Dependent students must report parental information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Dependent students meet all the following conditions:

• Unmarried
• Under the age of 24
• No legal dependents
• Not a veteran of the U.S. armed forces
• Not a graduate student (beyond a bachelor's degree)
• Not a ward of the court or parents are not deceased

An independent student meets at least one of the following criteria and does not report parental information on the FAFSA:

• Age 24 or older
• Married
• Has a legal dependent other than a spouse
• An orphan/ward of the court (or were until age 18)
• A veteran of the U.S. armed forces
• Both parents are deceased
• Enrolled in a graduate or professional program (beyond a bachelor's degree)
• Emancipated minor
• In legal guardianship

At any time on or after July 1 of the tax year used on the FAFSA, the student was:

• Declared an unaccompanied youth by the student's high school or by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Declared homeless by a Youth Center