Getting ready to apply for a child heading off to college is challenging for any family (not to mention the almost adult!)—but in single parent families, filling out all those forms and FAFSAs can have the additional challenge of needing to accumulate information from two homes. Attempting to collaborate and cooperate on such a process can be tough!
Tax forms, financial records, making sure the test scores and transcripts get sent to the correct address—it can take extra diligence for a family that is divided by divorce or separation. It can also be confusing—who pays for what? Whose income do you use or do you use both? How do you report child support payments and other incidentals? In the best of all possible worlds, you would be able to sit down with your child’s other parent and work through the forms and papers together. But, that is not always possible. At least having the goal of being able to cooperate is a good start.
In my eldest daughter’s situation, I have had to be the parent to take the lead in helping her maneuver through the process. We do need to have copies of her dad’s tax returns and other information though and that can be a sticky proposition in a divorced family. It is helping us to keep our eye on the prize, so to speak, and focus on doing what we need to do to help her move on to her next educational experience. I am sure it is taking us longer, however, since we have to coordinate between two households but, fortunately, I’ve anticipated this and we’re getting an early start.
My suggestions on things to watch out for—making sure the addresses are correct and match, and making sure to have a good understanding of just exactly what the forms are asking for. When in doubt, there are always people standing by in the registrar’s offices of these colleges and universities who can help answer questions about how to fill things out.
Also: Expect to Start Over Every School Year
Time for Your Children’s Back to School
Getting in the Right Frame of Mind for Negotiations