Dependency Status
On this page:
- About Dependency Status
- Personal Circumstance Questions to Determine Dependency Status on the 2025-26 FAFSA
- Personal Circumstance Questions to Determine Dependency Status on the 2024-25 FAFSA
- Dependency Override Policy
- How to Appeal Dependency Status
- Supporting Documentation
- FAFSA Filing Instructions
- Definitions
- Renewal of Dependency Status Appeal
About Dependency Status
Unmarried students under age 24 are often required to provide parental data on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA. They are referred to as dependent students. However, dependent students with unusual circumstances may appeal to the Office of Financial Aid for a dependency override. A dependency override would allow the student to be considered an independent student (for federal student aid purposes only) and exempt the student from providing parental data on their FAFSA.
Personal Circumstance Questions to Determine Dependency Status on the 2025-26 FAFSA
If you can answer "Yes" to one or more of the questions below, you are considered an independent student for federal student aid purposes when filing the FAFSA.
- Were you born before January 1, 2002?
- As of the date you filed the FAFSA, are you married?
- At the beginning of the 2025–26 school year, will you be working on a master's or doctorate program (such as an M.A., M.B.A., M.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 have children or other people (excluding your spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you now and between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026?
- At any time since you turned age 13, were you an orphan (no living biological or adoptive parent)?
- At any time since you turned age 13, were you a ward of the court?
- At any time since you turned age 13, were you in foster care?
- Are you or were you a legally emancipated minor, as determined by a court in your state of residence?
- Are you or were you in a legal guardianship with someone other than your parent or stepparent, as determined by a court in your state of residence?
- At any time on or after July 1, 2024, were you unaccompanied and either (1) homeless or (2) self-supporting and at risk of being homeless? 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 Enrollment Services to explain your situation.
Personal Circumstance Questions to Determine Dependency Status on the 2024–25 FAFSA
If you can answer "Yes" to one or more of the questions below, you are considered an independent student for federal student aid purposes when filing the FAFSA.
- Were you born before January 1, 2001?
- As of the date you filed the FAFSA, are you married?
- At the beginning of the 2024–25 school year, will you be working on a master's or doctorate program (such as an M.A., M.B.A., M.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 have children or other people (excluding your spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you now and between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025?
- At any time since you turned age 13, were you an orphan (no living biological or adoptive parent)?
- At any time since you turned age 13, were you a ward of the court?
- At any time since you turned age 13, were you in foster care?
- Are you or were you a legally emancipated minor, as determined by a court in your state of residence?
- Are you or were you in a legal guardianship with someone other than your parent or stepparent, as determined by a court in your state of residence?
- At any time on or after July 1, 2023, were you unaccompanied and either (1) homeless or (2) self-supporting and at risk of being homeless? 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 Enrollment Services to explain your situation.
Dependency Override Policy
Annually, and on a case-by-case basis, the Office of Financial Aid may permit a dependency override for otherwise dependent students with unusual circumstances.
Conditions that qualify for dependency override include students under age 24 who cannot rely on parental support from either parent because each parent meets one of the following criteria:
- Parent is deceased.
- Parent is incarcerated.
- Unusual parental circumstances (e.g., parent’s whereabouts are unknown, abusive family environment, abandonment by parent, etc.).
Students who are unaccompanied and homeless or self-supporting and at risk of being homeless are encouraged to complete the Unaccompanied Homeless Verification process instead of the Dependency Status Appeal process.
Conditions, singly or in combination, which do not qualify for dependency override include:
- Parents refuse to contribute to the student’s education.
- Parents are unwilling to provide information on the FAFSA or for verification.
- Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes.
- Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency.
How to Appeal Dependency Status
The priority deadline to submit the Dependency Status Appeal Form and supporting documentation to Enrollment Services is April 1, 2025 for the 2024-2025 aid year and April 1, 2026 for the 2025-2026 aid year. A student’s financial aid must be offered and accepted before the end of the academic year or before a student ceases enrollment, whichever is earlier.
Appeals will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and all information will be kept confidential. The submission of an appeal does not guarantee appeal approval. See our Important Dates page for processing timelines for Dependency Status Appeals and other financial aid documents.
Upon receipt of a Dependency Status Appeal Form, the Office of Financial Aid will review the student’s circumstance and supporting documentation. Students with unusual circumstances that qualify for a dependency override will be deemed an independent student for the aid year.
Supporting Documentation
Students are required to submit supporting documentation with their appeal. The supporting documentation will vary depending on the student’s unusual circumstances. Students must provide documentation for each parent. For the conditions which qualify for dependency override, the following items are requested:
| Circumstance | Requested Documentation |
|---|---|
|
Parent is deceased |
A copy of the parent’s death certificate |
|
Parent is incarcerated |
Documentation that verifies the parent is incarcerated and lists the parent’s anticipated release date |
|
Unusual parental circumstances |
A signed statement from a third-party professional that knows the student’s current unusual parental circumstances |
Signed statements from third-party professionals must document the student’s current unusual circumstances as they relate to the parent in question. If a written statement is required for both parents, one written statement from a third-party professional that documents the student’s unusual circumstances as they relate to both parents is acceptable.
Examples of third-party professionals that the student has a professional relationship with include teachers, counselors, medical authorities, members of clergy, social workers, etc. Signed statements from third-party professionals should be submitted on company-issued letterhead and include appropriate contact information. The Office of Financial Aid reserves the right to contact third-party professionals who provide supporting documentation. For examples of professional documentation, please read the list below.
- Someone that you have a professional relationship with that can provide their professional perspective on your current relationship with your parents.
- Letter from a current or former teacher who knows and understands what your current relationship with your parents is and why it may appear to be unreasonable or in your best interest to not be dependent upon them.
- Letter from a counselor (school or wellness) that has counseled you and knows the relationship between you and your parents. They can provide their professional perspective as to what may be in your best interest.
- Letter from members of clergy that know and understand your current relationship with your parents. They would explain your relationship with your parents from their professional perspective and the advice given due to that relationship.
- Letter from the social worker, involved your case, explaining the recommendations given that may be in your best interest.
- Letter from your employer explaining the impact on your job due to the relationship with your parents or witness to activity by your parents.
If you are unable to provide the supporting documentation requested above, please contact Enrollment Services to discuss your circumstance to determine if other forms of documentation may be considered.
FAFSA Filing Instructions
When filing your FAFSA online, you will be able to indicate if you have unusual circumstances and are unable to provide parental information. You will then be able to submit your FAFSA without entering parental data.
If you choose this option, it is important that you understand the following:
- Your FAFSA application will be submitted, but not fully processed. You will need to contact Enrollment Services for next steps in completing an unusual circumstance appeal (ex. Dependency Appeal).
- You will be required to provide documentation to Enrollment Services or the Office of Financial Aid to determine whether you qualify for a Dependency Override and can be considered an independent student. Third-party written evidence of your circumstance is required. Written evidence may include court or law enforcement documents; letters from a clergy member, school counselor or social worker; and/or any other relevant data that explains your unusual circumstance.
Definitions
- Unaccompanied—When a student is not living in the physical custody of a parent or guardian.
- Homeless—Lacking fixed, regular, and adequate housing. For example, temporarily living with other people because they have nowhere else to go; living in substandard housing; living in emergency or transitional shelters (FEMA trailers after disasters); living in motels, camping grounds, cars, parks, abandoned buildings, bus or train stations, or any public place not designed for humans to live; or living in the school dormitory if the student would otherwise be homeless.
- Self-supporting—When a student pays for their own living expenses, including, fixed, regular, and adequate housing.
- At risk of being homeless—When a student’s housing may cease to be fixed, regular, and adequate, for example, a student who is being evicted and has been unable to find fixed, regular, and adequate housing.
- Fixed housing—Stationary, permanent, and not subject to change.
- Regular housing—Used on a predictable, routine, or consistent basis.
- Adequate housing—Sufficient for meeting both the physical and psychological needs typically met in the home.
- Parent—A student’s biological or adoptive parent. A student’s stepparent, foster parent or legal guardian is not considered a parent unless they have adopted the student.
Renewal of Dependency Status Appeal
Dependency overrides for students with unusual circumstances occur on an annual basis. Otherwise dependent students with unusual circumstances who received a dependency override in a prior aid year may renew their Independent Status for a subsequent aid year, provided their unusual circumstances have not changed. Students who qualify to do a Renewal of Dependency Status Appeal are assigned the form in WINGS. Upon receipt of the Renewal of Dependency Status Appeal Form, the Office of Financial Aid will verify that the student has affirmed that their unusual circumstances persist and permit a dependency status override for the new aid year.
