This	question	asks	if	a	2023	IRS	Form	1040	or	1040-NR	was	(or	will	be)	completed.	It	also	asks	about	income	earned	in	a
foreign	country	or	if	the	student	spouse	filed	a	tax	return	in	a	U.S.	territory.	See	the	<Student	Tax	Filing	Status	(19)=
question	for	additional	information.
Student	Spouse	2023	Tax	Return	Information	(28)
This	information	comes	directly	from	the	student	spouse9s	2023	tax	return.	See	the	discussion	of	tax	return	data	in	the
<Student	2023	Tax	Return	Information	(20)=	question	for	a	list	of	data	elements	that	will	transfer	via	the	FA-DDX	or	be
manually	entered	by	the	student	spouse.	Unlike	the	student,	the	student9s	spouse	will	not	be	asked	to	report	taxable
college	grants,	scholarships,	or	AmeriCorps	benefits.	If	the	student	or	spouse	had	an	amount	to	report,	the	student	should
have	reported	the	joint	total	in	the	student	section.	The	spouse	will	also	not	be	asked	about	receipt	of	the	earned	income
tax	credit	(EITC).	Receipt	of	the	EITC	is	used	to	determine	if	the	student	(or	parent)	is	a	single	parent.	If	the	student	(or
parent)	is	married,	they	are	not	a	single	parent,	which	makes	it	unnecessary	to	ask	the	spouse	about	the	EITC.
Student	Spouse	Consent,	Approval,	and	Signature	(29 )
Every	student	spouse	contributor	must	provide	the	following	for	the	student	to	be	eligible	for	Title	IV	aid:
Consent	3	The	student	spouse	contributor	must	consent	to	the	disclosure	of	certain	identifying	information	to	the
IRS.
Approval	3	The	student	spouse	contributor	must	affirmatively	approve	that	the	U.S.	Department	of	Education	may
receive,	use,	and	redisclose	to	certain	entities	their	federal	tax	information	(FTI).
Signature	3	The	student	spouse	contributor9s	FSA	ID	(username	and	password)	will	serve	as	their	signature	on	the
online	FAFSA.	Paper	(PDF)	FAFSA	filers	will	provide	a	physical	signature	on	their	form.
FAFSA	Submission
Married,	independent	students	who	did	not	file	a	2023	tax	return	jointly	with	their	current	spouse	now	have	a	complete
FAFSA	ready	for	submission.	The	student	will	receive	an	email	confirmation	that	the	form	was	submitted.	The	spouse	will
see	an	abbreviated	confirmation	that	the	form	is	complete	and	that	the	student	has	been	notified.	Applicants	who	provide
an	email	address	will	receive	email	notification	when	their	form	is	processed	with	instructions	to	access	their	FAFSA
Submission	Summary.	Students	who	do	not	provide	an	email	address	will	receive	a	paper	copy	of	their	FAFSA	Submission
Summary.
Contributor:	Parent
This	section	consists	of	12	questions	related	to	the	parent	of	a	dependent	student.
Dependent	students	will	always	have	at	least	one	parent	contributor.	If	the	student	is	completing	the	FAFSA	form	online,
they	will	be	prompted	to	enter	their	parent9s	identity	information	(name,	Social	Security	number,	date	of	birth,	and	email
address)	to	invite	them	to	contribute	to	their	FAFSA	form.	The	parent	will	be	notified	by	email	that	they	have	been	invited
to	contribute	to	the	student9s	FAFSA	form.	The	parent	should	use	their	own	StudentAid.gov	account	username	and
password	to	access	the	student9s	FAFSA	form	and	complete	their	portion	of	the	form.	If	the	student9s	parent	is	married
and	filed	their	2023	taxes	jointly	with	their	current	spouse,	only	one	parent	contributor	is	required.	If	the	student9s	parent
is	either	(1)	married	or	remarried,	or	(2)	unmarried	and	living	together,	and	did	not	file	their	2023	taxes	jointly	with	their
current	spouse	or	partner,	the	parent9s	spouse	or	partner	will	be	a	required	contributor	on	the	student9s	FAFSA	form.
If	the	student	is	completing	the	paper	(PDF)	FAFSA	form,	they	will	have	their	parent	complete	the	parent	section.
Who	Counts	as	a	Parent	on	the	FAFSA?
In	most	cases,	it9s	clear	who	the	parents	are.	A	parent	is	a	biological	or	adoptive	parent,	or	a	person	that	the	state	has
determined	to	be	a	parent	(for	example,	when	a	state	allows	another	person9s	name	to	be	listed	as	a	parent	on	a	birth
certificate).	A	stepparent	is	considered	a	parent	if	married	to	a	biological	or	adoptive	parent	and	if	the	student	counts
them	in	their	family	size.	Biological	and	adoptive	parents	who	are	unmarried	and	living	together	select	that	as	their
marital	status,	and	both	report	their	information	on	the	FAFSA	form.