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Who Is the Parent?

Learn how to determine who the parent is.

Today's families come in all shapes, sizes and configurations. As a result a common concern is who is the parent for FAFSA purposes. The following scenarios provide answers to some of the most common family arrangements.

Student Does Not Live with Parents

Students who do not live with their parents are not automatically independent for financial aid purposes. Their dependency status is determined in the manner described earlier. If there are extenuating circumstances, the student should contact the financial aid office at the school to which he or she is applying and seek guidance about completing the FAFSA.

Both Parents Are Deceased

If both of a student's biological or adoptive parents are deceased when the student completes the FAFSA, the student should indicate that he or she is an orphan. Orphans are independent for financial aid purposes and complete only the student sections of the FAFSA.

One Parent Is Deceased

If the student is dependent, only the surviving parent's income and asset information should be reported on the FAFSA, even if the deceased parent had income during a year being reported. If the death of a parent occurs after the FAFSA is filed, the student should notify the financial aid office at the school he or she plans to attend to request a re-evaluation of his or her financial aid package.

Student Lives with Foster Parents or Grandparents

A "parent" is defined as a biological or adoptive parent. Foster parents and others acting "in loco parentis," such as grandparents, are not considered parents for the purpose of applying for financial aid. In this situation, a student should report the parental information of the parent who has provided the most financial support, or the parent who provided the most support the last time support was given.

Parents Are Separated or Divorced

In families where the student's parents are divorced, it is often difficult to determine which parent's financial information is required on the FAFSA. In general, the student should provide the information of the parent with whom the student lived for the last 12 months prior to completing the application, or most of the last 12 months. If this parent is remarried, the stepparent's income and asset information must also be provided on the FAFSA.

If the student did not spend the majority of the last 12 months with either parent, or lived with each parent an equal number of days, the student should provide information for the parent who provided the most support for the student during those 12 months.

If the student did not receive support from either parent, or if each parent provided an equal amount of support during the prior 12 months, the information of the parent who provided the greater amount of support during the most recent calendar year in which the student was actually supported by a parent should be provided.

Student has Stepparent

The financial information of the student's stepparent must also be reported in most instances. The determining factor is whether the parent and stepparent are married at the time the FAFSA is completed. If the applicant's parents are divorced and the responsible (or custodial) parent has remarried, or the mother/father is widowed and remarries, the parent's and stepparent's income must be reported.

The stepparent's income must be reported even if the parent and stepparent were not married during the year from which the information is drawn (i.e., the base year). For example, if a student's custodial parent remarried in March 2003, and the student completes the 2004-2005 FAFSA in May 2003, the stepparent's 2002 information must be included on the FAFSA, along with the custodial parent's 2003 information, even though they were not married for the entire 2003 base year.

Student is Separated

Students who are separated should provide income and asset information for themselves only. If assets are jointly owned, the financial aid applicant should report only his or her share.

Student is a Ward of the Court

A student who is a ward of the court, or was a ward of the court until age 18, is independent for financial aid purposes. These students should complete only the student sections of the FAFSA and leave the parental information blank.