When you file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you’ll answer questions that will determine your status as a dependent or an independent student.
Most students under the age of 24 are considered dependent students. However, students in certain exceptional situations can apply for a dependency override for FAFSA from their school’s financial aid office. The override allows a student to be considered an independent student for financial aid purposes and to exclude parental information on the FAFSA form. This means that only the student’s income and assets will be reported on the FAFSA.
A dependency override can result in more financial aid for a student. Learn about the FAFSA dependency override, the criteria to qualify, and how to apply.
Key Points
• On the FAFSA, a student’s status is deemed dependent or independent. Dependent students must include their parent’s income on the FAFSA, independent students do not.
• Students in specific situations may qualify for a FAFSA dependency override that allows them to be considered independent so they don’t need to include their parents’ assets on the FAFSA.
• A FAFSA dependency override has strict requirements and may be difficult to qualify for.
• Students must contact their school’s financial aid office to find out about applying for a FAFSA dependency override and the documentation that is required.
• Schools have up to 60 days after a student enrolls to make a decision about whether the student qualifies for a FAFSA dependency override.
Understanding Dependency Status
A student’s dependency status determines the information they must report when filling out the FAFSA. As part of the steps to complete the FAFSA, dependent students include their parents’ information as well as their own information on the form. Independent students report only their own information on the FAFSA.
According to FAFSA requirements, a dependent student is someone who does not meet any of the criteria of an independent student.
Independent students must be at least one of following:
• 24 or older
• Married
• Graduate or professional student
• Veteran
• Member of the armed forces
• An orphan
• Ward of the court
• In foster care
• Someone with legal dependents other than a spouse
• Emancipated minor
• Homeless or at risk of becoming homeless
If you meet one or more of the conditions above you are considered an independent student and you’re not required to report information about your parents, including their income, on the FAFSA.
If you don’t meet any of the criteria, but you are unable to include your parents’ information on the FAFSA for very specific reasons, such as cases of abuse or neglect or a parent who is absent from your life or incarcerated, you can file for a FAFSA dependency override. In general, the requirements to qualify for an override are strict.
If you cannot get a dependency override, don’t be discouraged. There is other financial aid you may be eligible for through the FAFSA, including grants, scholarships, and federal student loans.
And keep this in mind: In the future, you can choose to refinance student loans if you can qualify for better rates and terms, which might help make it easier to repay your student loan debt. In other words, you have options.
Recommended: FAFSA Facts for Parents
Eligibility for Dependency Override
As mentioned, the criteria to determine eligibility for a FAFSA dependency override can be strict. That said, don’t be deterred from applying if you think you may qualify.
Qualifying Circumstances
A FAFSA dependency override might be granted to you by your school’s financial aid office if certain circumstances apply to your situation, including the following:
• An abusive family environment, including sexual, physical, or mental abuse, or domestic violence
• Abandonment or estrangement by your parents
• Parents are incarcerated or institutionalized
• Parents cannot be located
• Parents are physically or mentally incapacitated
• Parents are hospitalized for an extended period
What doesn’t qualify for dependency override? Circumstances that are not considered FAFSA dependency override qualifications include:
• Parents who refuse to help pay for your education
• Parents who are unwilling to provide information on the FAFSA
• Parents who refuse to complete FAFSA verification
• Parents who do not claim the student as a dependent on their taxes
• Students who are self-supporting and live on their own
Recommended: FAFSA Guide
Documentation Required
Each school has different documentation requirements for the FAFSA dependency override, so it’s best to contact your school directly to find out exactly what’s needed. You may be asked to provide various types of documentation depending on your situation, including:
• Parental incarceration information such as jail records and sentencing documents
• Missing person’s reports or police reports for parents who can’t be located
• Records from homeless shelters or homeless youth centers, and signed statements from counselors or teachers verifying that you’re experiencing homelessness
• Police, court, medical, and child welfare records that indicate an abusive situation
It’s important to note that if you have been declared homeless or at risk of homelessness by a homeless youth Basic Center, an emergency shelter funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or a school district homelessness liaison, you can qualify as an independent student without applying for a dependency override.
Likewise, if you were in foster care for even one day after the age of 13, you can also qualify as an independent student without applying for an override.
Applying for a Dependency Override
In addition to the FAFSA, your college or university will require you to submit additional information about your situation, including documents, letters, and proof that explains your situation as described above, to apply for a dependency override.
Here are the actions to take as well as some FAFSA tips:
On the FAFSA form, fill out Steps 1, 2, and 3. For Step 4, if you can’t provide parental information due to one of the qualifying circumstances above, leave the step blank and contact your school’s financial aid office immediately to explain your situation and find out how to proceed.
A financial aid officer will give you information about what’s required for the FAFSA dependency override, the documentation you need to provide, and a timeline of how long it might take for your application to be reviewed. Schools have up to 60 days after the student enrolls to make a decision.
It’s vital for students to contact their financial aid office about an override as soon as possible so as not to miss any deadlines for state or institutional aid. In some states and at some schools, the FAFSA must be fully completed in order to determine the student’s FAFSA amount and for students to be considered for these aid opportunities.
The Takeaway
A student may qualify for a FAFSA dependency override in certain situations such as having a parent who is incarcerated or incapacitated. The override allows students to exclude their parents’ information on the FAFSA form and helps determine the amount of financial aid they may receive from their school.
Dependency overrides have specific requirements and may be difficult to qualify for. If you are ineligible, the FAFSA can still help you access student aid, including federal student loans, grants and scholarships.
You can also take out private student loans to help pay for college. You could then refinance them later on if you can qualify for lower rates and better terms.
Looking to lower your monthly student loan payment? Refinancing may be one way to do it — by extending your loan term, getting a lower interest rate than what you currently have, or both. (Please note that refinancing federal loans makes them ineligible for federal forgiveness and protections. Also, lengthening your loan term may mean paying more in interest over the life of the loan.) SoFi student loan refinancing offers flexible terms that fit your budget.
FAQ
What are the reasons for a FAFSA dependency override?
A dependency override for FAFSA can help students in exceptional situations qualify as independent and report only their own financial information, and not their parents’, on the FAFSA form. Students who come from situations of abuse or abandonment, or whose parents are incarcerated, hospitalized for an extended time, or institutionalized, among other situations, may qualify.
How often can you request a dependency override?
Thanks to the FAFSA Simplification Act, which went into effect in the 2024-2025 academic award year, students who qualify for the dependency override no longer need to request or recertify their status each year unless their situation changes. Students must still submit the FAFSA each year, however.
Can the dependency override decision be appealed?
If you’re denied a dependency override, these decisions are final at many colleges and cannot be appealed. However, reach out to your school’s financial aid office to find out if it’s possible to appeal. If it is, get specific instructions from them about how to proceed.
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