Do I need to provide parental information to apply for aid?

Most students entering a postsecondary school straight from high school are considered financially dependent on their parents. This means their parents must provide information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) when applying for federal student aid.

If you're not yet ready to file the FAFSA, you can submit a FAFSA4caster to receive an early estimate of eligibility. The FAFSA4caster uses the same dependency criteria as the FAFSA.

Am I dependent or independent?

The following questions are asked on the FAFSA4caster to determine if you are an independent student for federal student aid purposes:

• Were you born before January 1, 1984?
• When you begin attending classes, will you be working on a master's or doctorate degree (such as an M.A., M.B.A., M.D., J.D., Ph.D., Ed.D., or graduate certificate, etc.)?
• Are you married? (Answer “Yes” if you are separated but not divorced.)
• Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you?
• 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, 2008?
• Are (a) both of your parents deceased or (b) are you (or were you until age 18) a ward or dependent of the court?
• 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?
  • Answer No (you are not a veteran) if you (1) have never engaged in active duty 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 or (3) are a National Guard or Reserves enlistee activated only for training.
  • Also answer No if you are currently serving in the U.S. armed forces and will continue to serve through the end of the award year.
  • Answer Yes (you are a veteran) if you (1) have engaged in active duty in the U.S. armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard) or are a National Guard or Reserve enlistee who was called to active duty for purposes other than training, 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, 2008.

Did you answer Yes to any of the questions? If so, then for federal student aid purposes, you're considered to be an independent student and do not have to provide information about your parents on the FAFSA4caster.

Did you answer No to every question? If so, then for federal student aid purposes, you're considered to be a dependent student, and you must provide information about your parents on the FAFSA4caster.