Trends and Issues

Question of the week

Q.: Is a student allowed to change (increase) his or her household size on the FAFSA after completing the FAFSA?

A.: According to the 2007-08 Federal Student Aid Handbook, Application and Verification Guide (AVG), there are two circumstances in which the household size may be changed after the filing of the FAFSA:

1. If the original application has an error in any non-dollar item, such as household size, the student or school must correct it. (page 89)
2. If the student is selected for verification, the household size may be updated to be correct at the time of verification unless it changed due to a change in the student's marital status, in which case updating is not permitted. (page 97)

In the case of remarriage and stepparents, the AVG states that "while the applicant does not update household size or number in college because of a change in his marital status, if he is a dependent student and his parent remarries between application and verification, he must update household size to include the new stepparent. However, the student would not count the new stepparent's income and assets. The school could use professional judgment to include the stepparent's income or to otherwise account for the change."

The 2007-08 Federal Student Aid Handbook, Application and Verification Guide can be accessed at www.tgslc.org/policy/fsa_handbook.cfm.

Do you have a question?
If you have a question that needs an answer, feel free to Ask TG™. Ask TG is TG's online query tool for borrowers, schools, and lenders. It includes a database of frequently asked questions about financial aid, student loan processing, and TG's products and services. To submit a question to Ask TG, visit tgslc.custhelp.com.

  Back to Top