FAFSA: Should parents living in different states report as 'separated' even if filing taxes jointly?

just put married, thats what they are. the fafsa doesn't care about how many houses they have or where they live. they only care about the legal status and whats on the tax forms

This is a common question! For FAFSA purposes, your parents should be listed as "married" if they remain legally married, regardless of physical living arrangement. The FAFSA uses tax filing status as a key verification point, and since they file jointly, putting "separated" would create a discrepancy that could flag your application for verification. While maintaining two households does impact your family's financial situation, the FAFSA doesn't have a straightforward way to account for this specific circumstance. However, there are two potential options after you submit your FAFSA: 1. Contact your school's financial aid office to explain the situation through a "special circumstances" request. They may be able to make professional judgment adjustments. 2. Make sure to accurately report both households' expenses if you complete the CSS Profile (required by some private colleges). But for the FAFSA itself, "married" is the correct status to avoid verification issues.

NO WAY should you mark them as separated if they aren't legally separated!! The Department of Education compares your FAFSA to their tax returns and you'll get flagged for verification IMMEDIATELY which is a NIGHTMARE process that takes FOREVER to resolve. Trust me, you do NOT want to deal with verification if you can avoid it. Just put married and save yourself the headache!!!

My parents had this exact situation when I was in college! Dad worked in Florida, mom stayed in New Jersey. We put "married" on FAFSA since that's what they were legally. But here's what helped: after submitting, we wrote a letter to each school's financial aid office explaining the dual household situation with their budget breakdown. Two of the four schools actually adjusted my aid package because of the extra expenses! Worth trying.

We included copies of both housing leases/mortgage statements and utility bills to prove they were maintaining two places. Also a letter from my dad's employer confirming the job relocation was required. The more documentation the better!

I'm a financial aid counselor, and I want to emphasize that you should ALWAYS report the LEGAL marital status on the FAFSA, not living arrangements. If they file taxes jointly as married, that's what you put on FAFSA. The proper way to address the dual household situation is AFTER your FAFSA is processed. Contact each college individually through their financial aid appeal process. Most schools have a "Cost of Attendance Adjustment" or "Special Circumstances" form specifically for situations like yours. One tip: when you contact the financial aid offices, be specific about how much extra it costs annually to maintain two households. Calculate the additional rent/mortgage, utilities, transportation between homes, etc. Schools can sometimes adjust your Cost of Attendance to reflect these expenses, which could result in additional aid eligibility.

I'd recommend waiting until you receive your initial aid offers. This gives you a baseline to work from, and it's generally when schools are most receptive to reviewing special circumstances. Be prepared for some schools to be more accommodating than others - their policies and available funds vary widely.

my freind tried to claim separated when her parents werent legally separated and ended up getting audited by fafsa!! they had to provide all kinds of extra documentation and her aid was delayed by like 2 months. not worth the risk IMO

I've been trying to reach the Federal Student Aid helpline for days with a similar question but couldn't get through - the wait times are insane. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that held my place in line and called me back when an agent was available. The agent confirmed that you should absolutely report your parents as married if they file taxes jointly, regardless of living situation. They suggested documenting the two households for any special circumstances appeals. Check out their short video if you need to call FSA yourself: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ - saved me hours of holding and getting disconnected.

My sister went through this exact situation and checked the "separated" box. Her FAFSA got flagged for verification because it didn't match the tax info, and she had to provide a ton of extra documentation. Just mark them as married and then talk to the financial aid offices individually if you need to explain the situation.

ok but what if they put seperaated? would the student get more financial aid? just curious lol

Thank you all for the advice! I'm definitely going with "married" on the FAFSA since that's their legal status and tax filing status. After I get my initial aid offers, I'll contact each school's financial aid office with documentation about the two households. Sounds like the verification headache isn't worth any potential benefit from marking "separated" - especially since it wouldn't be truthful anyway. I appreciate all the help!

Great decision, Eli! You've got a solid plan. Just to add one more tip - when you do reach out to the financial aid offices, try to contact them during their slower periods (usually mid-morning on weekdays) rather than right after aid offers come out when they're swamped. Also, some schools have specific deadlines for special circumstances appeals, so check those early. The documentation approach that Alice and others mentioned really does make a difference - schools want to help but they need clear evidence of the additional costs. Good luck with everything!

As someone who just went through this process last year, I can confirm that marking "married" is absolutely the right call! My parents had a similar situation - dad relocated for work but they maintained their marriage and filed jointly. One thing I'd add to the great advice already given: when you do submit your special circumstances appeals, make sure to be consistent across all your schools with the documentation and explanation. I created a standard packet with all the supporting documents (lease agreements, utility bills, employment verification letter) and a clear cover letter explaining the situation. This made it much easier to submit to multiple schools. Also, don't get discouraged if some schools can't help - it really varies by institution and their available funds. I had two schools that were able to make adjustments and two that couldn't, but it was still worth trying at all of them. The process isn't as scary as it sounds, and financial aid officers are generally very understanding about these kinds of legitimate circumstances.