There are only ten specific circumstances where a student automatically counts as an independent. All other students are counted as dependants and must report parental income information to qualify for financial aid.

However, there is an exception for students with special circumstances. In some situations, your college’s financial aid office may count you as an independent student even if you don’t otherwise qualify.

The Ten Automatic Qualifiers for Independent Student Status

When it comes to money and family, many students have complicated situations.

However, the Department of Education tries to simplify things by asking borrowers ten simple questions. If the answer to any of the following is yes, you are independent. Answer no to all ten, and you are a dependent student unless you qualify under the special circumstances exception.

To automatically count as an independent student, you must be one of the following:

• At least 24 years old,
• Married,
• Working on a master’s degree or doctorate degree,
• A parent,
• Someone with dependants who receive more than half their support from you,
• Active duty military,
• A veteran of the U.S. armed forces,
• An orphan or in foster care,
• An emancipated minor or someone other than your parent or stepparent has legal guardianship of you, or
• Determined to be an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or self-supporting and at risk of being homeless.

If you think you might qualify under one of the ten automatic categories but are unsure, this page from the Department of Education breaks down the requirements in more detail.

If you believe you are an independent student because your parents cannot help or refuse to participate, you will have to qualify as an independent under the special circumstances exception.

Special Circumstances to Qualify as an Independent on the FAFSA

Sometimes people don’t meet one of the ten categories of independent students, but it would be truly unfair to call them dependent students.

If this describes your situation, you can complete the FAFSA without including parental information. On the FAFSA, you can say that you cannot provide parental information due to special circumstances.

According to the Department of Education, special circumstances can include the following situations:

• You don’t know where your parents are, and you cannot contact them,
• Your parents are incarcerated,
• You left home due to an abusive environment, or
• You are older than 21 but not yet 24, and you are homeless or self-supporting and at risk of becoming homeless.

Note from the Sherpa: These are only example situations provided by the Department of Education. Other issues may also qualify under the special circumstances exception.

Unfortuantely, marking that you have special circumstances on the FAFSA isn’t enough. You must take additional steps to get your independent status approved.

Required Steps for Students with Special Circumstances to get Independent Status

After completing the FAFSA, you need to reach out to your school’s financial aid office to explain your situation. Tell them that you could not provide parental income information due to special circumstances.

The financial aid office will likely have more questions and may request additional documentation.

The Department of Education suggests collecting written evidence to help prove that you are not a dependent. Possible written evidence includes: court or law enforcement documents, and written letters from school counselors, clergy, or social workers.

Your school’s financial aid office will then determine your dependency status. If they find that you are an independent student, your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) will be lowered to $0.

Unfortunately, if the school determines that you are a dependent student, there is no way to appeal the decision to the Department of Education.

What if my Parent Refuses to Contribute the Expected Family Contribution?

The EFC Formula may appear to be complicated. However, it is still a blunt force equation that is not accurate in all situations.

In some cases, parents have the resources to help but are unwilling to do so. In other circumstances, high numbers might not adequately reflect a parent’s ability to contribute.

Unfortuantely, there isn’t an easy answer for families in this situation.

My advice to students with an EFC that doesn’t match their financial circumstances is usually to contact the school’s financial aid office to ask for additional help.

Getting Additional Help from the Office of Financial Aid

The job of the Office of Financial Aid is to help students find the necessary resources to pay for school.

When the FAFSA numbers don’t reflect a student’s ability to pay, the Office of Financial Aid may offer some help.

Schools often have grants and scholarships set aside for students who face unique challenges. Asking your school for help can make a real difference.

The post How to Qualify for Independent Student Status on the FAFSA appeared first on The Student Loan Sherpa.

The best piece of advice I have on filling out the FAFSA would be this: if you are going to borrow any money for college, fill out the FAFSA.

Myth: My parents make too much money for me to get anything from the FAFSA.

Reality: Unless your parents are Bill and Melinda Gates, you should be filling it out. The only reason not to fill out your FAFSA is if you don’t want a single penny to assist the funding of your education.

Lets say that the income of your parents precludes you from any need based aid. This fact alone is not a reason to forgo the FAFSA. Not only does the FAFSA provide need-based grants and loans, but it is also the only way to get standard federal loans. Plus, even if you think you are too far into the middle class to get aid, you never really know until you fill out the form and find out for yourself. Too much income for a federal loan doesn’t really become an issue unless your parents are earning well over $300,000 per year.

If you are going to get any student loans, the FAFSA is an essential first step. Federal loans are better than all private loans for a variety of reasons. Choosing federal loans over private loans is a decision you will be glad you made when the time comes to start paying back your loans.

Myth: I can’t fill out my FAFSA because my family still has to file their taxes.

Reality: You can start filing your FAFSA on October 1 of the year before you start school. For example, if you need aid for the school year starting in 2022, you can file the FAFSA starting October 1, 2021. For more details check out this article on early FAFSA filing.

Myth: The FAFSA is too much work and it isn’t worth the hassle.

Reality: As previously mentioned, federal loans are the best and the FAFSA is the only way to get them. It is definitely worth your time.

As far as ease of filing the FAFSA, go to studentaid.gov and find out how simple it is for yourself. The hardest thing might just be remembering your PIN number.

Myth: The FAFSA website said something about a June deadline, so I have plenty of time.

Reality: Every day that you wait, the less money you are likely to get. The Federal government has a limited supply of need-based aid, and waiting longer will make it harder to get.

Additionally, your school will hand out scholarships and grants based upon FAFSA results. Again, the sooner you file, the better. You want them to look over your application while there is still money to give away. With each day that passes, more students file, and you end up in a longer line.

Procrastination is a skill that many refine during their college years, but pushing off this simple project is a mistake you really can’t afford.

The post The Best Time to file the FAFSA… and other FAFSA myths appeared first on The Student Loan Sherpa.