The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA application) determines your FAFSA dependency status as either an independent student or a dependent student The difference between the two centers on the level of access the student in question has to their parents’ financial resources.
The result: independent students might qualify for more aid. Being considered an independent student is not merely a matter of being responsible for your own educational expenses. You must meet certain criteria to be declared an independent student for the purposes of the FAFSA : 1 Be a graduate or professional student; 2  Be a married individual; 3  Have legal dependents other than a spouse; 4  Be an emancipated minor or in legal guardianship; 5  Be a homeless youth; 6  Be a student for whom a financial aid administrator makes a documented determination of independence by reason of other unusual circumstances. Remember that the FAFSA is only one part of financial aid. As a dependent student, you’re usually offered less in government loans than an independent student; however, you can still apply for private loans if you need more money to attend school. You won’t be independent on your FAFSA for sure. Since you were a full-time student for a least five months in 2011 and lived at home, and since you’re under 24, the determining factor is whether or not you got half your support from your parents in 2011. Parent information is required on the FAFSA of a dependent student but not on the FAFSA of an independent student. The student’s dependency status may affect the amount of financial aid for which the student is eligible. In most cases, an independent student will qualify for more financial aid. However, if a student is independent because he or she is married, the FAFSA will substitute the financial and demographic information of the student’s spouse for the financial and demographic information of the student’s parents. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA application) determines your FAFSA dependency status as either an independent student or a dependent student. The difference between the two centers on the level of access the student in question has to their parents’ financial resources. Filling out the FAFSA and knowing your dependency status is very important, as it determines how your financial aid is calculated and the maximum amount in Stafford Loans you can borrow. Effectively, a student is dependent if the student is not considered to be independent. In unusual circumstances, dependent students may be treated as independent students if their college or university’s financial aid administrator performs a dependency override. However, if a student is independent because he or she is married, the FAFSA will substitute the financial and demographic information of the student’s spouse for the financial and demographic information of the student’s parents. A: A person who is at least 24 year of age or is an orphan can apply for FAFSA independent student status. Veterans of armed forces can also get the independent student status. All you need to do is to fill out the free Federal Student Aid form and submit it, you'll get your financial aid. A: It depends on the circumstance if you can get a professional judgment override on the basis of your independent student FAFSA application. Students who present a compelling case proving that their parents/guardians will not be able to help them financially, the financial aid officer can override the FAFSA results. If parents do not claim a student on their taxes, the student is not considered independent for financial aid purposes. According to the U.S. Department of Education, a student is determined to be an independent financial aid applicant if meeting at least one of the following criteria: 1  Is 24 years or older as of Jan. 1. 2  Is married or separated (but not divorced) as of the date of the application. Being considered an independent student is not merely a matter of being responsible for your own educational expenses. You must meet certain criteria to be declared an independent student for the purposes of the FAFSA 1  : Be 24 years of age or older by December 31 of the award year; 2  Be an orphan (both parents deceased), ward of the court, in foster care or was a ward of the court when 13 years or older; 1 Be a graduate or professional student; 2  Be a married individual; 3  Have legal dependents other than a spouse; 4  Be an emancipated minor or in legal guardianship; 5  Be a homeless youth; 6  Be a student for whom a financial aid administrator makes a documented determination of independence by reason of other unusual circumstances. When considering what financial aid is available for a student, the UC Merced Office of Financial Aid staff must determine an applicant’s dependency status using information from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) (www.fafsa.ed.gov) . According to the U.S. Department of Education, a student is determined to be an independent financial aid applicant if meeting at least one of the following criteria: 1  Is 24 years or older as of Jan. 1. 2  Is married or separated (but not divorced) as of the date of the application. Based on this FAFSA is able to estimate how much financial aid a student is eligible for. FAFSA independent is the status in which your personal savings are considered independent from those of your parents and other family members. FAFSA Independent. FAFSA is the primary mechanism by which financial aid is distributed among students across the United States. It determines and documents the value of all assets including bank balance, property, and vehicles owned by the family.
http://www.fastweb.com/financial-aid/articles/federal-financial-aid-and-the-independent-student http://collegeinfogeek.com/fafsa-do-i-file-as-dependent-or-independent/ https://www.edvisors.com/fafsa/forms/tutorial/dependency-status/ http://www.simpletuition.com/fafsa/independent-or-dependent-student-status/ https://www.edvisors.com/fafsa/forms/tutorial/dependency-status/ http://www.excite.com/education/financial-aid/fafsa-independent-student-status http://financialaid.ucmerced.edu/independent-student http://www.fastweb.com/financial-aid/articles/federal-financial-aid-and-the-independent-student http://financialaid.ucmerced.edu/independent-student http://www.excite.com/education/financial-aid/fafsa-independent
what makes you an independent student for financial aid