Filling Out the FAFSA: My Parents Are Married

If your parents are married, you should submit financial information for both of them to the FAFSA.
Anna Helhoski
By Anna Helhoski 
Updated

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When can I update my FAFSA application? The redesigned FAFSA for the 2024-25 academic year is available at FAFSA.gov. Due to major processing delays, you won't be able to make changes to your submitted FAFSA until the first half of April, at the soonest.

You can still submit the 2023-24 FAFSA until June 30, 2024.

If your parents are married, you should submit financial information for both of them to the FAFSA. If your parents refuse to pay for college or submit information for the FAFSA, you can’t be considered independent of your parents, and you still have to submit their information.

There are very few situations where you can get a dependency override, such as abuse, neglect, incarceration or unknown parental whereabouts.

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Steps for filling out the FAFSA for students with married parents

  1. In Step 4 (Parent), state that your parents' marital status is "married."

  2. Fill out the FAFSA with both parents’ income and assets.

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