Q. What if I live with a girlfriend or boyfriend who pays the rent?</p>
<p>A. You should not report any information for a friend or roommate unless the two of you are actually married or are considered to have a common-law marriage under state law. You must report in Question 44(j) any cash support given by the friend, except food and housing. You would have to report the rent the roommate paid on your behalf.</p>
<p>Q. What’s the difference between cash support and in-kind support?</p>
<p>A.Cash support is support given either in the form of money or money that is paid on your (the student’s) behalf. You must report cash support as untaxed income. Thus, if a friend or relative gives you grocery money, it must be reported as untaxed income in Question 44(j) If the friend or relative pays your electric bill or part of your rent, you must also report those payments.</p>
<p>Examples of in-kind support are free food or housing that a family receives, usually in exchange for work or services. You usually don’t report such support.</p>
<p>However, the application does require you to report the value of housing a family receives as compensation for a job. The most common example is free housing or a housing allowance provided to military personnel or members of the clergy, which is required to be reported in Question 44(g).</p>
<p><a href=“http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/completing_fafsa/2012_2013/faq.html[/url]”>http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/completing_fafsa/2012_2013/faq.html</a>