FAFSA confusion with separated parents - where to indicate separation status?

Select "no" for that question. The FAFSA doesn't have a specific option for "separated but not divorced" - you're either married (living together) or not (divorced, separated, never married, etc). Since you're physically separated and living apart, you should answer "no" to married. Then your daughter will only need information from the parent who provided the most financial support in the last 12 months. This is completely legitimate and follows the FSA guidelines for separated parents. Just make sure you can document that you're truly living separately in case of verification.

i picked the wrong thing last yr and had to redo the whole form it was such a pain!! make sure u pick "no" cuz theres no separated option and if u say yes they want BOTH parents info which is NOT what ur supposed to do. my parents r separated 2 and only my mom did the fafsa stuff

This is a common point of confusion. The current FAFSA form is not ideal for capturing various family situations. Here's the official guidance: 1. If parents are separated but not divorced, and living in separate households, select "No" to the married question. 2. Only include information for the parent who provided more financial support during the last 12 months, or the parent with whom the student lived most during that period. 3. No legal documentation of separation is required on the FAFSA itself. If selected for verification, you might need to provide proof of separate residences (utility bills, leases, etc.) to confirm your separation status. This is completely within FAFSA guidelines and not fraudulent as long as you are genuinely maintaining separate households.

My sister had this EXACT problem last month and ended up selecting "yes" by mistake. The school financial aid office told her she had to include both parents and it lowered her SAI by like $8000!!! They said once you submit with both parents you can't change it for this aid year. Now she's getting way less aid than she should. Be careful!!

I've been trying to call the Federal Student Aid hotline for TWO WEEKS about this exact issue and keep getting disconnected or waiting forever. I ended up using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual person at FSA in about 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The agent confirmed that for separated parents living in different households, you select "no" on the married question, and then only the parent providing more support completes the parent section. They said this is a common question because the form is confusing.

Select "No" for the marriage question. My husband and I were separated (but not divorced) during my son's college years, and I was the one who filled out the FAFSA. We never had any issues. Just make sure: 1. You truly maintain separate residences 2. Your daughter lived with you more than with your ex 3. You provided more financial support Keep documentation of separate addresses (bills, leases, tax returns with different addresses) in case you get selected for verification. About 30% of FAFSA applications get verified, and separated-but-not-divorced is one of the situations they often check.

The FAFSA is RIDICULOUS!!! My husband and I are also separated and this question caused so much stress. We picked "yes" because we're still legally married and the school demanded BOTH our information despite us living apart for YEARS! The financial aid office refused to adjust it after submission. My advice: pick "NO" and only use the parent who provides more support. Better yet, get legally divorced before FAFSA time if possible because this system PUNISHES separated parents!!!!!

my parents got confused on this same question and they both ended up filling out separate sections which totally messed up my aid package lol. just make sure whoever is the main support parent is the only one who does it. the other parent should just ignore any emails about completing their section

One additional point worth noting: Under the new FAFSA rules for 2025-2026, if your separation occurred during the tax year that's being reported (which is 2023 for the upcoming FAFSA), you might need to provide documentation to the financial aid office explaining the discrepancy between your tax filing status and your current separation status. If you filed taxes jointly in 2023 but are now reporting as separated on the FAFSA, some schools may request additional information. This isn't necessarily a problem, but be prepared to explain the timeline of separation if asked.

I went through this exact situation last year with my daughter's FAFSA! The form is definitely confusing for separated parents. You're absolutely right to select "no" for the married question - that's what we did and it worked perfectly. Since you provide 70% of support and she lives with you primarily, you're clearly the contributing parent. One tip that helped us: keep a simple document with key dates (when separation occurred, when you established separate residences, etc.) just in case verification comes up. We never needed it, but having those details organized gave me peace of mind when filling out the form. The most important thing is being consistent - if you select "no" and complete as the contributing parent, stick with that approach. Don't second-guess yourself halfway through the process like we almost did!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now with my son's FAFSA! My ex-husband and I have been separated for about 2 years but haven't finalized the divorce yet. Reading through all these responses is so helpful - I was getting really stressed about accidentally doing something wrong. It sounds like the consensus is clear: select "no" for married since we're living separately, and only include the parent who provides more support. I handle about 80% of my son's expenses and he lives with me during the school year, so I'll be completing the parent section. Has anyone here dealt with a situation where the parents provide roughly equal support? My friend is in that position and wasn't sure which parent should complete the FAFSA when the support is basically 50/50.

I'm new to navigating the FAFSA process and this thread has been incredibly helpful! My partner and I separated 6 months ago and I was completely lost on how to handle this question. It's reassuring to see so many people confirming that selecting "no" when you're separated and living apart is the correct approach. One thing I'm wondering about - for those who have gone through this, did you encounter any issues with schools asking follow-up questions about your separation status during the financial aid review process? I want to make sure I'm prepared for any additional steps that might come up after submitting the FAFSA. Also, thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - it really helps to know that other families have successfully navigated this confusing part of the process!

I just went through this process with my daughter a few months ago and can confirm what everyone else is saying - select "no" for the married question when you're separated and living in different households. The FAFSA system really doesn't handle separated-but-not-divorced situations well, but this is the correct approach according to federal guidelines. Since you provide 70% of support and your daughter lives with you most of the time, you're clearly the contributing parent who should complete the form. Don't overthink it - the fact that you're asking these questions shows you're being careful and doing it right. One small tip: when you get to the section about parent income, make sure you're only reporting YOUR income and assets, not your ex's. I almost made that mistake because I was so used to thinking about "household" income from when we were together. The FAFSA will only want information from you as the contributing parent. You've got this! The hardest part is just getting past that confusing initial question.

I'm currently going through this same situation with my twin daughters' FAFSA applications. My husband and I separated 18 months ago and maintain completely separate households in different states. Reading through everyone's experiences here has been so reassuring! I wanted to add one thing that might help others - when I called my daughters' target schools directly to ask about this, three out of four financial aid offices immediately said "oh yes, that's a common question - just select 'no' for married and only include the contributing parent's information." The fourth school's rep wasn't as familiar but confirmed it after checking with their supervisor. It really seems like this is such a frequent issue that most financial aid professionals are well aware of how to handle separated parents. The FAFSA form itself is confusing, but the process is more straightforward than it appears. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - it definitely helped me feel confident about moving forward with our applications!