Your Family Separation Allowance just went up. Here's what changed.

A law signed in December quietly raised FSA for every eligible Marine.

If you've been getting Family Separation Allowance, you're owed more money than the old rate paid.

Here's what happened and what (if anything) you need to do.

Reference: MARADMIN 150/26, signed 01 April 2026. Authorized by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (Public Law 119-60, signed 18 December 2025), under 37 U.S.C. 427 and DoD Financial Management Regulation Vol 7A, Chapter 27.

The old problem

FSA had been sitting at $250 a month for a long time.

The rate hadn't kept pace with what separation from family actually costs.

Congress fixed that in December's NDAA. The Marine Corps just published the official guidance.

The new rule (in one line)

Effective 18 December 2025, Family Separation Allowance increased from $250 to $300 per month.

What this actually covers

FSA is not one thing. It comes in three types, and all three got the rate increase:

✦ FSA-R (Restricted). For Marines involuntarily separated from dependents due to assignment conditions.

✦ FSA-S (Ship). For Marines assigned to a ship away from homeport.

✦ FSA-T (Temporary Duty). For Marines on TDY orders away from their permanent duty station and dependents.

All three types. Same new rate. $300 a month.

The effective date is 18 December 2025, not the date this MARADMIN published.

(That matters if you've been getting FSA since December and your pay didn't reflect the higher amount yet.)

The retroactive piece

MCTFS, the Marine Corps pay system, was already updated.

An automated process went back and adjusted records for any Marine entitled to FSA on or after 18 December 2025.

You should not need to file anything or submit a correction.

(Yes, it's supposed to be that simple.)

But if you were entitled to FSA starting in December and your LES doesn't reflect $300, that's worth a conversation with your disbursing office or S-1.

Why this is a big deal

For Reserve Marines specifically, FSA-T is the most common trigger.

When you're ordered away from home on active duty orders, and your dependents don't move with you, FSA-T can kick in.

That means mobilizations, activations, and extended schools can all generate FSA entitlement.

At $250 a month, the benefit was modest. At $300, it's still modest, but it's 20 percent more than it was.

Over a six-month mobilization, that's $300 in additional pay you weren't getting before.

Not life-changing. But real money, and you earned it.

A smaller note for active-duty Marines

This applies to you too. All three FSA types cover active-duty situations. Your records were updated automatically through the same MCTFS process. Check your LES if you've been in an FSA-eligible status since December.

The bottom line

FSA went from $250 to $300 a month on 18 December 2025.

All three types of FSA are covered.

The pay system updated automatically. You probably don't need to do anything.

But if your pay doesn't reflect it, escalate to your disbursing office.

What to do with this

If you're currently receiving FSA:

Pull your most recent LES.
Confirm FSA is showing at $300, not $250.
If it's still $250, contact your unit S-1 or disbursing office and reference MARADMIN 150/26.

If you were on orders between 18 December 2025 and now and think you qualified for FSA:

Talk to your S-1 about whether your orders created an FSA entitlement.
If yes, ask whether the retroactive adjustment captured your period of eligibility.
Bring your orders and LES history to that conversation.

If you're an admin clerk or S-1 Marine:

Review your unit's FSA cases from December 2025 forward.
Confirm MCTFS reflects $300 for all eligible periods.
Coordinate with disbursing on any records that weren't caught by the automated update.

If you're unsure whether you qualify for FSA at all:

Don't guess. Ask your S-1.
The basic question is whether you're on qualifying orders, separated from your dependents, and your dependents are not authorized to relocate at government expense.
DoD FMR Vol 7A, Chapter 27 has the full eligibility rules if you want the source.

Questions can go to HQMC Manpower Plans and Policy at SMB_HQMC_MPO@USMC.MIL.

This is written by a reservist, for reservists. It is not an official publication of HQMC or MARFORRES. Always verify guidance with your command or unit S-1 before acting on any article or summary.

Need a shorter version of this? The one-paragraph summary is: FSA went up to $300 a month effective 18 December 2025, pay records were updated automatically, check your LES if you were eligible during that period. Want a deeper breakdown of FSA eligibility rules for Reserve orders? That's a separate piece worth writing.

CHANGE TO FAMILY SEPARATION ALLOWANCE (FSA) RATE