Quick Summary
- The parent who provides the most financial support completes the FAFSA (changed from “custodial parent” in 2024-25)
- If parents still live together, you must include both parents’ information, regardless of marital status
- If your parent has remarried, your stepparent’s income and assets must be reported
- Only one parent completes the FAFSA when parents live separately—you cannot choose which one
When your parents are divorced, separated, or remarried, filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be a challenge. Under a new rule effective 2024-25, you should complete the FAFSA for the parent who provided the most financial support to you, not necessarily the one you live with.
Only one parent is responsible for completing the FAFSA if a student’s parents are separated, divorced, or were never married, but there are some special considerations that could require both parents (or someone other than a parent) to complete the FAFSA.
How divorce or separation affects the FAFSA
The FAFSA considers your parents to be divorced or separated if they don’t live together, regardless of what their actual legal marital status is.
If your parents are divorced or separated (or were never married at all) but still live together, then you need to include both parents’ information on the form. Meanwhile, if your parents live separately, even if they’re still legally married, you only need to include one parent.
Marital status is based on the date the FAFSA is filed, not the year you’re reporting income for. Temporary living arrangements (such as for work, school, illness, military service, or incarceration) don’t count as a separation.
Which parent completes the FAFSA when they’re divorced?
When your parents are divorced, separated, or never married, and don’t live together, the parent who provides greater financial support to you is the one who will file the FAFSA.
If the parents split financial support equally, then guidance from the U.S. Department of Education indicates that the parent with the greater income is responsible for completing the FAFSA.
Before the 2024-25 school year, the parent with whom the child lived for most of the year completed the FAFSA, regardless of which parent provided the most financial support.
Important: If you’re applying to a college that requires the CSS Profile, the same rule applies for which parent must provide their financial information. However, some schools may require both parents to provide their information rather than just one, even if they’re divorced.
Who is my parent on the FAFSA?
Your parent, for purposes of the FAFSA, is your legal parent, which may include either biological parents or adoptive parents. It could also include a parent who is listed on your birth certificate, even if they aren’t your biological or adoptive parent.
Your grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, foster parents, legal guardians, widowed stepparents, or other relatives don’t count as legal parents unless they have legally adopted you.
Special considerations for filing the FAFSA after divorce
In most cases, it will be clear which of your parents should complete the FAFSA after a divorce. However, some unique situations could affect your filing requirements.
What if my parent has remarried?
If the parent who provides more financial support has remarried, even if it’s a common law marriage, your stepparent’s income and asset information must also be reported on your FAFSA. Because this is a matter of federal law, it supersedes any prenuptial agreements that are in place.
Their marital status is based on the date you file the FAFSA, meaning your stepparent could be required to report income from before they were married.
The stepparent’s other children, if any, are counted in the household size if:
- The stepparent and custodial parent provided more than half of their financial support
- The children were under age 19 as of December 31 of the tax year
- The children live with them for more than half of the tax year
You’ll only need to include your stepparent’s information if they’re legally married to your parent. If they’re living together but aren’t legally married, you don’t need to include them on your FAFSA.
What if my parents live together?
If your parents are divorced, separated, or never married, but they live together, they’re treated as though they’re married on the FAFSA. They’re both counted in your household size, and they must both report their income and assets.
If the parents are divorced and one or both of them have remarried, and all of them live together, the parent and stepparent (if applicable) who provide more financial support to the student are responsible for completing the FAFSA.
What if my parent dies?
If the parent who provided more financial support passes away, the other parent is still responsible for completing the FAFSA, even if you still live with your widowed stepparent or someone else.
A stepparent is only considered a parent for federal student aid purposes as long as they’re married to the parent, unless they’ve legally adopted you. When your parent dies, your stepparent is no longer considered a parent, regardless of where you live.
What if I don’t live with my parents?
Even if you don’t live with either of your divorced or separated parents, you still have to include the parent who provides the most financial support if you’re a dependent student.
If there are extenuating circumstances, such as if your parents are incarcerated, you’ve left an abusive household, or you’ve been abandoned by or estranged from your parents, then you may be able to get a provisional independent student status, meaning you don’t need to include a parent on your FAFSA.
What if one of my parents pays child support to the other?
Starting in the 2024-25 school year, the person who paid the child support can no longer report that on the FAFSA. However, if your parent completing the FAFSA receives child support, they must report that as untaxed income.
How to complete the FAFSA if your parents are divorced
- Determine which parent should file: In most cases, you’ll complete your FAFSA with the parent who has provided the most financial support over the past year.
- Gather financial and tax records: Your parent (and stepparent, if applicable) must report their financial information, including tax records, income, and assets.
- Create an FSA ID: Both you and the parent you’re filing the FAFSA with must request your own FSA ID at StudentAid.gov.
- Consent to the IRS Direct Data Exchange (DDX): Your parent must consent to automatically transfer their tax records from the IRS to the FAFSA.
- Sign and submit the FAFSA: Both you and the parent you’re filing the FAFSA with must complete and sign your respective portions of the form by the deadline.
Documents needed to fill out the FAFSA
To complete the FAFSA, you’ll need the following information for yourself, the parent who is filing, and your stepparent, if applicable:
- Social Security numbers
- Your A-number, if you’re not a U.S. citizen
- Your federal tax records and those of your filing parent (and stepparent)
- Documents relating to any untaxed income
- Documents relating to your and your filing parent’s cash savings, business income, investments, liquid assets, and business and farm assets
- The date your parents were legally separated
The bottom line
It can be tricky to know exactly how to complete the FAFSA with divorced parents, as a few different factors come into play, such as whether your parents still live together, which parent provides greater financial support, and whether that parent is remarried.
Just remember that, unless you have some extenuating circumstances, you should complete the FAFSA with only the income and asset information of one parent, as well as that of their spouse, if they have one. It’s important that you familiarize yourself with the rules to ensure you receive an accurate assessment and get access to the financial aid you’re entitled to.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What are the new changes for divorced parents on the FAFSA?
Starting in the 2024-25 school year, you must complete your FAFSA with the parent who provides more financial support rather than the one you live with for most of the year. This represents a significant change from previous years when the custodial parent (where you lived most) completed the form.
Can the parents choose which parent files the FAFSA?
No. FAFSA rules require that you complete the form with the parent who provides the most financial support. Parents cannot simply decide between themselves who will file.
What if both parents provide equal financial support?
If your parents split financial support exactly 50/50, the parent with the greater income is responsible for completing the FAFSA, according to U.S. Department of Education guidance.
Do you have to report both parents’ income on your FAFSA?
You only need to report both parents’ income if they still live together, even if they’re divorced or separated. If they live separately, you report only the parent who provides greater financial support, along with their spouse if they’ve remarried.
Does my stepparent have to complete the FAFSA?
Yes, if the parent who provides more financial support has remarried, your stepparent must provide their income and asset information. This is federal law and applies even if there’s a prenuptial agreement in place.
What if I don’t live with either parent?
You still include the parent who provides the most financial support, even if you don’t live with them. However, if you have extenuating circumstances (such as parental incarceration, abuse, or abandonment), you may qualify for provisional independent student status.
What happens if the parent who provides more support dies?
The other parent becomes responsible for completing the FAFSA. Your widowed stepparent is no longer considered a parent for FAFSA purposes unless they legally adopted you.
Do I report child support on the FAFSA?
The parent who pays child support can no longer report it as a deduction starting in 2024-25. However, if your parent receives child support, they must report it as untaxed income.
What if my parents are divorced but live together?
They’re treated as married on the FAFSA. Both parents must report their income and assets, and both are counted in your household size.
