General Information
There are two different formulas for determining eligibility for federal financial aid – one for “dependent students” and the other for “independent students.”
Q & A
How does my dependency status affect my eligibility for financial aid?
Dependent students must include information about their parents’ income, assets and family size on the FAFSA and the CSS Profile. Independent students do not include any information about their parents income, assets or family size.
What is the dependency status of most high school seniors?
If you are a high school senior who is living with one or both of your biological or adoptive parents, you are a considered a dependent student for financial purposes and must provide parental information.
How is dependency status determined?
There are 13 questions on the FAFSA that are used to determine your dependency status.
If you answer “Yes” to any of these questions, you are considered independent for federal financial aid and do not include any information about your parents income or assets. If you answer “No” to all 13 questions you are required to provide information about your parents income, assets and family size.
These are the questions as they appear on the 2021-22 FAFSA.
1. Were you born before January 1, 1998?
If you are applying to an undergraduate program and are under the age of 24 on January 1st of the award year for which you are applying, then you are considered dependent.
2. As of today are you married? (Also answer “Yes” if you are separated but not divorced.).
Married students are considered independent for federal aid. NOTE: Even though you are independent for federal financial aid, some private colleges will require you to report information about your parents’ income, assets and family size on the CSS Profile to determine your eligibility for institutional financial aid .
3. At the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, will you be working on a master’s or doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, graduate certificate, etc.)?
If you will be enrolling in a graduate school program, you are automatically considered independent for federal aid. However, schools specializing in the health professions and many law schools will ask for parental information when determining your eligibility for institutional aid.
4. Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S.. Armed Forces for purposes other than training?
The FAFSA instructions provide the following guidance: Answer “Yes” if you are currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces or area National Guard or Reserves or are an enlistee who is on active duty for other than state or training purposes.
Answer “No” if you are a National Guard or Reserves enlistee who is on active duty for state or training purposes.
5. Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?
Answer “Yes” if you (1) have engaged in active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard) or are a National Guard or Reserve enlistee who was called to active duty for other than state or training purposes, or were a cadet or midshipman at one of the service academies, and (2) were released under a condition other than dishonorable. Also answer “Yes” if you are not a veteran now but will be one by June 30, 2020.
Answer “No” (you are not a veteran) if you (1) have never engaged in active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, (2) are currently a ROTC student or a cadet or midshipman at a service academy, (3) are a National Guard or Reserve enlistee activated only for state or training purposes, or (4) were engaged in active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces but released under dishonorable conditions.
Also answer “No” if you are currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces and will continue to serve through June 30, 2020.
6. Do you now have or will you have children who will receive more than half of their support from you between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022?
If you have a child but cannot answer “yes” to any of the other questions, the key is whether you provide more than half of your child’s support. If you and your child are still living with your parents, you probably do not qualify for independent status. However, to determine if you provided more than half of your child’s support, you are allowed to include support you received for the child from anyone other than your parents, as if it were your support for the child. Welfare payments to you on behalf of the child count as your support.
7. Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30, 2021?
As with the previous question you have to provide more that half of the support for a dependent (other than a child or spouse).
8. At any time since you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care or were you a dependent or ward of the court?
9. As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you an emancipated minor?
10. Does someone other than your parent or stepparent have legal guardianship of you, as determined by a court in your state of legal residence?
11. At any time on or after July 1, 2020, did your high school or school district homeless liaison determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?
12. At any time on or after July 1, 2020, did the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?
13. At any time on or after July 1, 2020, did the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?
Special Circumstances
What if I cannot answer “Yes” to any of the Dependency Status questions but my parents refuse to provide their information?
If you are a dependent student and your parents refuse to provide their information, you can still submit the FAFSA. The results will be transmitted to the schools on your list without an EFC calculation and your financial aid applications will be considered incomplete. You will not be eligible for aid unless the school decides to make you independent, which is not likely.
My parents are hesitant to complete the FAFSA because they don’t want to be required to pay for my college costs. – What should they do?
These situations are very difficult but can sometimes be resolved by reminding your parents that completing the financial aid forms does not obligate them to pay for college; it simply gives you a chance to qualify for some financial aid.
What if I am not living with either parent and they no longer claim me on their tax returns?
You are still considered dependent and must include parental information on the FAFSA.
What if I am 22 years old and have been living on my own and supporting myself for a few years?
You are still considered dependent and must include parental information on the FAFSA.
What if my biological parents divorced a long time ago and I have had very limited contact with my non-custodial parent over the years and my custodial parent passes away?
You are still considered dependent and must now reach out to your non-custodial parent and ask that parent to help you complete the FAFSA.
Is there any way to petition for an exception and be declared independent?
Yes, but it is very difficult to obtain independent status. You should consider asking the financial aid office to grant a dependency status override if you can provide documentation of extreme circumstances such as:
- Your parents are incarcerated.
- You have left home due to an abusive family environment.
- You do not know where your parents are and are unable to contact them (and you have not been adopted).
- You are older than 21 but not yet 24, are unaccompanied, and are either homeless, self-supporting or at risk of being homeless.
