What is the difference between the Dependent and Self-supporting Student?
The basic philosophy of federal and state need-based financial aid is that students and their families have the first responsibility toward meeting educational expenses. A major issue in the determination of financial resources is the dependency status of students: are they considered to be dependent upon their parents or are they self-supporting? The criteria used to make this determination includes: Age of Student Veteran’s status of the student Student’s status as a graduate or professional student Student’s marital status Student’s status as an orphan or ward of the court Legal dependents of student other than a spouse The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) asks specific questions related to the above criteria, which will in turn determine the student’s dependency status. If the student is determined to be dependent, a parental contribution is calculated from the financial information reported by the parents. This information will include, but not be limited to, incom
