Hello, new member here. So, my parents are actually married for a very long time, but they haven’t lived with each other for almost 2 years now. My father was deported for over a decade and my mother is currently a US resident. I was wondering if I shoud consider them to be married or separated in regards to the application, since I’m a little confused about this. I currently live with my mother and not with my father and we’re still waiting for our father to come to the US. Since they don’t live together, because of this situation, what should I put on my application?
Well, they are married and consider themselves married. FAFSA says married people report the income and assets for both.
Will it matter that much? Does your father have a lot of income? You’d use your mother as the FAFSA parent to get the ID, she’d report all the assets (are they all in the US?)
Sorry for late reply.
My dad isn’t currently living in the US, but my mom is. I mean, they’re still married, but they don’t live together. If my dad ever comes to the US, then they would still live together, but they currently don’t.
Are you, the student, a U.S. citizen or do you have permanent resident green card status?
I’m a U.S. citizen.
My mother has permanent resident green card status.
My father isn’t a U.S. citizen nor a permanent resident.
Ok…while tax filing status doesn’t matter usually for financial aid purposes…how DOES your mom file her U.S. ncime taxes? Married filing jointly? Married filing separately? Or what?
If they are legally separated or married but choosing to live separately as though they are not, then you choose separated.
Since they consider themselves married and live as such, even though they are physically separated by distance, you choose married.
https://fafsa.ed.gov/fotw1718/help/fotw01e.htm
If you look at the “Note:” part that includes a bolded sentence, it seems to cover your situation.