Back to FAFSA^® Guide 2026-27

How to answer FAFSA^® student spouse questions

Are you a married student? Your spouse may need to complete 2026-27 FAFSA^® questions about their identity, contact info, and tax return.

FAFSA^® student college information FAFSA^® parent basic information

Student spouse identity and contact information

Why do they need this info?

The FAFSA^® considers your marital status when figuring out how much financial aid you’re eligible for.

Can I skip these questions?

If you’re not married, you can skip.

How to fill out this section

You or your spouse will need to:

Enter your spouse’s name exactly as it appears on their Social Security card.
Enter their Social Security number and date of birth accurately.
Enter an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) only if your spouse doesn’t have a Social Security number.
Enter your spouse’s permanent home/mailing address.
Enter a phone number where your spouse can be easily reached. Don’t enter dashes.

Student spouse tax information

Why do they need this info?>

The FAFSA^® looks at your spouse’s income and tax info when figuring out your financial aid eligibility.

Can I skip these questions?

Yes, as long as your spouse provides consent to transfer federal tax information from the IRS.
Your FAFSA^® will not be processed unless they provide this consent.
On the paper form, you can skip all of question 28 as long as your spouse provides electronic transfer consent in question 29.
The FAFSA^® will import your spouse’s tax return info into your application once they’ve provided consent.

How to answer these questions

Your spouse will need to check “Consent to transfer federal tax information from the Internal Revenue Service” (question 29 Student Spouse Consent and Signature on the paper version).
Your spouse will also need to enter their signature and the date.

27 Student Spouse Tax Filing Status

Did or will the student spouse file a 2023 IRS Form 1040 or 1040-NR?
Yes
No
Did the student spouse earn income in a foreign country in 2023, or were they employed by an international organization that did not require them to file a tax return?

If the student spouse filed or will file a tax return with Puerto Rico or another U.S. territory, select “Yes.”
International organizations include, for example, the United Nations, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund.
If the answer is “No” question 28 can be skipped.

28 Student Spouse 2023 Tax Return Information

Convert all currency to U.S. dollars. If the answer is zero or the question does not apply, enter 0.
If the answer is negative, completely fill the circle ( – ) after the answer box.

Filing status

Single
Head of household
Married filing jointly
Married filing separately
Qualifying surviving spouse

Income earned from work

IRS Form 1040—line 1 (or IRS Form 1040-NR—line 1a) +
Schedule 1—lines 3 + 6

Tax exempt interest income

IRS Form 1040: line 2a

Untaxed portions of IRA distributions

IRS Form 1040: line 4a minus 4b

IRA rollover into a qualified plan

IRS Form 5498

Untaxed portions of pensions

IRS Form 1040: line 5a minus 5b

Pension rollover into a qualified plan

IRS Form 5498

Adjusted gross income

IRS Form 1040: line 11

Income tax paid

IRS Form 1040: line 25d

IRA deductions and payments to self-employed

SEP, SIMPLE, and qualified plans
IRS Form 1040 Schedule 1: total of lines 16 + 20

Education credits

(American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning credits)
IRS Form 1040 Schedule 3: line 3

Did the student spouse file a Schedule A, B, D, E, F, or H

with their 2023 IRS Form 1040?
Yes
No
Don’t know

Net profit or loss from IRS Form 1040 Schedule C

IRS Form 1040 Schedule C: line 31

Foreign earned income exclusion

IRS Form 1040 Schedule 1: line 8d

29 Student Spouse Consent and Signature

Refer to the consent terms on page 4. By filling in the answer circle below and signing this form, the student spouse agrees to the terms set forth on page 4. If the student spouse does not provide consent by filling in the circle and providing their signature, we cannot process this FAFSA form.

Consent to transfer federal tax information from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

Student spouse signature

Date signed
MM/DD/YYYY