Download the California Registered Domestic Partner Supplemental Information Form.
What is the California Domestic Partners Rights and Responsibilities
Act of 2003?
Effective January 1, 2005, Assembly Bill 205, known as the California Domestic
Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act of 2003 (the Act), extended the rights
and responsibilities of spouses to couples registered as domestic partners with
the California Secretary of State (Registered Domestic Partners). The provisions
of the Act affect students applying for state and institutional financial aid
only, not to federal student financial aid programs. Registered Domestic Partners
are given a Declaration of Domestic Partnership Certificate (or SEC/STATE LP/SF
DP-1) from the California Secretary of State. No other type of domestic partnership
is recognized by the Act.
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How does the Act affect me?
If you or your parent is a Registered Domestic Partner, information about the
partner must be provided to determine your eligibility for state and institutional
financial aid. For this purpose, the partners are treated like a married couple.
Registered Domestic Partners (student or parent) must provide the same information
about their partner that married students or parents must provide about their
spouse.
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How does the Act affect the information I reported on my
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)?
The Act does not affect your FAFSA information in any way. If you have to report
information about a Registered Domestic Partner for state and institutional
financial aid purposes, that information will never be reported to the federal
government or be included on your FAFSA. For the purposes of federal financial
aid, Registered Domestic Partners are not treated like a married couple.
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Who is a Registered Domestic Partner for the purpose of this
Act?
Only partnerships registered with the California Secretary of State are affected
by this Act. Any other partnership or relationship is not considered a domestic
partnership by this Act. Partnerships registered only with a city or county,
or in a state other than California, are not affected by this Act.
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Will I be eligible for more financial aid or less financial
aid?
Until your financial aid eligibility is calculated using the partner’s
information, there’s no way to predict whether the result will be more
eligibility or less eligibility. However, if you or your parent is a Registered
Domestic Partner, it’s mandatory to provide the information, just as it’s
mandatory for married couples to provide the information.
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Which state and institutional financial aid programs are affected by the Act?
The Act affects eligibility for State University Grant (SUG), Educational
Opportunity Program Grant (EOPG), and Graduate Equity Fellowship. For 2005-06
and beyond, Cal Grant eligibility will also be affected by the Act.
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Which financial aid programs are NOT affected by
the Act?
No federal aid programs are affected by the Act: Pell Grant, SEOG, Perkins Loan, Direct Loan, Parent Loan (PLUS).
No merit-based scholarships are affected by the Act (any scholarship awarded
through the CSUDH Scholarship Program, Athletic Scholarships, departmental scholarships)
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What if I’m not receiving funds from any of the affected
financial aid programs?
You are still required to provide the Registered Domestic Partner’s information
even if you are not currently receiving financial aid from one of the affected
programs. It is possible that you could gain eligibility when the partner’s
information is considered.
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What if I (or my parent) am separated from my Registered
Domestic Partner, but we have not officially dissolved the partnership through
the Secretary of State?
If the Registered Domestic Partners are separated, the partner’s information
does not have to be provided. This is true even if the partnership is not officially
dissolved through the Secretary of State.
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If I (or my parent) have a Registered Domestic Partner, is
it possible the partner’s information will not be considered in determining
my eligibility for state and institutional financial aid?
If you filed your FAFSA before your or your parent’s domestic partnership
was registered with the Secretary of State, the partner’s information
will not be considered for that academic year. However, the partner’s
information will be considered for every academic year in which you file the
FAFSA after the registration with the Secretary of State. Also, the partner’s
information is not considered if the Registered Domestic Partners are separated.
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