MARADMIN 150/26 - Change to Family Separation Allowance (FSA) Rate

Scope

MARADMIN 150/26 announces the change to the Family Separation Allowance (FSA) rate from $250 to $300 per month, effective 2025-12-18. Public Law 119-60, the NDAA for FY 2026, amended Title 37 U.S.C. section 427 to raise the rate. The prior $250 rate had stood since 2002-10-01. The message aligns Marine Corps payment with current DoD FMR Volume 7A Chapter 27 rates. Applicability is the Marine Corps Total Force.

Audience

• Marines receiving FSA. Draw the $300 monthly rate for eligibility periods on or after 2025-12-18. No individual action required.
• Disbursing and finance officers. Ensure proper entitlement and payment of the new rate for all periods of eligibility on or after 2025-12-18.
• S-1 staff. Process DD Form 1561 substantiation and FSA starts and stops through the reporting unit.

Rate change mechanics

• New rate. $300 per month, flat, regardless of pay grade or number of dependents.
• Effective date. 2025-12-18, the enactment date of Public Law 119-60.
• Paragraph 3.c. The Marine Corps Total Force System auto-updated all records for Marines entitled to FSA on or after 2025-12-18.
• The rate covers all three FSA types, FSA-R, FSA-S, and FSA-T, under the 30-continuous-day separation threshold in DoD FMR Volume 7A Chapter 27.

Connection to higher policy

• Title 37 U.S.C. section 427. FSA statutory authority, as amended by Public Law 119-60 (NDAA FY 2026).
• Office of the Assistant Secretary of War Memorandum, Family Separation Allowance Rates, 2025-12-23. Implementing rate memorandum.
• DoD FMR Volume 7A Chapter 27. FSA entitlement and rate framework.

Connection to Marine Corps doctrine

• DD Form 1561. Statement to Substantiate Payment of FSA.
• Marine Corps Total Force System (MCTFS). System of record for the automated rate update.
• MARADMIN 573/24. TCOP Program Initiatives. Companion family support framework.

Status

Signed 2026-04-01. Originator CMC Washington DC MRA MP. Active. Applicability is the Marine Corps Total Force. The rate change applies retroactively to 2025-12-18, three and a half months before the message release date.