Unmarried and Same-Sex Parents’ Assets and Income to be Considered on FAFSA
May 02, 2013
The U.S. Department of Education announced on Monday that, starting in 2014-15, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) would count the income and assets of potential borrowers’ legal parents in the calculation of students’ need, regardless of the parents’ marital status or gender, if those parents live together. The current FAFSA form collects financial information from only one parent if the parents are unmarried or are in a same-sex relationship.
The change is not expected to affect many families, but it could reduce aid to some dependent students of unmarried and same-sex couples because another parent’s income and assets will be considered in the calculation of need, according to the department.
In a news release, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said the revisions would “ensure taxpayer dollars are better targeted toward those students who have the most need” and “provide an inclusive form that reflects the diversity of American families.”
Shane L. Windmeyer, the founder and executive director of Campus Pride, said that the decision would allow same-sex couples to be “validated” in the financial aid process and that it showed the Education Department recognizes “there are more families than just heterosexual couples.”
“The changes are small, but they speak volumes to the cultural change and progress that the LGBT community has made over time,” Mr. Windmeyer said.
Related Links
U.S. Education Department Press Release
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Inside Higher Ed
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/04/30/fafsa-changes-recognized-many-kinds-parentsMichelle Cormier Mott
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