Dependency

Many students attending college for the first time are a little frustrated when they have to put their parents' financial information on the FAFSA. Some students have little interaction with their parents, or have parents who no longer claim them on their taxes. Regardless, most students attending college for the first time are required to put their parents' financial information on the FAFSA.

There are seven questions in step three of the FAFSA application, the section that covers dependency. If you answer "no" to all the questions, your parents' information must go on the form. If you can answer yes to any of the questions in that section, you do not have to put your parent's information on the form. Keep in mind that some health-profession schools and law schools require you to put your parents' information on the form no matter your dependency status is.

These are the questions that pertain to the 2004-2005 application.

The seven questions are as follows:

• Were you born before January 1st, 1981?
• In 2004-2005, will you, the student, be working on a master’s or doctorate program?
• As of today, are you, the student, married?
• Do you, the student, have children who receive more than half of their support from you?
• Do you, the student, have dependents other than your children/spouse?
• Are you, the student, an orphan, or are you or were you (until age 18) a ward/dependent of the court?
• Are you, the student, a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?

If you answer "no" to all of these questions and still believe you should not have to report your parents' information, you must talk to your school about special circumstances.

If your school chooses to exempt you from reporting your parents' information, it is at their sole discretion. If it does not provide such an exemption, the school's decision cannot be appealed to anyone, including the Department of Education.