Your dependency status determines whose information you must report when you fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form.

  • If you’re a dependent student, you will report both your and your parents’ information.
  • If you’re an independent student, you will report your own information (and, if you’re married, your spouse’s).

FAFSA guidelines assume that a dependent student receives parental support, so the form includes both the student’s and parents’ financial information to provide a complete picture of the family’s resources. Being a dependent student doesn’t require your parents to pay for your education; their information helps determine your maximum eligibility for federal student aid.

Dependent or Independent

Your answers to personal circumstance questions on the FAFSA® form determine whether you are considered a dependent or independent student.

Here are the questions that determine your dependency status for the 2026–27 school year.

  • Were you born before Jan. 1, 2003?
  • As of today, are you married? (Answer “No” if you are separated but not divorced.)
  • At the beginning of the 2026–27 school year, will you be enrolled in a master’s or doctorate program (such as an M.A., MBA, M.D., J.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, 2026, and June 30, 2027?
  • 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, 2025, were you unaccompanied and either (1) homeless or (2) self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?**

Answered “Yes” to One or More of the Questions Above

If you answered “yes” to any of the questions, then for federal student aid purposes, you’re considered an independent student and will not provide information about your parents on the FAFSA form.

Answered “No” to Every Question

If you answered “no” to every question, then for federal student aid purposes, you’re considered a dependent student, and you must provide information about your parents when you fill out the FAFSA form.

For more information about dependency status, visit the Federal Student Aid Dependency Status website.