<p>Well-- you answered your own question. It would be fraudulent to separate solely for the purpose of excluding one parent's income from the calculations, only to reunite shortly thereafter.</p>
<p>There's no difference between separated and divorced in the eyes of FAFSA:</p>
<p>"If your parents are single, divorced, separated, or widowed, you must answer the questions for one parent only and ignore the references on the FAFSA to "mother" or "father".</p>
<p>If your parents are divorced, separated, or widowed but filed (or will file) a joint tax return for 2005, you must give only one parent's portion of the exemptions, income, and taxes paid for the income and asset questions."</p>
<p>"If your parents have divorced or separated, answer only the questions about the parent that you lived with most during the last 12 months. If you did not live with one parent more than the other, answer only the questions about the parent who provided most of your financial support during the last 12 months."</p>