College Planning for Blended Families: What You Need to Know
Blended families bring love, support—and complexity when it comes to college planning. If you’re divorced, remarried, or navigating custody arrangements, your student’s financial aid eligibility can be significantly affected depending on how the forms are filled out.
At Diversified College Planning, we specialize in helping blended families avoid mistakes that reduce aid or delay processing. With the right guidance, you can position your student for the best possible outcome.
Which Parent Fills Out the FAFSA?
The FAFSA only requires income from the custodial parent—the one the student lived with more over the past 12 months. However, many families:
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Mistakenly report both biological parents’ income
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Fail to account for step-parent income, which is required
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Overlook legal or physical custody arrangements
Why Strategy Matters
Choosing the right parent household to report can significantly impact your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) or Student Aid Index (SAI). We help families evaluate:
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Which household will reduce aid eligibility the least
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How remarriages or child support factor in
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Whether the CSS Profile requires additional reporting
This can mean the difference between $10,000 or $50,000 in aid—every year.
Contact Us Today:
Blended family? Let’s make sure your aid forms reflect your real situation—accurately and advantageously.
📞 Call us at 770-662-8510
📅 Schedule a free consultation: Book with Jarad
Or visit our Contact Page: https://diversifiedcollegeplanning.com/contact-us/
