earns, every student is encouraged to submit the FAFSA for various reasons. There’s no official income cutoff for federal financial aid, so you never know what a student may qualify for — plus, many schools require the FAFSA to award any kind of merit. This means your son could potentially miss out on merit-related scholarships. Some states and schools also require FAFSA completion for high school graduation.
In short, the FAFSA is essential for accessing both need-based and non-need-based aid. I would encourage him to explain this to his father as he may not be aware of some of these repercussions, and allow him to make an informed decision. Either way, if your son would like to be considered for as many sources of financial aid as possible, submitting the FAFSA with or without your ex’s financial information is his best bet.
Have a perplexing college question? Email Dear Roadie for advice at dearroadie@road2college.com
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