How to fill out the FAFSA if your parents are same-sex partners

Completing the FAFSA if you have same-sex parents was made simpler thanks to a 2013 Supreme Court ruling. As a result of the court decision, terminology on the application was changed from “father” and “mother” to “parent one” and “parent two.” The FAFSA requirements also remain the same.

Even with the new gender-neutral terminology on the application, you’ll need to know how to navigate questions about who counts as a parent and whether their financial information should be included in your submission when you fill out the FAFSA.

How to fill out the FAFSA if your parents are same-sex partners

If you’re considered a dependent for the purposes of the FAFSA, you’ll need to fill out information about your parents’ income, assets and other financial details in Step Four of the form. Depending on your parents’ marital and housing status, you’ll include both parents, just one parent or just one parent and a stepparent.

Include both parents if:

• Your parents are living together, whether married or not.
• Your parents are married but living apart.

Include only one parent if:

• Your parents are unmarried and living apart, and you lived with one parent more during the past 12 months.
• You didn’t live with either parent more, but one parent provided more financial support to you over the last 12 months.

Include a stepparent if:

• The parent you lived with more or who financially supported you more remarried.

Who counts as a parent on the FAFSA?

FAFSA defines a legal parent as your biological or adoptive parent, or your legal parent as determined by the state. If you have a stepparent who lives with one of your legal parents, you’ll generally have to include information about them too.

If your parents are same-sex partners, they’ll count as your parents on your FAFSA if they appear on your birth certificate, an adoption decree or a court order. If your parents aren’t married but live together, you’ll still list both on your form.

Are LGBT families eligible for federal financial aid?

On June 26, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court made a landmark ruling in the United States v. Windsor case, declaring section three of the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. What this ruling means for student aid is that the federal government can’t discriminate against same-sex couples applying for federal benefit programs. As a student, you’re eligible for the same level of aid regardless of the gender identity of your parents.

Federal financial aid can help you avoid taking out potentially costly private student loans. Though if you, or a cosigner, have excellent credit, you may be able to get a lower rate than you would with a federal student loan.

Bottom line

The FAFSA application was made more inclusive in the 2014-2015 school year when the terminology on the application was changed from “father” and “mother” to “parent one” and “parent two.” If your parents are same-sex partners, they will be included for FAFSA purposes as long as they appear on your birth certificate, an adoption decree or a court order, and have provided financial support to you in the last 12 months.