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Dependency Status for the FAFSA

The FAFSA asks a series of questions that determine if a student is considered dependent or independent of their parents for federal financial aid.

The FAFSA asks a series of questions that determine if you are considered dependent or independent of your parents for the purpose of applying for federal financial aid. If you are considered a dependent student, you must report your parents' information on the FAFSA, as well as your own. If you are independent, only your information is required to consider you for federal aid. Even if you do not live with your parents, you claim yourself on your taxes, or your parents do not provide financial support for you to attend school, you may be considered a dependent student.

FAFSA Dependency Questions

The FAFSA dependency questions are listed below. They change a little from one year's application to the next year. For example, the 2023-2024 FAFSA form asks whether you were born before Jan. 1, 2000, while the 2024-2025 FAFSA will require parent data if you were born after the year 2000. If you answer "No" to ALL of the questions, you are considered a dependent student. If you answer "Yes" correctly to ANY of the questions, you are considered an independent student. For the 2023-2024 academic year:

  1. Were you born before January 1, 2000?
  2. As of today, are you married? (Also answer "Yes" if you are separated but not divorced.)
  3. At the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year, will you be working on a master's or doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, graduate certificate, etc.)?
  4. Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training?
  5. Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?
  6. Do you now 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?
  7. Do you have dependents (other than children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30, 2024?
  8. At any time since you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care or were you a dependent or ward of the court?
  9. As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you an emancipated minor?
  10. Does someone other than your parent or stepparent have legal guardianship of you, as determined by a court in your state of legal residence?
  11. 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?
  12. 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?
  13. 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?

Unusual Circumstances

If you have unusual circumstances that prevent you from providing parent information on the FAFSA, contact Enrollment Services to discuss your situation with an Enrollment Services Counselor.