Are you changing your name?
We recommend that you not change your name on the FAFSA yet (if you have legally changed your name) unless you have a Social Security card in your possession that has your new name on it.
Marriage Changes for Financial Aid
The FAFSA is a “snapshot” of your status on the day you submit your FAFSA. Students who are getting married or divorced may find that their ability to pay for school has changed. The financial aid office can review your current status to determine if updating your marriage status on your FAFSA will better reflect your ability to pay for school.
Who is Eligible to Change their Marital Status
Current Academic Year
Students may only petition to change their marital status on the FAFSA if they were married by December 31 of the current academic year. Any student married after December 31, will not qualify to change their marital status for the current academic year.
Next Academic Year
It is recommended that students wait to complete their FAFSA until after they are married if possible. Boise State’s priority deadline is February 15, and we do recommend you still complete your FAFSA on time. If you are selected for verification, you are required to complete verification first. If you get married after the priority deadline and you have already completed your FAFSA, you will want to meet with a financial aid advisor.
Deadlines
You must be married or divorced/separated by December 31st and documents fully submitted by April 1 if enrolled in Spring semester. We cannot process your change if you are not continuing to enroll in courses for the term.
Decisions to update marital status are made on a case-by-case basis and are based on the documentation you provide. We advise that you still submit your FAFSA before the February 15 priority date. Once married or separated, we recommend making an appointment with the financial aid office to talk about options regarding your dependency status.
Dependent Students Getting Married
The FAFSA is a snapshot of your status on the day you submit it. Therefore, report your marital status as of the day you submit the FAFSA. This is significant if you are a dependent student and plan to be married.
You are still considered dependent unless you wait until after the marriage to complete your FAFSA application.
You are not required to update your FAFSA if you just got married since it is a snapshot of the day you submitted. If updating your FAFSA better reflects your ability to pay or addresses an inequity, a financial aid counselor may approve the change.
How to Change the Marital Status on your FAFSA
- Make an appointment with the financial aid office by calling or emailing.
- Be prepared to talk about you and your spouse’s income, assets, and people in the household. You likely will also discuss current financial and living situations to get the best picture of your current situation.
- If it appears that it will benefit you, a financial aid counselor will initiate verification items for you to complete. You will be able to find these on your myBoiseState Student Center.
You will need the following:
- Change of Marriage Status Form with Asset Information
- Marriage Certificate
- Household Size Form
- Income Verification for you and your spouse
Items to verify income for you and your spouse include:
- W-2s/1099s for both partners (if worked) – Wage and Income Transcripts work great for this!
- Tax Returns or Tax Return Transcripts (if filed taxes or required to file taxes)
- If you did not work, an IRS Letter of Non-Filing
After documents are reviewed, if it is confirmed that the change benefits you, you will receive an email that your FAFSA has been updated. Within 2-3 weeks you will then receive an updated financial aid offer. Please keep an eye on your email. We often have to reach out to students for additional information.
Independent Student Marriage Change
Updating a student’s marriage status for an independent student is not guaranteed. A financial aid counselor will work with the student to determine if an update will address an inequity or better reflect the applicant’s ability to pay. If you have already completed a FAFSA for the application, you are not required to update your FAFSA as it is a snapshot in time. For students who are getting married who are already considered independent, in most cases it will not benefit you to submit a marriage change.
Students who are independent, may experience a marriage change while going to school- a marriage or a divorce or separation. Students who are independent at the time of filing a FAFSA should set up an appointment with a financial aid counselor.
Students who are under the age of 24 and get divorced, will be required to provide parental information on the FAFSA.
Students who will still be considered independent, will be selected for verification. To verify the separation, Boise State may collect separation agreements, copies of utility bills and leases to show the student and their spouse are living separately, or other documentation as necessary.
How to Change the Marital Status on your FAFSA
- Make an appointment with the financial aid office by calling or emailing.
- Be prepared to talk about you and your spouse’s income, assets, and people in the household. You likely will also discuss current financial and living situations to get the best picture of your current situation.
- If it appears that it will benefit you, a financial aid counselor will initiate verification items for you to complete. You will be able to find these on your myBoiseState Student Center.
You will need the following:
- Change of Marriage Status Form with Asset Information
- Household Size Form
- Income Verification for you and your spouse
Items to verify income for you and your spouse include:
- W-2s/1099s for both partners (if worked) – Wage and Income Transcripts work great for this!
- Tax Returns or Tax Return Transcripts (if filed taxes or required to file taxes)
- If you did not work, an IRS Letter of Non-Filing
After documents are reviewed, if it is confirmed that the change benefits you, you will receive an email that your FAFSA has been updated. Within 2-3 weeks you will then receive an updated financial aid offer. Please keep an eye on your email. We often have to reach out to students for additional information.
Getting Married FAQ
Will the financial aid office verify my spouse’s and my income?
All students that go through this process will be selected for verification. Please visit our verification web page for more information on this process. You may be required to submit all income information to the financial aid office for review.
If approved for a marriage change on the FAFSA, how will the financial aid office assess the information?
If a marriage change is approved, the financial aid office will:
- Add both your and your spouse’s Adjusted Gross Incomes together and enter the new number in the Adjusted Gross Income field.
- Do the same for taxes paid and exemptions.
- Enter each of your individual earnings into the “Student” and “Spouse” fields.
- Combine cash, checking, and savings.
- Review and change the “Additional Financial Information” section that asks about education credits, child support paid, earnings from work-study, and combat pay.
- Combine and add untaxed income while reviewing all items, especially:
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- Money received or paid on your behalf (e.g. bills)
- Housing, food and other living allowances paid to members of the military, clergy, and others (missionaries, resident advisors, and graduate assistants) with housing benefits. This includes cash received as well as the cash value of these benefits.
Our office will also update the demographic section of the FAFSA by:
- Changing the questions that ask if you are married, the date of your marital status change, and say “Yes” to the question asking if you were married at the time you first completed your FAFSA.
- Changing the questions regarding the number of people in your household and how many household members are in college.
My partner is a student, how does that work?
If approved, typically financial aid will adjust both partner’s financial aid.
Can I still get the Parent Plus Loan if approved?
No, you cannot continue to receive a Parent Plus Loan if approved.
I am already independent, can I do a marriage change?
In most cases, students do not benefit from a change of marriage if already independent.
Oh no, I already updated my FAFSA, what happens now?
You will automatically be selected for verification. This may mean we have to pull back aid that you have already received until the verification process is completed. Please contact the financial aid office for more information.