One more thing to consider: Cal Grants require you to be a California resident not just when you apply, but continuously throughout your education. If your daughter establishes residency elsewhere for ANY reason, she could lose California state aid if she ever transfers back to a CA institution. Just something to keep in mind for future planning.

As someone who went through this exact situation a few years ago, I can tell you that Colorado will likely be much more expensive than your CA options. My son was accepted to CU Boulder and we're California residents too. Even with his decent Pell Grant, the final cost was about $35K more per year compared to our UC options because of the out-of-state tuition and lack of Colorado state grants. What really helped us make the decision was creating a spreadsheet comparing the total 4-year costs after all aid. Don't forget to factor in higher travel costs for visits home, storage over summers if she can't come back to CA, and potentially higher living costs in Boulder. That said, if your daughter is set on CU Boulder and it has a program that's significantly better than the CA schools, it might still be worth it - just go in with realistic expectations about the financial commitment!

btw did anyone mention that some scholarships look at CSS Profile not just FAFSA? css counts assets WAY differently and is way more strict about savings

I'm in a very similar situation with my daughter's scholarship applications this year! We have about $45,000 in savings that we've built up specifically for unexpected medical expenses (my husband has a chronic condition) and home maintenance, but I'm terrified that scholarship committees will see that number and think we don't need help. Our SAI is actually higher than yours at $58,000 with her college costing $62,000, so we only show a $4,000 gap. Reading through these responses has been really helpful - I think I'm going to take the advice about being transparent and specific about why we maintain those savings. It's so stressful trying to navigate these different definitions of "financial need" when you're just trying to be responsible with money while still needing help with college costs!

As someone who works in financial aid administration, I can confirm that while FAFSA and tax dependency are separate systems, mismatches can sometimes trigger verification requests. The good news is that this is completely manageable! The key documents you should have ready are: 1) Your divorce decree showing custody arrangements, 2) Documentation proving where your daughter lived more than 50% of the time (school enrollment records, medical records, etc.), and 3) A simple written explanation of your custody situation. Most schools understand that divorced families often have different arrangements for tax purposes vs. FAFSA purposes. The important thing is that your ex-husband accurately completes the FAFSA based on his financial information, and you both can document the living arrangement if asked. Don't stress too much about it - verification is routine and the financial aid office deals with these situations regularly.

I went through something very similar last year! My ex-wife filed the FAFSA as the custodial parent while I claimed our son on my taxes. We didn't run into any issues initially, but about 3 months later the college requested verification documents. It wasn't a big deal - we just had to provide our divorce agreement and a simple timeline showing where he lived during the previous year. The financial aid counselor explained that they randomly select applications for verification anyway, so it might not have even been related to our tax/custody situation. The whole thing was resolved in about 10 days once we submitted everything. My advice would be to keep good records of where your daughter stays throughout the year (maybe a simple calendar) just in case you need to document it later. Also make sure your ex has copies of any custody documentation since he's the one filing the FAFSA. Good luck!

Hey! I went through this same exact situation last year and I totally understand the panic. The FAFSA wording is SO misleading - it sounds like they're asking about immigration status but they're really just asking when your parent started living in your current state. I put the date my mom moved to our state (she's also undocumented) and everything went through fine. I even got selected for verification later and they never questioned that date at all - they only wanted tax documents and household info. You're not lying by putting the state residency date, that's literally what they're asking for! The whole system is just poorly worded. Don't let this one confusing question derail your whole application - you've got this!

I'm going through the exact same thing right now! My mom has been undocumented for years and I kept getting error messages when trying to enter 00/0000. Reading all these responses has been SO helpful - I had no idea it was asking about state residency instead of immigration status. The wording is absolutely terrible and makes it sound like they want legal immigration papers or something. I'm going to put the date my family moved to our current state back in 2018. It's crazy how many students probably give up on their FAFSA because of confusing questions like this. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - it really helps to know we're not alone in dealing with this!

Just wanted to add something that really helped me during my law school application process - don't forget to look into work-study opportunities! Many law schools offer federal work-study positions that can help offset some costs, and some even have research assistant positions with professors that can provide valuable experience while earning money. Also, if you're considering public interest law, definitely research Income-Driven Repayment plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness early. Understanding these programs before you take out loans can help you make more informed decisions about how much to borrow. The PSLF program forgives remaining federal loan balances after 120 qualifying payments while working for qualifying employers (government, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, etc.). One more tip: keep detailed records of all your financial aid documents and communications. You'll need to reference them throughout law school, and having everything organized will save you major headaches later when you're dealing with loan servicers or applying for bar exam loans.

This has been such a helpful thread! As someone who's been working in higher education financial aid for over a decade, I want to emphasize a few key points that might get overlooked: First, definitely complete your FAFSA as early as possible (opens October 1st) even if you haven't been accepted anywhere yet. You can always update your school list later, and some schools have very early priority deadlines for their own institutional aid. Second, don't overlook state-specific aid programs. Some states offer loan forgiveness or repayment assistance programs for lawyers who work in certain areas (rural practice, public defense, etc.). These vary widely by state but can be significant. Finally, consider the location and cost of living when comparing aid packages. A school offering $20k less in aid but located in an area with significantly lower living costs might actually be more affordable overall. One last thing - if you're planning to practice in the state where you attend law school, some states have bar exam fee assistance or loan programs specifically for recent graduates. Worth researching as you narrow down your choices!