Your FAFSA Family
Which family members do I include as a dependent student when completing the FAFSA?
If you are dependent, then include:
- yourself
- your parents
- your parents’ other children (even if they do not live with your parents) if (a) your parents will provide more than half of their support between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021, or (b) the children could answer “No” to every question in the Dependency status section (Step 3)
- and others who live with you now and receive more than half their support from your parents now and will continue to receive more than half their support during the period July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021.
Which family members do I include as an independent student when completing the FAFSA?
Yourself, your spouse (if married), your children and others for whom you will provide more than half of their support from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021.
Who is considered a college student?
Enter the number of people from the parents’ household who are or will be enrolled in a post-secondary school in 2020–2021. Count yourself as a college student. Include others only if they will be attending at least half-time in an approved program during 2020–2021 that leads to a degree or certificate at a post-secondary school eligible to participate in any of the federal student aid programs.
Do not include your parents. Also do not include a student at a U.S. military academy because the family is not expected to contribute to that student’s post secondary educational cost at the academy.
