This post is written for those of you who are required to file the FAFSA as a depedendent student. In other words, you must report your parents' information on the FAFSA. It is not uncommon for your parents to have a change in marital status, either before or after you have filed the FAFSA. Let me first say, your parents are your biological or parent through adoption and the stepparent if your parent is remarried. The stepparent must be used even if (s)he is not supporting you financially.

However, the same rules apply to independent students. It's just that the split of information is between student and spouse.

Divorce or separation:

• If your parents are divorced before you file the FAFSA, you will use the parent who you lived with the most out of the last 12 months prior to completing the FAFSA. If you didn't live with either parent, you then calculate to determine who provided over 50% of your support the last time you lived with a parent. Your parents may have filed a joint tax return for the year you are required to report tax information on the FAFSA. If this is the case, separate your parents' incomes and report on the FAFSA only the parent's tax information with whom you lived. You may be required to submit tax information to your school to verify the one parent's figures.
• If your parents divorce after you file the FASFA, contact your financial aid office to make the necessary changes to use only the parent's information with whom you lived the last 12 months before you filed the FAFSA. Your school will need to collect the necessary documents to verify your one parent's status, which may include a copy of divorce decree and tax returns.

Separation (legal or otherwise):

• If your parents separate, it's not necessary that it be done legally. If your parents have established separate residences, they are considered separated.
• In some cases, parents are legally separated through court documents, but continue to live in the same household. If this is the case, your parents are still considered separated and you use only one parent's information on the FAFSA. You will need to determine which parent provides over 50% of your support.
• The same way of reporting parent information applies as the explanation of divorced parents above.

Common-law marriage:

• Some states recognize common-law marriage, while others do not.
• If your state does allow common-law marriage, your parents need to complete the FAFSA as married.
• Termination of their marriage or living situations applies as outlined in the divorced parents section.
• If your state does not allow common-law marriage but you live with them equally, you will need to determine which parent provides over 50% of your support (could be based on each parent's income). You will use only that parent's information on the FAFSA, and divorce or separation will not apply.

Death of a parent;

• First of all, I hope none of you experience a death of a parent (or spouse). I know how hard it can be, as my children lost their father to cancer this January.
• If you lose a parent, take the time you need, but contact your financial aid office to let them know of the change in your parents' status. Your school can make corrections to your FAFSA to remove that parent's information and recalculate financial aid eligibility with the surviving parent's tax information.
• You will probably be asked to provide the tax return and a copy of the death certificate.

Any one of these situations can dramatically affect your financial aid, so don't be embarrassed or afraid to contact your financial aid office. Everything that is submitted to your financial aid administrator is confidential.Timing is everything, so be sure to report any changes during the academic year for which you are attending and have filed the FAFSA. If you wait too long, it may be too late to make any changes.

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