Filling Out the FAFSA: My Parents are Divorced

If your parents are divorced, list financial information for the parent you've lived with most in the least year.

Anna HelhoskiAugust 5, 2020

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own.

The FAFSA treats divorced parents differently than married parents. If you have divorced parents, you should list the financial information for the parent you have lived with most in the past 12 months. This parent is known as your "custodial parent".

If your custodial parent is remarried as of when you submit your FAFSA, include your stepparent’s financial information as well.

» MORE: FAFSA checklist

Steps for filling out the FAFSA for students with divorced parents

  1. Determine which parent is your custodial parent. If your parents have joint custody of you, the custodial parent is the parent you have spent the most time living with in the past 12 months.

  2. Fill out the FAFSA with your custodial parent’s information and your stepparent, if you have one.

  3. Include any child support or alimony paid to your custodial parent.

  4. When the FAFSA asks about your parents’ education level, they want you to answer for your birth parents or adoptive parents. Your stepparent is not considered your parent for these two questions.

» MORE: 5 FAFSA tips to save you time when applying

Advice from University Financial Aid Officers

If your parents are divorced or separated, answer the questions about the parent with whom you lived more during the past 12 months. If this parent is remarried as of today, answer the questions on the FAFSA about that parent and the person whom your parent married (your stepparent). If you lived the same amount of time with each divorced parent, give answers about the parent who provided more financial support during the past 12 months or during the most recent 12 months that you actually received support from a parent.

— Department of Education

>>MORE: Learn about the best student loans for parents

Go back to the FAFSA guide

Find ways to save with NerdWallet

Really get to know your money and find cash you can put aside and grow.

CREATE MY FREE ACCOUNT
We want to hear from you and encourage a lively discussion among our users. Please help us keep our site clean and safe by following our posting guidelines, and avoid disclosing personal or sensitive information such as bank account or phone numbers. Any comments posted under NerdWallet’s official account are not reviewed or endorsed by representatives of financial institutions affiliated with the reviewed products, unless explicitly stated otherwise.