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Financial Aid:
Dependent vs.
Independent Students
Dependent Students
Unless you meet any
one of the criteria stated under Independent Student Status or there are
some exceptional circumstances, you will be considered a dependent
student for financial aid purposes.
Exceptional circumstances include but are not limited to:
• Your last
surviving parent died after you first applied for financial aid.
• You and your parents are separated and you have been granted refugee
status by the U.S. Immigration Service.
Any of these
circumstances can be considered, but do not automatically give you
independent status. All circumstances must be documented. If you
consider your circumstances to be exceptional, please make an
appointment to see a financial aid counselor.
You should be aware that you are not automatically independent for
financial aid purposes simply because your parents stop claiming you as
a tax exemption or refuse to give you support for your college
education. Unwillingness, inability, or reluctance of parents to help
pay for your educational costs does not make you independent. Becoming
emancipated and/or qualifying for in-state tuition does not mean that
you are independent for federal financial aid purposes. In cases where
you do not qualify as an independent student but you receive no parental
support, counselors in the financial aid office can provide you with
information about alternative financing and employment opportunities to
help you pay for your college expenses.
Independent Students
Students are
classified as dependent or independent because federal student aid
programs are based on the principle that students (and their parents or
spouse, if applicable) are considered the primary source of support for
postsecondary education.
For the academic year, you’re an independent student if at least one of
the following applies to you:
• you are 24 years
of age or older by December 31 of the award year;
• you are married;
• you are or will be enrolled in a master’s or doctoral program (beyond
a bachelor’s degree) during the school year;
• you have children who receive more than half their support from you;
• you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with
you and who receive more than half their support from you and will
continue to receive more than half their support from you through June
30th of the school year;
• you are an orphan or ward of the court (or were a ward of the court
until age 18); or
• you are a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces (“Veteran” includes
students who attended a U.S. service academy and who were released under
a condition other than dishonorable.)
• you are currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for
purposes other than training |
