Dependent Vs Independent
Dependent vs. Independent: When applying for Federal Student Aid, students are required to reveal certain levels of financial and personal information. This information is used to determine students' individual need and the financial rewards for which they are eligible. Financial need is the top factor in deciding whether to grant financial aid to students and, if they are determined to be eligible, it is also the top factor in deciding how much aid they receive. But the amount of information students are required to report on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) varies depending on something called their dependency status.
Students considered independent are only required to report their own income and assets (including their spouse's information if applicable) on the FAFSA. Dependent students must report not only their own income and assets but also their parents' as well. The idea is that if a student is dependent, then that student's parents hold the main burden of paying for their child's education. In this case, the parents' financial information is used in the calculation of the student's Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
Dependency status is not determined by whether or not students live with their parents, nor is it determined by whether or not parents claim students on their tax forms. The only way to be considered independent on the FAFSA is by meeting at least one of the following criteria:
- Born before January 1st, 1982 (for the 2005-2006 school year)
- Enrolled in a master's or doctorate program
- Married when you apply
- Have children receiving more than half their support from you
- Have dependents other than children who live with you and receive more than half their support from you
- Both parents are deceased
- Considered a ward or dependent of the court
- Veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces
If you do not meet any criteria listed above, then you will be considered a dependent student. However, there are some special cases that arise that are worth taking a look at. The first case is if you are a dependent student, but your parents are divorced or separated. You should report the financial information of the parent you lived with for the larger amount of time during the last 12 months. If you lived with each parent for an equal portion of the time, or if you lived with neither parent, then report the information of the parent who gave you the highest amount of financial support. If no parental support was provided, then you must report the information from the parent who gave you the most recent financial support.
Some students have no contact with their parents, but are still classified as dependent on the FAFSA. If this is your situation, then contact an aid administrator to explain your circumstances. In some cases, administrators will change the status of students who, though they meet the criteria for dependent student, really should be classified as independent. You must provide adequate documentation of your situation, and a change from dependent to independent is not guaranteed. Rather, it is left up to the aid administrator to decide if the circumstances warrant a change, and their decision is not open to appeal.
