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There are a number of reasons why students choose to declare
independent status when filling out their Free Application
for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Some students may not receive
any monetary support from one or both parents, others are
married and/or have children, and still others are orphans
or wards of the court.
According to the FAFSA, when applying for financial aid there
are specific criteria which determine whether you will be considered
a dependent or independent student. Dependent students are required
to report their parents' income and assets as well as their
own. Independent students are required only to report their
own income and assets (and those of their spouse, if married).
The idea behind classifying students in this manner is based
on the premise that students and their parents have the primary
responsibility for paying for education costs.
The following criteria, which are available on the FAFSA,
are used to determine whether or not you can be considered
independent:
- Are you 24 years of age or older?
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Are you enrolled in a graduate or professional degree
program?
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Are you married?
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Do you have children for whom you contribute more than
half of their support? (includes children who may not
physically live with you)
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Are you an orphan or ward of the court or were you a
ward of the court until age 18?
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Are you a veteran of the U.S. armed forces?
Dependent Students
If you answered "no" to all of the questions, you
are qualified as a dependent student. Dependent students must
report their parents' income and assets in addition to their
own. Parents of a dependent student are expected to contribute
to the cost of the student's education.
Dependent students are eligible for all federal financial
aid programs. There are limits to the amount of money dependent
students can borrow under the Federal Stafford Loan Program.
Dependent students are usually limited to subsidized loan
amounts. If a gap in the student's financial need exists,
parents are expected to apply for a Parent Loan for Undergraduate
Students (PLUS) to help meet the costs of attendance.
Independent Students
Answering "yes" to any of the above questions automatically
qualifies the student as independent. Independent students
report only their own income and assets (and their spouse's,
if applicable). A school's financial aid office may ask for
proof of the student's independent status-such as a birth
certificate, marriage certificate, or service discharge papers.
Independent students are eligible for all federal financial
aid programs. They do not need a parental source to help meet
the costs of attendance, and may qualify for the maximum subsidized
and unsubsidized loan amounts to compensate for this lack
of financial assistance.
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