FAFSA Status - Independent vs. Dependent Student

Marilyn Rodriguez Updated by Marilyn Rodriguez

Do I have to report my parent's income on my FAFSA application?

Your dependency status determines whose information you must report on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form.
  • If you’re a dependent student, you will report your and your parents’ information.
  • If you’re an independent student, you will report your own information (and, if you’re married, your spouse’s).

Determining Your Dependency Status Video

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’re a dependent student, it doesn’t 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.

 

Am I dependent or independent?

Your answers to questions on the FAFSA® form determine whether you are considered a dependent or independent student. The questions change a little from one year’s application to the next year’s; for instance, the 2023–24 FAFSA form asks whether you were born before Jan. 1, 2000, while the 2024–25 FAFSA form will ask whether you were born before Jan. 1, 2001. Here are the questions that determine your dependency status, for 2023–24 specifically:

 

Dependency Status Questions on the 2023–24 FAFSA® Form

  • Were you born before Jan. 1, 2000?
  • As of today, are you married? (Also answer “Yes” if you are separated but not divorced.)
  • At the beginning of the 2023–24 school year, will you be working on a master’s or doctorate program (such as an M.A., MBA, M.D., J.D., Ph.D., Ed.D., graduate certificate, etc.)?
  • Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. armed forces for purposes other than training? (If you are a National Guard or Reserves enlistee, are you on active duty for other than state or training purposes?)
  • Are you a veteran of the U.S. armed forces?*
  • 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 [during the award year]?
  • Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30, 2024?
  • 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?
  • Has it been determined by a court in your state of legal residence that you are an emancipated minor or that someone other than your parent or stepparent has legal guardianship of you? (You also should answer “Yes” if you are now an adult but were in legal guardianship or were an emancipated minor immediately before you reached the age of being an adult in your state. Answer “No” if the court papers say “custody” rather than “guardianship.”)
  • At any time on or after July 1, 2022, were you determined to be an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless, as determined by (a) your high school or district homeless liaison, (b) the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or (c) the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program?**

 

*Answer "No" (you are not a veteran) if you

  1. have never engaged in active duty (including basic training) in the U.S. armed forces
  2. are currently a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) student or a cadet or midshipman at a service academy,
  3. are a National Guard or Reserves enlistee activated only for state or training purposes, or
  4. were engaged in active duty in the U.S. armed forces but released under dishonorable conditions. Also answer “No” if you are currently serving in the U.S. armed forces and will continue to serve through June 30, 2024.

*Answer "Yes" (you are a veteran) if you

  1. have engaged in active duty (including basic training) in the U.S. armed forces or are a National Guard or Reserves enlistee who was called to active duty for other than state or training purposes, or were a cadet or midshipman at one of the service academies and
  2. were released under a condition other than dishonorable. Also answer “Yes” if you are not a veteran now but will be one by June 30, 2024.

 

**If you do not have a determination that you are homeless, but you believe you are an unaccompanied youth who is homeless or self-supporting and at risk of being homeless, answer “No” to the FAFSA questions concerning being homeless. Then contact your financial aid office to explain your situation. “Homeless” means lacking fixed or regular housing. You may be homeless if you are living in shelters, parks, motels, hotels, cars, or temporarily living with someone else because you have nowhere else to go.

What if I answered "Yes" to one or more of the questions above?

If so, then for federal student aid purposes, you’re considered to be an independent student and will not be required to provide information about your parents on the FAFSA form.

 

What if I answered "No" to every question?

If so, then for federal student aid purposes, you’re considered a dependent student, and you must provide information about your parents when you fill out the FAFSA form.

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