On many of the student aid forms I am filling out it asks for my parents’ marital status. I’ve lived alone with my mother for some time, and there is an ongoing divorce case, but it has dragged out and is still not finalized in court. Do I put my parents marital status as separated or divorced since they will be divorced in the future - whenever the case is finally worked out?
Report the status as of the day that you complete the forms.
I believe for FAFSA it does not matter if they are separated or divorced, you put down the income of the parent you lived with more in the past 365 days. If they filed a joint tax return in 2016, then you will need to separate out your mom’s share of the income. She will probably have to provide proof of her income, like a W2 from her employer.
If she filed separately then the college will probably ask for a tax transcript, since she can’t use the DRT. If she didn’t file taxes in 2016 at all, then she might need a “verification of non filing letter” from the IRS.
The college might also want to see proof that they are living separately. If you are selected for verification, make sure you get the required information to the financial aid office as soon as possible.
For FAFSA you put the marital status of you mom as of the day you submit it. If she is separated or divorced, then only her income has to be reported.
If any schools are CSS profile schools, and they require the non custodial parent profile, then your dad will have to provide his income information as well.