FAFSA confusion: Who should I list as parent's spouse when parents are married?

ya this confused me too lol. just pick 1 parent as the main one (doesnt matter which) and then the other is the spouse. weird wording but thats how fafsa does it

The FAFSA form is designed to accommodate all family structures, which is why it uses the terms "parent" and "parent's spouse" rather than "mother" and "father." When both of your biological/adoptive parents are married to each other, you simply: 1. List either parent as "Parent 1" (the form doesn't distinguish which should go first) 2. List the other parent as "Parent's spouse" Both parents' information will be weighted equally in the SAI (Student Aid Index) calculation, so the order doesn't impact your financial aid eligibility. Just make sure you're consistent with the information provided for each parent (correct SSNs, birthdates, income, etc).

@MoneyMatters8 That's completely incorrect information. The FAFSA formula combines both parents' income and assets equally regardless of which parent is listed first. The Department of Education has explicitly confirmed this. Please don't spread misinformation that could cause unnecessary stress for applicants.

I thought the same thing when I was helping my daughter fill out her FAFSA last month! It's definitely confusing wording. What tripped me up was that they also ask for the "parent who completed more of this form" at the end. So I put myself as Parent 1 since I was the one actually filling everything out, and my husband as the spouse. But yeah, from what I understand the order really doesn't matter for the calculation.

I've been trying to reach FSA for 3 days about a similar question (plus some other verification issues) and kept getting disconnected. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual FAFSA agent who confirmed what others are saying - for married parents, either parent can be listed first and the other as spouse. They explained it's set up this way to accommodate all family structures. Their video demo shows exactly how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ - saved me hours of frustration!

To add some more context that might help others: The FAFSA intentionally uses neutral terminology because it needs to work for many family situations: - Married parents (biological or adoptive) - Divorced/separated parents (you'd list the parent you lived with more) - Parent and step-parent - Single parents - Same-sex parents - Legal guardians who've adopted you They switched from mother/father terminology years ago to be more inclusive. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, they've also simplified the overall process to focus on the household where you spend most of your time.

i totally put it in wrong last year lmaoooo i only put my dad's info and skipped the spouse part bc i thought it meant like if he remarried or something 🤦‍♀️ don't be me

Just as a final clarification for anyone finding this thread later: 1. For married parents: List either parent first, the other as spouse 2. For divorced/separated parents: List the parent you lived with more during the past 12 months 3. If that parent is remarried: You must include the step-parent's information too 4. For legal guardians: Only include them if they've legally adopted you And remember, with the 2025-2026 FAFSA simplification, the process should be more straightforward, but you'll still need both parents' 2023 tax information ready, as well as any untaxed income information.

Just wanted to add that if you're still feeling uncertain after reading all these helpful responses, the Federal Student Aid website has a really good step-by-step walkthrough with screenshots that shows exactly what each section looks like. I found it super helpful when I was doing mine last week! Also, don't stress too much - even if you make a small mistake, you can always submit corrections later. The important thing is to get it submitted before your school's priority deadline. Good luck with your application!

Hey! I went through this exact same confusion a few weeks ago and it definitely threw me for a loop too. The terminology is super weird when you have married parents - I kept thinking I was missing something obvious! But everyone here is right - just pick either parent as "Parent 1" and the other as "Parent's spouse." I ended up choosing my mom as the main parent just because she had all the tax documents organized, but honestly it could have been either one. The whole form design makes more sense when you realize they're trying to accommodate every possible family situation with one set of questions. You're definitely not overthinking it - the wording really is confusing at first glance!

I went through this exact same confusion when I filled out my FAFSA a couple months ago! The parent/spouse terminology is so confusing when your parents are married to each other. I actually called the financial aid office at my school and they confirmed what everyone else is saying here - it literally doesn't matter which parent you list first. I chose my mom as "Parent 1" simply because she was sitting next to me when I was filling it out, and my dad as the "parent's spouse." Both of their financial information gets combined in the calculation anyway. The form is just designed to work for all kinds of family situations (divorced parents, remarried parents, etc.) which is why they use that weird wording. Don't stress about it - you've got this!