FAFSA marital status confusion - separated but not divorced, which option for my child?

put unmarried, it makes a difference with the money they get

For FAFSA purposes, your marital status should reflect your legal status as of the day the FAFSA is submitted. If you're separated but not legally divorced, you would still select "married" on the FAFSA. The Department of Education considers separation as still being married unless you have a legal separation agreement through the courts. If you have a legal separation agreement, then you can select "unmarried." Your child would only need to report information for the parent they lived with more during the past 12 months. Without legal documentation, selecting "unmarried" could trigger verification, and your child's financial aid could be delayed while this is sorted out.

went thru this last yr!! soooo frustrating bc we've been separated 3 yrs but my ex refuses 2 file paperwork. had to use both incomes and got way less aid than if we were official. system is broken!!

I had the EXACT same problem last year with my daughter's application! It's ridiculous how the FAFSA doesn't account for real-life situations. We're separated for 2 years but hadn't filed any legal paperwork because of the cost. When I called the Federal Student Aid helpline to ask about this, I spent THREE HOURS trying to get through to someone. By the time I finally got an answer, the priority deadline for her school had passed. She lost out on $4000 in institutional aid because of it.

Here's the official guidance straight from the Federal Student Aid Handbook: "If a student's parents are divorced, separated, or were never married, only one parent is responsible for completing the FAFSA. This is the parent the student lived with the most during the 12 months prior to the date the FAFSA is submitted. If the student lived equally with both parents or didn't live with either parent, then it's the parent who provided more financial support during that time period. If that parent has remarried, the stepparent's information must also be reported." However, this ONLY applies if you have a legal separation decree from a court. Without that documentation, you must file as married and include both parents' information.

my cousin had to deal with this last year and ended up having to submit additional documentation to financial aid office because her parents were separated but the school questioned why they put unmarried without legal documentation and it delayed her whole package by like 2 months so be careful!!

One important thing to remember: after you submit the FAFSA as married (including both incomes), you can then contact each college's financial aid office directly to explain your separation situation. Many schools have a process called "professional judgment" where they can adjust the SAI calculation to account for your actual living situation. You'll need to provide documentation showing separate addresses, separate finances, etc. Each school handles these requests differently, but most have a special circumstances form you can complete. This won't change your FAFSA, but it can affect how the school calculates your child's aid package.

The whole system is RIDICULOUS! My ex and I separated 4 years ago but can't afford the divorce yet. I had to jump through so many hoops to explain this for my son's FAFSA. Be prepared for a MOUNTAIN of paperwork if you go the professional judgment route - they wanted utility bills, lease agreements, affidavits from friends confirming we were separated, bank statements showing separate accounts. And then my son's SAI was still higher than it should have been. The system punishes families who can't afford $5000+ for divorce lawyers!

does ne1 know if this changes with the new simplified fafsa? i heard they changed a bunch of stuff

I went through this exact situation two years ago with my daughter. The key thing to understand is that FAFSA follows very strict federal guidelines - if you don't have a legal separation decree from a court, you must select "married" even if you've been living apart for years. I know it feels wrong, but selecting "unmarried" without proper documentation will almost certainly trigger verification and could delay your daughter's aid. What I did was: 1) Selected "married" on the FAFSA and included both incomes, 2) Immediately after submitting, contacted each school's financial aid office to explain our separation situation, 3) Requested a professional judgment review with documentation (separate leases, utility bills, bank statements showing separate finances). Three out of four schools adjusted my daughter's aid package based on our actual circumstances. The process took about 6-8 weeks total, but she ended up getting significantly more aid than the original FAFSA calculation suggested. Don't let the frustrating system discourage you - there are ways to work within it!

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now! My parents have been separated for about 6 months but no legal paperwork yet. Reading through all these responses has been so helpful - I had no idea about the professional judgment option. It's frustrating that the FAFSA system doesn't account for real-life situations like this, but at least there are ways to work around it. I'm going to follow the advice here: select "married" on the FAFSA to avoid verification issues, then immediately contact my schools' financial aid offices to explain the separation and request a professional judgment review. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is amazing!

Just want to add my experience from this year - I was in almost the identical situation with my son's FAFSA. We've been separated for 10 months but no legal documentation yet. After reading through similar advice online, I selected "married" on the FAFSA and included both parents' financial information to avoid any verification flags. The key thing that worked for us was being proactive about the professional judgment requests. I submitted the FAFSA in early January, then immediately sent emails to all 6 schools my son applied to explaining our separation situation and asking for their special circumstances forms. Most schools got back to me within a week with the forms and a list of required documentation. What surprised me was how different each school's requirements were - some wanted just utility bills and lease agreements, others wanted signed affidavits from third parties confirming the separation. One school even required a letter from a counselor or religious leader. So definitely be prepared to provide different documentation packages for each school. The good news is that 5 out of 6 schools were able to adjust his aid package after the professional judgment review. The process took about 4-6 weeks on average, but it was worth it - his aid increased by about $3,200 per year on average across the schools that adjusted it. My advice: don't stress too much about the initial FAFSA showing higher family income. Focus your energy on gathering separation documentation and getting those professional judgment requests submitted as early as possible!

I’m in similar situation. Was researching online and landed here. I need help and further clarification on the term “Separated” in context of FAFSA application. When I was reading on it on the students.gov website and later asked AI for help. I got the below explanation. If this is true it avoids the hassle of rushing through the legal separation process for the sake of meeting FAFSA filing deadline. Any further insight is appreciated. FAFSA’s Broad Definition of “Separated” (see attached image) “For FAFSA purposes, ‘Separated’ includes a married couple who is considered legally separated by a state, or if the couple is legally married but has chosen to live separate lives, including living in separate households, as though they weren’t married.” Key points: - No court‐order required if you can show they live “as though they weren’t married.” - Living in different homes, keeping separate finances, and not sharing daily life are enough.

This is such valuable information @Sachin Kumar! I just looked at that studentaid.gov link and wow - that official language is much clearer than what I've been seeing elsewhere online. The phrase "chosen to live separate lives, including living in separate households, as though they weren't married" seems to indicate that formal legal separation isn't required as long as you can document that you're truly living as separate households. This could be a game-changer for families dealing with informal separation. The key seems to be being able to prove you're living "as though you weren't married" - separate addresses, separate finances, separate daily lives, etc. I'm curious though - has anyone actually successfully used this interpretation when filing their FAFSA? I'd love to hear from someone who selected "separated" based on informal separation and what documentation (if any) they were asked to provide during verification. The official guidance gives hope, but real-world experiences would be so helpful! Thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention - this thread just became even more valuable for families in similar situations!

Wow, this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I'm currently dealing with this exact situation for my daughter's 2025-2026 FAFSA. My spouse and I have been separated for about a year now - completely separate households, separate finances, the whole deal - but we haven't filed any legal paperwork yet. I was initially planning to select "married" based on everything I'd read online, but @Sachin Kumar's find of that official studentaid.gov language is huge! The fact that the Department of Education explicitly states you can be considered "separated" if you've "chosen to live separate lives...as though you weren't married" without requiring court documentation is such a relief. I'm still a bit nervous about potential verification issues, but if this is the official guidance straight from studentaid.gov, it seems like selecting "separated" is the correct choice for families in our situation. I'm going to gather all our separation documentation (lease agreements, utility bills, bank statements showing separate accounts) just in case verification is triggered. Has anyone who recently filed using this interpretation heard anything back from the Department of Education or their schools? I'd love to know if this approach is being accepted without issues. Thank you to everyone in this thread for sharing your experiences - this community is invaluable for navigating these complex situations!

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm a financial aid counselor at a community college and I see families struggling with this exact situation constantly. @Sachin Kumar, thank you for sharing that official studentaid.gov link - it's actually more current guidance than what many of us in the field have been working with. The key distinction in that official language is that you can select "separated" if you're "living separate lives...as though you weren't married" without requiring legal documentation. However, I always advise families to be prepared for verification if selected. When students select "separated" on the FAFSA, schools may ask for documentation like: separate lease agreements, utility bills in different names, bank statements showing separate accounts, and sometimes even affidavits from third parties confirming the separation. The good news is that most schools I work with are very understanding about these situations, especially when families can provide clear documentation of truly separate households. The professional judgment process is still an option even if you file as separated, but having that official guidance means fewer families should need to go through that extra step. My advice: if you're truly living separate lives with separate finances and households, the official guidance supports selecting "separated" - just be prepared with documentation if requested during verification.

As someone who just went through this process last month, I can confirm that the official studentaid.gov guidance @Sachin Kumar shared is accurate and being accepted! My parents have been separated for 14 months with completely separate households and finances, and I selected "separated" on my FAFSA based on that exact language about "living separate lives as though they weren't married." I was selected for verification, but it went smoothly. The school requested: copies of both parents' lease agreements, utility bills in separate names for the past 3 months, bank statements showing no joint accounts, and a brief letter from each parent explaining their living situation. The whole verification process took about 2 weeks once I submitted everything. The result was significantly better financial aid than if I had filed as "married" with both incomes counted together. My EFC dropped by almost $8,000 compared to what it would have been with combined parental income. For anyone hesitating - if your parents truly live completely separate lives (separate homes, finances, etc.), the official guidance clearly supports selecting "separated." Just be organized with your documentation in case of verification. This thread convinced me to go that route and I'm so glad I did!

Thank you @Sachin Kumar for finding that official guidance! This completely changes the game for separated families. I've been helping my nephew with his FAFSA and we were so confused about this exact issue. His parents separated 6 months ago - different houses, separate bank accounts, filing separate taxes, the works - but no legal paperwork yet. Based on @Esmeralda Gómez's real experience and @GalacticGuardian's professional insight, it sounds like selecting "separated" is definitely the right move when you can document truly separate lives. The $8,000 EFC difference Esmeralda mentioned shows how important it is to accurately reflect your actual financial situation rather than just going with what you think is "safer." I'm going to help my nephew gather all the documentation now - lease agreements, utility bills, bank statements showing separate accounts - so we're ready if verification comes up. This thread has been a lifesaver for understanding how the FAFSA actually works vs. all the conflicting advice floating around online. Sometimes the official sources really do have the clearest answers!

This has been such an enlightening thread! As a parent currently navigating this exact situation, I cannot express how grateful I am for all the shared experiences and especially @Sachin Kumar for finding that official studentaid.gov guidance. My spouse and I separated 9 months ago - we maintain completely separate households, separate finances, file separate taxes, and live entirely independent lives, but we haven't pursued legal separation due to the cost and complexity. Reading through everyone's experiences, particularly @Esmeralda Gómez's successful verification process and the $8,000 EFC difference, has given me the confidence to select "separated" on my daughter's FAFSA. The official language about "living separate lives as though they weren't married" perfectly describes our situation, and it's reassuring to hear from @GalacticGuardian that this interpretation is being accepted by financial aid offices. I'm already organizing our documentation - separate lease agreements, utility bills in different names, bank statements showing no joint accounts, and separate tax filings - just in case verification is triggered. This community has been invaluable in cutting through all the conflicting advice online to find the actual official guidance. Thank you all for helping families like mine navigate this complicated process with confidence!

This entire discussion has been incredibly enlightening! As someone who's been stressing about this exact situation for weeks, I can't thank everyone enough - especially @Sachin Kumar for finding that official studentaid.gov guidance. My parents separated about 4 months ago and have been living completely separate lives (different addresses, separate bank accounts, separate utilities, filing separate taxes), but like many others here, no legal paperwork due to cost and complexity. I was initially planning to select "married" on my FAFSA because every forum I'd read said you MUST have legal documentation to be considered separated. But seeing that official language about "living separate lives...as though they weren't married" changes everything! @Esmeralda Gómez's real success story with an $8,000 EFC difference and smooth verification process gives me so much confidence, and @GalacticGuardian's professional perspective as a financial aid counselor confirms this is legitimate and widely accepted. I'm going to follow the approach outlined here: select "separated" since my parents truly meet the official criteria, and organize all documentation (lease agreements, utility bills, bank statements showing separate accounts) in advance just in case verification is triggered. This community has been a lifesaver for understanding the actual rules versus all the conflicting advice online. Thank you everyone for sharing your real experiences!