How is my dependency status on the FAFSA® determined?

Your answers to questions on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) determine whether you are considered a dependent or independent student. Your dependency status determines whose information you need to report when you fill out the FAFSA®. If you’re a dependent student, you’ll report your and your parents’ information. If you are an independent student, you will report your own information (and, if you are married, your spouse’s).

Dependency is based on answering the following questions. If you answer "yes" to at least one of these questions, you are considered independent for Federal Student Aid purposes. If you answer "No" to all these questions, you are considered dependent for Federal Student Aid purposes.

• Were you born before Jan. 1, 2000? (this date will change from year-to-year)
• As of today, are you married? (Also answer “Yes” if you are separated but not divorced.)
• At the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year, will you be working on a master’s degree or doctorate program (such as a MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, graduate certificate, etc.)?
• Do you have, or will you have children who will receive more than half of their support from you, between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024?
• Do you have dependents, other than your children or spouse, who will receive more than half of their support from you, between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024?
• Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces of purposes other than training?
• Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?
• At any time since you turned 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care, or were you a dependent or ward of the court?
• As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you an emancipated minor?
• Does someone other than your parent or stepparent have legal guardianship of you, as determined by a court in your state of legal residence?
• At any time on or after July 1, 2022, did you receive a determination that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless, or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?
• At any time on or after July 1, 2022, 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?
• At any time on or after July 1, 2022, 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?
• At any time on or after July 1, 2022, 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? 

The federal student aid programs are based on the concept that it is primarily your and your family’s responsibility to pay for your education. A dependent student is assumed to have the support of parents, so the parents’ information has to be assessed along with the student’s in order to get a full picture of the family’s financial strength. 

If you are a dependent student, it does not mean your parents are required to pay anything toward your education; this information is simply used to determine the student’s maximum eligibility for federal student aid.

Not living with parents or not being claimed by them on tax forms does not make you an independent student for purposes of applying for federal student aid. 

Being considered an independent student is uncommon. If you can't answer "Yes" to any of the questions above, you're a dependent student and need to report parent information.
 

If you have extenuating circumstances you believe should be considered, you can contact our office. Dependency override (allowing you to file the FAFSA® as an independent student even if you can’t answer yes to any of the questions above) is rare. Your parents not supporting you financially is not enough to get you a dependency override; if you have extenuating circumstances beyond that, contact our office to discuss your options.