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Am I a Dependent or Independent Student?
When students apply for need-based financial aid through the FAFSA (or Free Application for Student Aid), they will need to determine whether they are a dependent student or an independent student. This distinction can have big implications on a student’s need-based financial aid package. Your dependency status ultimately determines whose information you must report on the FAFSA.
Jump ahead to:
- What is a dependent student?
- What is an independent student?
- How do I become an independent student?
Keep on reading everything you need to know about dependency for financial aid and how students can become an independent student.
What is a dependent student?
Most high school students (with some exceptions that we will discuss later) qualify as dependent students. Dependent students must report their parents’ or guardians’ financial information on the FAFSA.
For the purposes of need-based financial aid, this means that your family’s financial data will be used to calculate your financial aid package. When you are completing the FAFSA as a dependent student, you will have to complete some sections that ask for financial information about your family. This will also be the case for other financial aid forms like the CSS Profile.
It is important to note that FAFSA dependency is not the same thing as a dependent for tax purposes. As mentioned above, dependency for FAFSA is all about whether students are required to report their parent/guardian’s financial information.
What is an independent student?
To qualify as an independent student, students must meet one of the following criteria:
- Be at least 24 years old
- Married
- A graduate or professional student
- A veteran or current member of the armed services
- An orphan or ward of the court
- Someone with legal dependents other than a spouse
- An emancipated minor
- Someone who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless
If you are an independent student and filling out the FAFSA, your financial aid package will be assessed by only using your own personal financial data.
How do I become an independent student?
As you can imagine, the idea of becoming an independent student can be appealing for students applying for financial aid. After all, most high school students will have minimal earnings and financial assets meaning and would qualify for significant financial aid.
However, there are no FAFSA loopholes for students under 24 to count as an independent student. If you are younger than 24, you will have to meet one of the above criteria:
- Married
- A graduate or professional student
- A veteran or current member of the armed services
- An orphan or ward of the court
- Someone with legal dependents other than a spouse
- An emancipated minor
- Someone who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless
If you can’t say “yes” to any of the above criteria, you do not qualify as an independent student for the purposes of financial aid.
Read more: How to become an independent student on the FAFSA if under 24
Key next steps for students
- Complete the Net Price Calculator to receive an estimate of financial aid at almost any college or university.
- Using the above checklist, assess whether you are an independent or dependent student.
- Complete and submit the FAFSA by the FAFSA deadline (Don’t forget the FAFSA must be re-submitted each year you are enrolled in school).
- Check and see if your college requires any additional financial aid applications, such as the CSS Profile.
