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Financial aid
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Back to FAFSA® Guide 2026-27
How to answer basic parent information questions on the FAFSA®
Have you been asked to complete the parent section of the FAFSA®? Here’s a guide to help you fill out questions about the parent’s name and contact info, marriage status, and legal residence.
Parent identity and contact information
Why do they need this info?
- As the parent of a dependent student, you need to provide financial and other info in the FAFSA® for the student to be considered for financial aid.
- The student’s other parent will need to provide their info in the Other Parent section (questions 42 and 43 on the paper version).
Can I skip these questions?
You can’t skip if your student is dependent. All of the following statements must be true for them to be considered dependent:
- The student was born after the year 2002.
- The student’s current marital status is Single (never married), Divorced, Separated or Widowed (question 3 on the FAFSA® paper version).
- The student’s college grade level will be first-year, second-year, or other undergraduate (question 4 on the FAFSA® paper version).
- They answered “None of these apply” to the Student Personal Circumstances question (question 5 on the FAFSA® paper version).
- They answered no to the Student Other Circumstances and Student Unusual Circumstances questions (questions 6 and 7 on the FAFSA® paper version).
If any of the statements are not true, your student is independent, and no parent info will be needed from you.
How to answer these questions
- Enter your name exactly as it appears on your Social Security card.
- Enter your Social Security number and date of birth.
- You only need to enter an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) if you do not have a Social Security number.
- Enter your permanent home/mailing address.
- Provide a phone number where you can be most easily reached. Don’t enter dashes.
Parent current marital status
Why do they need this info?
The FAFSA® asks for the marriage status of the student’s biological parents to determine whose info should be reported in the FAFSA® application.
Can I skip this question?
No
How to answer this question
- Select Single (never married), Married (not separated), Remarried, Separated, Divorced, or Widowed, whichever one applies to you.
Parent state of legal residence
Why do they need this info?
- Your answer may help your student get even more free college money from your state!
- Your student’s FAFSA® info may be shared with state agencies so your student can be considered for state aid programs, on top of any federal aid they may get.
Can I skip these questions?
No
How to answer these questions
- Enter your state’s two-letter abbreviation, and the month and year when you became a state resident.
- If you’ve lived in your state your entire life, enter your birth month and year.
What else should I know?
Students and parents usually need to have a year of residency in their state to be eligible for state financial aid.