Do both parents need to sign FAFSA if separated but not legally divorced?

The signature requirements depend on your parents' official marital status as of the day you submit the FAFSA. If they're separated but not legally divorced, technically both parents should be providing information and signatures. However, there are some important nuances: 1. If they're legally separated (court document), only the parent you lived with most during the past 12 months needs to sign 2. If they're informally separated (no court document) but living in separate households, FAFSA still considers them married, meaning both parents should provide information and signatures 3. If you can document that one parent is truly absent/unreachable, you can request a special circumstance review from your school's financial aid office after submission I'd recommend documenting the separation situation thoroughly before submitting. The SAI calculation will be affected by whether one or both parents' information is included.

I went through this EXACT situation last year! My parents are separated but no legal paperwork. Here's what worked for me: I submitted the FAFSA with just my mom's signature initially. It got accepted into the system but flagged for verification. I then went to my college's financial aid office with documentation showing my parents maintained separate households (dad's lease, separate utility bills, etc). They did a professional judgment review and approved my FAFSA with just my mom's info. The key was having proof they truly lived separately and maintained separate finances for at least 6 months. Get those documents ready now! And be prepared for a bit of back-and-forth with your school's aid office. Different schools handle these situations differently.

You HAVE to get both signatures if they aren't legally divorced or separated!!! My friends FAFSA got rejected and she lost out on like $5000 in aid because she didn't get both parents to sign!!! Don't risk it!!

Ugh i hate when the FAFSA makes things so complicated for no reason!! My parents got divorced right in the middle of my application process in 2023 and it was such a mess figuring out who needed to sign what. The whole system seems designed to make everything harder for families going through changes.

Have you tried calling Federal Student Aid directly? They can give you the official answer for your specific situation and document that you sought guidance. I was stuck on hold for HOURS trying to reach them about a similar verification issue last month. Finally I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that held my place in line and called me back when an agent was available. Saved me literally 3+ hours of waiting. They have a demo video too: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The FSA agent was actually super helpful and explained exactly what documentation I needed for my special circumstances review. Much better than trying to piece together advice from different sources.

Financial aid administrator here. This is a common situation we handle. The official FAFSA rules for 2025-2026 require both parents' information and signatures if they're married or separated without legal documentation. However, there's a process called "professional judgment" that financial aid offices can use for situations like yours. Here's what I recommend: 1. Submit the FAFSA with whatever parent information you can provide 2. Immediately contact your school's financial aid office to explain the situation 3. Prepare documentation showing separate households (leases, utility bills, etc.) 4. Be prepared to provide a personal statement explaining why the other parent's information is unavailable Each institution handles these cases differently, but most have a process for addressing unusual family situations. The key is proactive communication with your specific school.

Doesnt this depend on which parent you lived with more during the past year? I think if you lived with your mom more than 50% of the time then only she needs to sign?? Thats what my couseler told me

Update: I called the Federal Student Aid office using that Claimyr service someone suggested (which actually worked really well - got connected in about 20 mins instead of waiting for hours). The agent confirmed what most of you said - since my parents don't have legal separation documents, technically both should sign. BUT she also said I should submit with my mom's signature, then immediately contact my school's financial aid office about a professional judgment review. She said to gather: proof of separate addresses, any documentation of separate finances, and a personal statement explaining the situation. So that's my plan. I'll submit next week and then immediately reach out to my school. Thanks everyone for your help!

The whole FAFSA system is rigged anyway. They made it "simpler" for 2025 but its still a nightmare for anyone with complicated family situations. My parents are still together but my dad refuses to provide his info and I basically got no aid because of it.

Great update! I'm so glad you got official guidance from FSA and have a clear plan moving forward. Your approach of submitting with your mom's signature and immediately requesting professional judgment is exactly what I'd recommend too. One additional thing that helped me when I went through this process - when you gather your documentation of separate finances, include things like separate bank accounts, separate tax filings if they filed separately, and any correspondence (emails, texts) that shows they handle finances independently. The more evidence you can provide that they truly function as separate households financially, the stronger your case will be. Also, don't be discouraged if the initial review takes a few weeks. Financial aid offices are swamped right now, but they do have established processes for these situations. You're doing everything right by being proactive about it!

I'm new to this whole FAFSA process and this thread has been super helpful! My situation is a bit different - my parents separated about 8 months ago but they're still trying to "work things out" so no legal paperwork has been filed. They live in separate apartments now but my dad still helps with some bills occasionally. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like I should probably start gathering documentation now just in case. Would utility bills in separate names for the past 8 months be enough proof of separate households? And does the fact that my dad still contributes some money complicate things, or is that pretty normal for these professional judgment reviews? Also wanted to say thanks to everyone sharing their real experiences - the official FAFSA guidance online is so vague about these situations!

I'm going through a very similar situation right now! My parents have been separated for about 10 months but no legal paperwork either. What I've learned from talking to my school's financial aid office is that they really want to see a pattern of separate living - not just that they moved apart recently. One thing that helped me was getting a letter from my mom's landlord confirming when she started her lease and that she's the only one on it. Also, if your parents filed taxes separately this past year, that's huge documentation to include. My parents still filed jointly which made things a bit more complicated. The professional judgment process isn't as scary as it sounds once you get started. Most financial aid offices deal with these situations pretty regularly. Just be prepared to tell your story clearly and provide as much documentation as possible. And start the process early - it can take a few weeks to get everything sorted out! Good luck with your FAFSA! It's stressful but definitely manageable with the right documentation.

As someone who just went through this exact process last year, I want to emphasize how important it is to be completely honest and transparent with your financial aid office from the start. Don't try to hide the joint tax filing - they're going to see it anyway during verification, and being upfront about it actually helps build trust. What worked for me with the joint filing issue was providing a detailed breakdown of how expenses were actually split between households, even though they filed together. I created a simple spreadsheet showing things like: mom pays rent at her place + utilities, dad pays his rent + utilities, who pays for groceries where, etc. This helped show the financial aid officer that even though they filed jointly (probably for tax advantages), they were genuinely living and spending as separate households. Most schools do have a specific form for professional judgment - mine called it a "Special Circumstances Appeal." But even if yours doesn't, they'll walk you through exactly what they need. The key is starting that conversation early and being prepared with your documentation. The financial aid staff have seen these situations many times before and generally want to help you get the aid you're eligible for. One last tip: if your first contact at the financial aid office seems unsure about the process, don't hesitate to ask to speak with someone who specializes in professional judgment reviews. Not everyone at the front desk will be familiar with all the nuances of these cases.