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If you have same-sex parents, you have completed the FAFSA. It’s easier thanks to the 2013 Supreme Court decision. As a result of the court’s decision, the terms related to the application were changed from “father” and “mother” to “parent 1” and “parent 2.” The FAFSA requirements remain the same.
Even with new gender-neutral terms about applications, you need to know how to navigate questions about people who count as parents and whether financial information should be included in your submission when you fill out the FAFSA.
How to fill out FAFSA if your parents are same-sex partners
If you are thought to be dependent on FAFSA purposes, you will need to enter information about the parents’ income, assets and other financial details found in Step 4 of the form. Depending on the status of the parents’ marital status and the condition of the housing, it can include parents, one parent, or both one parent and stepfather.
If you include both parents:
- Your parents live together, whether they are married or not.
- Your parents are married, but they live separately.
Include only one parent.
- Your parents are unmarried and live apart, and you have lived with one parent for the past 12 months.
- You didn’t live more of either parent, but one parent has provided you with more financial support over the past 12 months.
If you include upparent:
- You have financially supported your parents who lived with more people, or you have remarried more.
Who is counted as a parent of FAFSA?
FAFSA defines legal parents as biological or adopted parents or legal parents as determined by the state. If you have an upppparent that lives with one of your legal parents, you generally need to include information about them.
If your parents are same-sex partners, if they appear on your birth certificate, adoption statute, or court order, they will count as your parents in your FAFSA. If your parents are not married but live together, you still list both in your form.
Are LGBT families eligible for federal financial aid?
On June 26, 2013, the US Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in the US v. Windsor case, declaring Section 3 of the Marriage Defense Act unconstitutional. What this ruling means for student assistance is that the federal government cannot discriminate against same-sex couples applying for the federal benefits program. As a student, you are eligible to receive the same level of assistance regardless of the gender identity of your parents.
Federal financial aid helps avoid eliminating potentially expensive private student loans. If you, or Cosiner, have excellent credit, you may be able to get a lower fee than if it were a federal student loan.
Conclusion
FAFSA applications became more comprehensive in the 2014-2015 grade when the application terminology changed from “father” and “mother” to “parent 1” and “parent 2.” If your parents are same-sex partners, they are included in the purposes of the FAFSA and have provided you financial support for the past 12 months, as long as they appear in your birth certificate, adoption statute, or court order.
