<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 have some helpful suggestions?</p>
<p>Since gay marriage is not recognized, then the income from one parent would not technically be recognized. I haven’t dealt with this & don’t have a definitive answer of how it might be treated — but my guess would be that you would use the parent who provides the most support (since she obviously lives with both equally!). In your case, you would use the parent who earns the most. If the other parent is a homemaker or is unemployed, you can list him/her in the household size … but there is no guarantee a school will leave him/her in the household size if you are verified (it may vary by school, since there is no clear-cut ruling on this issue). If the other parent has a job & files taxes him/herself, do not include in the family size.</p>
<p>If the Profile school requires a non-custodial parent form, you can do the form for the other parent & include a letter of explanation. I believe that form is sent directly to the school, not to the processor (although I am not sure - I work at a FAFSA school).</p>