<p>I looked around but couldn't find any information relevant to this (that i could understand). I have a bit of an unconventional family situation in that my parents have three kids and have lived together for over twenty years but they've never gotten married. We live in CA so I don't think a common law marriage applies to them either. My mother makes significantly more than my father, so a friend advised me to just declare my father's financial information when filling out FAFSA. Is this going to get me more aid or bite me in the butt for fraud and ruin my life? please and thankyou etc</p>
<p>In situations where you don’t live with one parent more then the other, you have to report the parent who provides the most support. This wold be the parent who earns the most.</p>
<p>Your situation will also be reflected in your parents tax return. According to IRS rules your mom is supposed to claim your as dependent, not your dad. So the proposed fraud will be easily discoverable. </p>
<p>Moreover, if you apply to schools that require CSS profile, the wages of both parents will be considered.</p>
<p>thanks to both of you!</p>
<p>Who declares the student on their taxes has NOTHING to do with the financial aid application forms. As Swimcatsmom noted, if you live equally with your parents, you must list the one who provides the larger amount of your support, which is the parent with the higher income.</p>
<p>Yes I know that. I was just pointing out that similar rule exists in IRS tax code.</p>
<p>I am reading the original post as saying her parents live together with her, they just aren’t married. If that’s the case, both of their incomes go on the FAFSA, no?</p>
<p>Not unless they are in a state that recognizes common law marriage. CA does not.</p>
<p>Pretty silly rule in my opinion - I think they should both have be reported. But the FAFSA rules do not require that. But then I think both parents income should be reported even if they are divorced.</p>
<p>Interesting, thanks. This is a nice summary of this issue - <a href=“http://kaarme.com/node/1304[/url]”>http://kaarme.com/node/1304</a> - and confirms higher income parent is the one to use.</p>
<p>It occurs to me that there will probably be a lot of kids of same sex couples coming down the pike with similar issues - are their parents married or not, in this state or that one, do other states recognize it, etc.</p>
<p>It does say that in the case of gay couples, because of DOMA, they are never considered married, even if legal in their state. This doesn’t apply to unmarried/common law couples I guess.</p>
<p>And according to that article, the Profile doesn’t care about gender of parents, or I suppose married-ness.</p>
<p>At least one of D1 CSS profile schools required copies of actual tax returns, so you could be judged by IRS standards.</p>
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<p>The IRS tax returns are used to verify income. The student would need to be listed on ONE of the parents’ returns. Which one does NOT matter to the CSS Profile schools…and they do not care which return the student is on…that is not why they get the tax returns.</p>