You may have heard that some students are considered “independent” on the FAFSA, meaning they don’t list any parent information on the application. What classifies a student as independent for financial aid purposes? Federal Student Aid has a set list of criteria, which you can find below. Keep in mind that students who do not fall into one of these categories, but for some reason cannot provide parent data, may fall into provisional independent student status. Check with the financial aid office if you have questions on your specific situation.

Here are the set criteria for independent student status. You must meet at least one of these criteria to be considered independent for federal financial aid purposes.

• 24 years of age or older (as of December 31^st of the year for which you’re receiving your financial aid, called the award year)
• Married (and not separated)
• A graduate or professional student
• A veteran of the U.S. armed forces
• 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, you must be on active duty for other than state or training purposes)
• An orphan at any time since turning 13
• A ward of the court at any time since turning 13
• In foster care at any time since turning 13
• A legally emancipated minor as determined by a court in your state of residence
• In legal guardianship on the date you complete the FAFSA with someone other than your parent or stepparent, as determined by a court in your state of residence or previously in legal guardianship up until the day you became a legal adult in the state in which you reside (if you were in legal guardianship but the court order expired before you became a legal adult, you are not considered independent)
• Caring for legal dependents other than a spouse who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you now and will continue to do so during the award year
• Unaccompanied and either (1) homeless or (2) self-supporting and at risk of becoming homeless

Colleges may require documentation to verify your independent status, for example they may request the court order that verifies your legal guardianship. For more details on federal dependency status for financial aid purposes, consult the guidelines on the Federal Student Aid website.