Parents of Dependent Students

Definition of a parent for financial aid purposes

What is a dependent student for financial aid purposes?

Dependency is not based on age of the student, but on a series of questions that the student answers on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). A student is considered dependent on his or her parents if he or she answers "No" to all of the following questions:

  • Student is 24 years or older
  • Student is enrolled in a graduate or professional school program.
  • Student is married.
  • Student has dependents of his/her own.
  • Student has children for whom he/she provides more than half of their support.
  • Student is currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training.
  • Student is a veteran of the armed services.
  • Student is an orphan or ward of the court.

Dependent students must provide both student and parent information on the FAFSA.

Parents' marital status

The FAFSA asks about parents' marital status because your marital status directly affects the treatment of income and assets in the EFC calculation. Parents must report their marital status as of the date the application is completed.

Who is considered a Parent?

The term "parent" is not restricted to biological parents. Sometimes a person other than a biological parent is treated as a parent, and in these instances, the parental questions on the application must be answered, since they apply to such an individual (or individuals).

Parents who are both living and married to each other

Answer the questions about each parent.

Parents, who are living together and have not been formally married

Those who meet the criteria in their state for a common-law marriage, should report their status as married. If your state does not consider your situation to be a common-law marriage, then you should follow the rules for divorced parents. Check with the appropriate state agency concerning the definition of a common-law marriage.

Foster Parents, Legal Guardians, and Grandparents:

A foster parent, legal guardian, or a grandparent or other relative is not treated as a parent for purposes of filing a FAFSA unless that person has legally adopted the applicant.

Adoptive Parent:

An adoptive parent is treated in the same manner as a biological parent on the FAFSA.

Deceased Parents:

If one, but not both, parents died, answer the parental questions about the surviving parent. Do not report any financial information for the deceased parent on the FAFSA. If the surviving parent dies after the FAFSA has been filed, the student must submit a correction updating his/her dependency status to independent, and correct all other information as appropriate. If the surviving parent is remarried as of the date the FAFSA is completed, answer the questions about both that parent and the person he or she married (stepparent).

Divorced Parents:

Answer the questions about the parent the student lived with more during the 12 months preceding the date the FAFSA is completed. If the student did not live with one parent more than the other, provide information for the parent who provided more financial support during the 12 months preceding the date the FAFSA is completed, or during the most recent year that the student actually received support from a parent.

If this parent has remarried as of the date the FAFSA is completed, answer the questions on the remaining sections of the FAFSA about that parent and the person he or she married (stepparent).

Stepparents:

A stepparent is treated in the same manner as a biological parent if the stepparent is married, as of the date of application, to the biological parent whose information will be reported on the FAFSA, or if the stepparent has legally adopted the student. There are no exceptions. Prenuptial agreements do not exempt the stepparent from providing required data on the FAFSA. Note that the stepparent's income information for the entire base year, must be reported even if parent and stepparent were not married until after the start of the year, but were married prior to the date the FAFSA was completed.

Legally Separated Parents:

The same rules that apply for a divorced couple are used to determine which parent's information must be reported. A couple doesn't have to be legally separated in order to be considered separated for purposes of the FAFSA. The couple may consider themselves informally separated when one of the partners has left the household for an indefinite period of time. If the partners live together, they can't be considered informally separated. However, in some states, a couple can be considered legally separated even if they still live together. If the couple's state allows legally separated couples to live together, and they are legally separated, then they are considered separated for purposes of the FAFSA. In this case, the applicant would report the information on the parent that provided the majority of the student's financial support.

Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act

The California Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act of 2003, which extends new rights, benefits and obligations to individuals in California Registered Domestic Partnerships, became law on January 1, 2005. If you or your parent(s) are in a Registered Domestic Partnership, this legislation may affect your eligibility for state and university financial aid. If this new law reflects your family's living situation, contact the Financial Aid Office. You will be asked to complete a Domestic Partner Information Form, and your eligibility for state and university aid will be reevaluated. Your eligibility may increase or decrease based on the new information provided. The provisions of the Act do not apply to federal aid.