<p>I'm having a hard time figuring out how to list gay parents - on the FAFSA form, CSS Profile and the Common Application. My partner and I are both the legal parents of our daughter. I called FAFSA and they said because of the Defense of Marriage Act, gay marriage is not recognized on that form, so neither would the income of the 2nd, non-biological parent. Same is true for the CSS profile. Has anyone been through this process and give some helpful suggestions?</p>
<p>First I can’t believe that they don’t recognize both of you as her parents…that said, I guess I would use it to my advantage. List whichever one of you is the “biological” parent…I’m sure some of the other posters who are FA people will be more helpful.</p>
<p>Oops. forgot to add that since this is your first post you probably didn’t realize but you will get better information by adding Financial Aid to the title of your thread and posting in the Financial Aid Forum. Go to the main page for College Confidential and click on Financial Aid in the list of forums on the left…Then hit new thread…and repost.</p>
<p>If it’s true they won’t accept both parents on the form (which is completely foolish!!!) I would list the parent with the lower income.</p>
<p>How odd that they wouldn’t include the income of both legal parents. Who cares about the sexual orientation…couldn’t two hetero unmarrieds adopt and both claim parenthood??? What would they do in a case like a middle-class version of Angelina and Brad? They aren’t married. None of this should have anything to do with DOMA.</p>
<p>Are one of you the bio parent, or did you adopt your DD? If you both adopted her, do you get to choose to put down the parent with the lowest income? If so, go for it! This may be to your DD’s advantage, altho I know how upsetting and insulting this must be for the both of you.</p>
<p>Take advantage of the loophole they presented financially. My sympathies are with you. If one is the biological and the other adoptive parent choose the lower income- either is a legal parent. If they refuse to recognize both of you they have no business knowing who is biological and who is adoptive- unless they do the same for other adopted children. Yet another idiocy religion imposed on government so make use of their rules to your benefit.</p>
<p>As much as I don’t like the reason for the form’s omission of gay parents, I find it rather satisfying to know that for once, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is going to confer a benefit rather than impose a restriction.</p>
<p>Since the CSS is non-federal government, surely they don’t necessarily follow the lead of FAFSA. CSS picks up all sorts of income that the FAFSA doesn’t consider. I’m surprised that the CSS Profile didn’t add in the income of the second parent.</p>
<p>I agree with the above posters. Use it TOTALLY to your advantage (unless you, your partner and/or friends and family have deep pockets enough to want to challenge this absurdity in the courts, which could be interesting).</p>
<p>Defense of Marriage indeed!</p>
<p>This is one place where you can actually use discrimination and bigotry to your advantage. The FAFSA doesn’t recognize both parents? Don’t list both of them! Just list the one with the lowest income and laugh all the way to the bank.</p>
<p>I’d also wait to see if someone who had actually been through this same scenario comes along with a different answer.</p>
<p>Ok, I just spoke to the FAO of a private college where my d is applying. For the FAFSA you are supposed to use the income of the parent who provides the most support - I would assume this means that whomever could claim the student on their income taxes. So not necessarily the parent that makes less, but it is still an advantage to only have to claim one income. The CSS-Profile follows the FAFSA on this.</p>
<p>Wow! It looks like the Federal government is giving a nice little subsidy to gay parents here! And it isn’t even the Democrats’ fault! Don’t tell Rush!</p>
<p>Nice loophole. Enjoy.</p>