FAFSA widowed parent status question - how to answer 'parents married to each other' after husband died?

Sorry about your loss. My wife died 3 years ago and I had to deal with this too. You should select "No" to the married question, and then you'll eventually get to indicate that you're widowed. The FAFSA sees you as a single parent now, not as married. It's confusing because they start with that marriage question instead of just asking your marital status directly.

I work in financial aid counseling, and this is a common source of confusion. You should select "No" for the "parents married to each other" question. Later in the application, you'll be asked about YOUR marital status as the parent completing the form, and there you can select "widowed." The system will then only look at your income and assets, not your late husband's. If you received any life insurance or death benefits in 2023 that weren't reported on your tax return, you'll need to report those separately in the untaxed income section.

For the life insurance: you'll need to report both, but in different sections. The life insurance payout goes under "untaxed income" for 2023 if you received it that year. The investment account value gets reported in the assets section as of the date you submit the FAFSA. One important note: if you've remarried by the time you submit the FAFSA, you would answer "Yes" to the married question and include your new spouse's information, even if they're not your daughter's biological parent.

when my husband died i had the SAME EXACT problem with the fafsa!!!! it's so frustrating that they don't make these forms clear for people in our situation. i ended up answering wrong the first time and had to redo the whole application. the worst part was trying to get someone on the phone at the financial aid office to explain what i did wrong. i literally called for DAYS and couldn't get through!!

After my wife passed, I spent 3 weeks trying to reach someone at Federal Student Aid to help with this exact issue. Finally used a service called Claimyr that got me through to a real person in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ. The agent I spoke with confirmed exactly what others are saying here - answer "No" to the married question, then indicate widowed for your own marital status later in the form. Saved me from making a mistake that could have affected my son's aid package.

Make sure you keep copies of your late husband's death certificate handy. My sister is a widow and she had to submit that during verification even though she had already indicated she was widowed on the FAFSA. Also, remember that your dependency override status for your daughter won't be affected by your widow status - that's a separate issue that only applies in rare circumstances like student estrangement.

Jsut wanted to add that you should double-check your Student Aid Index calculation after you submit. The system sometimes miscalculates for widowed parents. My SAI was off by almost 4000 points because the system somehow counted my deceased husband's old retirement account that had already been distributed. Had to get it manually corrected.

One more thing to know - if your husband passed in 2023, and you filed taxes as "Married Filing Jointly" for 2023, you'll need to do some extra steps in the income section to remove his income from the calculation. There should be a question asking if a parent has died, and then it'll guide you through separating out just your income.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Diego. Going through the FAFSA process while grieving is incredibly difficult. I went through this same situation two years ago when my husband passed away suddenly. Just to reinforce what others have said - you're absolutely on the right track answering "No" to the married question and then selecting "widowed" for your marital status later. One thing I wish someone had told me: when you get to the income section, make sure you have your husband's final pay stubs handy if he worked part of 2023. Sometimes the system asks for additional documentation to verify the income separation between you and your deceased spouse. Also, don't feel bad if you need to take breaks while filling it out. I had to stop several times because certain questions brought up emotions I wasn't expecting. The deadline feels urgent, but your mental health matters too. You're doing great by asking these questions ahead of time rather than guessing.

I'm really sorry for your loss, Diego. I went through this exact same situation last year when my mom passed away and I had to help my younger brother with his FAFSA. The wording of that initial question is so confusing for our situation. Everyone here has given you great advice - definitely answer "No" to the married question, then you'll get to properly indicate your widowed status later. One thing I'd add is to make sure you have your tax transcript handy when you fill out the income section, not just your tax return. The system sometimes asks for the transcript to verify the income information, especially when there's been a death in the family. Also, if your daughter's school requires CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA, that form has slightly different questions about parent status, so don't be surprised if the wording is different there. The financial aid office at her school should be able to help if you run into any issues with either form. You're doing a great job navigating this difficult process. Your daughter is lucky to have you looking out for her future even while dealing with your own grief.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Diego. I can't imagine how difficult this must be for you while also trying to navigate your daughter's college financial aid process. I'm actually a high school counselor and help families with FAFSA applications regularly. Everyone here has given you excellent advice - you definitely want to answer "No" to that initial married question, then indicate "widowed" when asked about your specific marital status later in the application. One additional tip I always give widowed parents: when you get to the assets section, make sure you're only reporting assets that are actually in your name now. Sometimes parents accidentally include things like joint bank accounts that may have been frozen or transferred, or life insurance proceeds that are still in probate. Only report what you currently have legal access to and control over. Also, most colleges have someone in their financial aid office who specializes in unusual family circumstances. Don't hesitate to call your daughter's school directly if you hit any snags - they're usually very understanding and helpful with situations like yours. You're being such a wonderful advocate for your daughter during an incredibly difficult time. Take it one step at a time, and don't hesitate to ask for help when you need it.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Diego. I went through this same situation when my husband passed away two years ago, and I remember feeling completely lost with the FAFSA wording. Everyone here has given you excellent guidance - definitely answer "No" to the married question and then select "widowed" for your marital status later. One thing that helped me was printing out the FAFSA and having all my documents organized before I started the online version. I kept getting emotional and having to stop, so having everything laid out made it easier to pick up where I left off. Also, if you haven't already, consider reaching out to your daughter's high school counselor. Many of them have experience helping families in situations like ours navigate these forms. Mine was incredibly supportive and even sat with me during part of the process. You're doing an amazing job taking care of your daughter's future during such a difficult time. Don't be afraid to ask for help - there are people who want to support you through this.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Diego. I can't imagine how overwhelming this must feel on top of everything else you're dealing with. I went through something similar when my father passed away during my senior year of college, and my mom had to navigate updating my FAFSA mid-year. The forms really aren't designed well for these life changes. Everyone here has given you excellent advice about selecting "No" for the married question and then indicating "widowed" later. I just wanted to add that if you run into any technical issues or the online system seems to glitch when you're entering your information, don't panic. Sometimes the system doesn't handle these less common situations smoothly, and you might need to call for technical support. Also, keep detailed notes of what you enter and when. If you need to make corrections later or if the school requests verification, having your own record of what you submitted can be really helpful. You're being such a strong advocate for your daughter during an incredibly difficult time. Take care of yourself too - this process is stressful even under normal circumstances.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Diego. What a difficult situation to navigate while you're still grieving. I haven't been through this personally, but I wanted to thank everyone who has shared their experiences here - this thread is incredibly valuable for families facing similar circumstances. The advice about answering "No" to the married question and then selecting "widowed" later seems consistent across everyone's experiences. One small thing I'd add - since you mentioned your husband passed in October 2023, you might want to double-check if any of his employer benefits (like health insurance premiums) continued to be deducted from your accounts after his passing. Sometimes there are refunds or adjustments that could affect your income reporting. You're doing an amazing job advocating for your daughter's future during such a challenging time. This community really shows how people can support each other through these complex processes.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Diego. I can't imagine how difficult this must be while you're still processing your grief and trying to take care of your daughter's future. I'm a financial aid administrator at a community college, and I see this situation more often than you might think. Everyone here has given you absolutely correct advice - answer "No" to the "parents married to each other" question, then you'll be able to select "widowed" when asked about your specific marital status later in the form. One thing I'd add that I don't think anyone has mentioned yet: if you received any Social Security survivor benefits for yourself or your daughter in 2023, make sure to report those correctly. Survivor benefits for your daughter typically don't count as your income, but survivor benefits paid to you as the widow would need to be reported in the untaxed income section. Also, don't worry if the form seems to ask some questions that don't quite fit your situation - the FAFSA wasn't really designed with widowed parents in mind, unfortunately. If you get stuck on any question, you can always call your daughter's school's financial aid office. We deal with these situations regularly and are used to walking parents through the confusing parts. You're doing such a good job looking out for your daughter during this incredibly difficult time. Take it one section at a time, and don't hesitate to take breaks when you need them.