No, being self-supporting will not make you independent for financial aid purposes. The
Federal Student Aid Handbook clearly states that none of the conditions listed below, singly or in combination, make a student independent:
- Parents refuse to contribute to the student's education.
- Parents are unwilling to provide information on the FAFSA or for verification.
- Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes.
- Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency.
You are dependent on your parents until you can say "yes" to at least
one of the following FAFSA questions:
- Will you be 24 or older by December 31 of the school year for which you are applying?
- Are you married?
- Are you working on a master's or doctorate degree?
- Are you a veteran of the U.S. armed forces?
- Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. armed forces for purposes other than training?
- Do you have children who receive more than half of their financial support from you?
- Do you have dependents, other than a spouse or children, who live with you and receive more than half of their financial support from you?
- Did a court make you an emancipated minor before the age of 18?
- Did a court place you under legal guardianship of someone other than your parents before the age of 18?
- At any time since you turned 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care, or were you a dependent/ward of the court?
- 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?
- Did the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funds 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?
- 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?
If none of the above questions apply to you, but you have a case of abuse, abandonment or neglect, you can appeal your dependency status by submitting a
Dependency Review form to
Financial Aid and Scholarship Services. You must be able to provide all supporting documentation that is listed on the review.
