If you’re a college-bound student applying or returning to school this fall, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) should be at the top of your to-do list. The FAFSA is the key to unlocking federal grants, work-study opportunities, and loans, and it’s also used by many states and colleges to award their own aid.
For the 2026–27 school year, the FAFSA will once again open on October 1, 2025, with a federal deadline of June 30, 2026 and corrections due by September 12, 2026. After two years of delays caused by the FAFSA Simplification Act rollout, the form is back on schedule. The new FAFSA is shorter, easier to complete, and uses direct data transfer from the IRS to cut down on errors. But for students with separated or divorced parents, the updated rules about which parent must provide information can be confusing. Here’s what you need to know.
Who is your parent according to the FAFSA form?
The FAFSA requires you to report financial information from your legal parent or parents. Under the updated rules:
If your biological or adoptive parents are married, you must provide information for both of them. If your legal parent is widowed or was never married, you only include that parent’s information. If your parents are separated or divorced, you must include information from the parent who provided the most financial support during the prior-prior tax year—in this case, the 2024 tax year for the 2026–27 FAFSA. If both parents provided equal financial support, the parent with the higher adjusted gross income (AGI) must complete the form. And if your parents are not married but still live together, you must provide information for both of them, regardless of marital status.
This means that the older criteria—such as which parent you lived with, who had legal custody, or who claimed you on their taxes—no longer determine which parent completes the FAFSA.
Related: Read more answers to your questions about Tackling the Financial Aid Process With Your Parents
Additional questions you may need answers to
The situations above are the most common for students with separated or divorced parents. Here are answers to some specific scenarios students with separated or divorced parents may encounter:
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What if my parent is remarried? If the parent responsible for the FAFSA is remarried, you must include both that parent’s and the stepparent’s financial information, even if the stepparent has not legally adopted you. The FAFSA looks at the entire household’s resources.
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What if my stepparent is widowed? If your stepparent was married to your biological or adoptive parent but is now widowed, you do not include their information unless they legally adopted you before you completed the FAFSA.
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What if I live with someone other than my parents? Regardless of where you live, you must report information about your legal parents. Living with other relatives or guardians does not change this. The following people are not considered parents for FAFSA purposes unless they have legally adopted you: grandparents, foster parents, legal guardians, older siblings, aunts and uncles, or widowed stepparents.
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How will these changes affect my financial aid? These updates may impact the amount of aid awarded to students with separated or divorced parents. Because the FAFSA now requires financial details from the parent providing the most support (rather than the custodial parent), it may shift which household’s income and assets are considered. If one parent earns significantly more than the other, this change could reduce aid eligibility. Conversely, in some cases, students may benefit if the parent providing more support has a lower income.
Other major FAFSA changes for 2026–27
The FAFSA has gone through some of its biggest changes in decades. Here’s what applies to all families for the 2026–27 form:
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Expected Family Contribution (EFC) has been replaced by the Student Aid Index (SAI), a new formula that colleges use to calculate need-based aid.
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Income information is transferred directly from the IRS using the Direct Data Exchange, eliminating the need for most manual entry. All contributors (students, parents, or spouses) must give consent for this transfer. Without consent, the student will not receive federal aid.
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Family size is now determined by dependents claimed on the parent’s most recent tax return. This ensures consistency but may reduce household size for families with non-tax-dependent children.
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Child support received is now reported as an asset instead of income, which changes how it factors into aid eligibility.
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Family farms, small businesses with 100 or fewer employees, and family-owned fisheries are no longer counted as reportable assets if the family lives on or operates them.
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The maximum Pell Grant cutoff is set at twice the annual maximum award, which comes to about $14,790 for 2026–27.
Related: Check out these 4 Tips for Families to Maximize College Affordability
The 2026–27 FAFSA is shorter and more streamlined, but it has also reshaped how families with divorced or separated parents report financial information. These changes can alter your aid eligibility, especially if your parents’ financial situations differ significantly. By understanding which parent must file and how new reporting rules work, you can avoid delays and make sure you receive the maximum aid available.
Confused by some of the terms in this blog? Check out All the Important Financial Aid Terms You Need to Know for a helpful glossary!
