Hope this clears up any confusion you have about your status when applying for loans this year. Just take solace in the fact that the rest of us are doing it as well. Image Credits: hand writing on paper. Skip to content The guidelines in this article have been updated to reflect the — academic year. Just for reference, here are those criteria: You must have one of the following relationships to your parents: child biological, step, adopted, or foster , brother or sister, or a descendant of one of these.
You must be under 24 and be a full-time student for at least five months of the year, or under 19 and not in school. You must have not provided more than half of your own support for the year.
You must have lived with the parent wanting to claim you for more than half the year. Loans Student Loans. Table of Contents Expand. Table of Contents. What Is an Independent Student?
Why Dependency Status Matters. Apply as an Independent Student. Using a Waiver for Independent Status. Plan Ahead for Independent Status. By Rebecca Lake. Rebecca Lake has over a decade of experience researching and writing hundreds of articles on retirement, investing, budgeting, banking, loans, and more.
Learn about our editorial policies. Reviewed by Toby Walters. Article Reviewed February 06, Toby Walters specializes in accounting, banking, credit cards, investing, and a variety of finance topics. He has more than two decades of experience in finance and is a chartered financial analyst. Learn about our Financial Review Board. Whether you're a dependent or independent student can determine the amount of aid you qualify for. Submit it and then immediately contact the financial aid office at the colleges at which you are applying for financial aid.
They will tell you what your next steps should be. If you follow these guidelines, it should become clear what your dependency status on the FAFSA is: independent or dependent.
In order to get the proper amount, the organizations using this form the government, universities, and some scholarship programs will need all of the correct information, including your dependency status. Remember that all situations are different and if you are still unsure about your dependency status, you should ask your school counselor or check the FAFSA website.
Finally, be sure to check out our other helpful guides to financial aid in college admissions. Curious about your chances of acceptance to your dream school? Our free chancing engine takes into account your GPA, test scores, extracurriculars, and other data to predict your odds of acceptance at over colleges across the U. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to get started! Do you know how to improve your profile for college applications?
We live in different states, and the kids live with me. What is the correct filing status for us? They will not release his financial aid until the correct forms are filed. In the future, you also both need to agree on who will claim the children on each tax return. Q : I have been trying to apply for financial aid through the FAFSA, but it will not recognize me as an independent student. I have not been in contact with my father for quite some time. I cannot afford college on my own.
A: Unfortunately, the federal government views paying for college as the responsibility of the parents, even though thousands of students have the same experience that you have described.
You can only qualify as an independent student on the FAFSA if you are at least 24 years of age, married, on active duty in the U. Armed Forces, financially supporting dependent children, an orphan both parents deceased , a ward of the court, or an emancipated minor. You could also talk to the parent that you are currently in contact with to at least provide their financial information.
Explain to them that including their financial information on the FAFSA in no way obligates them to pay for college. It simply allows you to qualify for financial aid. After completing the FAFSA, you can also talk with your financial aid office at your college about a financial aid appeal.
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