Filing FAFSA with married parents filing taxes separately - correct order for inviting parents?

both parents have to complete it if theyre still married, doesnt matter if they file separate. you start your part first, then send them both invites. they'll both need FSA IDs. my parents went through this last year.

Yes, you should start the FAFSA application first, and then invite both parents. This is because when parents are married but file separately, both parents' financial information must be reported regardless of their tax filing status. The process works like this: 1. You (the student) create your FSA ID and start the FAFSA application 2. Complete your student section 3. When you reach the parent section, you'll select the option that your parents are married but file separately 4. You'll then invite both parents to complete their sections 5. Both parents must create their own FSA IDs if they don't already have them 6. Both parents must accept the invitation and provide their financial information Both parents' financial data will be used in your SAI calculation, even with separate tax returns. The system will combine their information.

My ex-husband and I went through this with our son. We're still legally married but separated and file taxes separately. It was a NIGHTMARE getting my ex to do his part. Took forever and almost made my son miss his priority deadline. Make sure your parents know they BOTH have to do it ASAP after you invite them.

The FAFSA process can definitely be confusing with married parents filing separately. I actually ran into difficulties with this exact situation when trying to help my daughter. After multiple disconnected calls to Federal Student Aid, I found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual agent who could help. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ showing how it works. The agent explained that for married-filing-separately situations, you absolutely need both parents to complete their sections, and there's a specific way the system combines their information for the SAI calculation.

I handle financial aid at a community college, and this is one of our most common questions. The correct process is: 1. Student creates FAFSA and completes their section 2. Student invites BOTH parents (for married filing separately) 3. Each parent must create their own FSA ID 4. Both parents must complete their sections Both parents' information will be used in the SAI calculation. If only one parent completes their section, the application will remain incomplete and won't be processed. Also important: the student and each parent must have SEPARATE email addresses and phone numbers for their FSA IDs - this often causes confusion.

UPDATE: I started my FAFSA yesterday and invited both parents. Mom completed her section right away, but Dad's still working on his. The system is showing my application as "Incomplete - Waiting for Parent 2 Contribution" so it definitely seems like both parents have to complete it when they're married filing separately. I'll update again when it's fully processed to confirm everything went through correctly.

ONE MORE THING!! Make sure both parents use THE EXACT SAME marital status in their sections! My ex put "Separated" while I put "Married" and it caused a conflict that froze the whole application. We had to call and get it fixed. Both need to select "Married" since you're not legally divorced even if filing separately.

Just wanted to add - make sure your parents know they can work on their sections simultaneously! I was worried they'd have to do it one at a time, but the system allows both parents to log in and complete their parts at the same time. This can really speed up the process if you have cooperative parents. Also, if either parent runs into technical issues with their FSA ID creation, they should try using a different browser or clearing their cache - that solved my mom's login problems.