<p>Some terms used are confusing. You say “parents”, but be aware that they have to legally be your parents, not who you regard and call parents and who consider you to be their child. If you were adopted, then your bio parents are not in the picture, but those who are legally your parents in the legal papers now are, just as with any adopted child. There are many, many adopted children in this country and they will put down who their LEGAL parent is. If their bio mom went through legal channels and they are legally adopted, then the legal parents are who are listed on FAFSA if they live together. In cases of same sex relationships, it can be the case that one of the parents is not legally the parent though in every day life, you treat that parent as such. </p>
<p>So if you live with one legal parent and another adult you call a parent and lives with you too, but did not legally adopt you, then until the two adults are legally married, only the legal parent is listed on the FAFSA, though the other person’s contributions to the support of the household and you are listed as “unearned income” for your legal parent when it comes to the financial part of the form. When the two of them marry, then they become your parents as any parent and step parent do.</p>
<p>If one of the two is your bio mother who did not give up her rights to you, but had the other parent adopt you to also become a parent, then yes, you have two legal parents in the household and it doesn’t matter whether they are married or not. That is a situation covered in the the new FAFSA where ANY TIME the legal parents of a student are both listed on the FAFSA with all the financials whether they are married or not if they are living together. This provision covers situations where there are same sex couples not allowed to marry in certain states but are living together and both of them are legal parents of the child, either both by adoption or one by adoption and the other the bio parent. </p>