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.
Updated
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Written by Anna Helhoski
Senior Writer

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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. After major delays, the FAFSA corrections process opened on April 16 to students and families who submitted incorrect or incomplete forms.

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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