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The Department of Education has established a unique definition for "independent status" for the federal financial aid programs. Any student who meets at least one of the following criteria is automatically classified as not needing to provide parent information on their FAFSA.
2024-25 questions that determine independence:
- Were you born before January 1, 2001?
- As of today, are you married? (Answer "No" if you are separated but not divorced.)
- At the beginning of the 2024-25 school year, will you be working on 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, 2024, and June 30, 2025?
- At any time since you turned 13, were you an orphan (no living biological or adoptive parents)?
- 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, 2023, were you unaccompanied and either (1) homeless or (2) self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?
If a student answers "yes" to at least one of these questions, parent information is not required on the FAFSA. Parent information is required for anyone who answers "no" to all of the questions.
Some students may have unusual circumstances in which parents should not be considered a resource for education expenses. In such cases, the financial aid office has the authority to review special situations on a case-by-case basis. Students who would like a review of their situation must complete a request for override of dependency status form, which can be requested from the Financial Aid Office. The student will be required to complete this form and submit additional documentation proving their independence. The decision of the financial aid office is final and cannot be appealed to the U. S. Department of Education.
If a student's dependency status changes during an award year due to circumstances other than a change in marital status, the student may notify Barton's financial aid office so that their dependency status can be reviewed. The student will be asked to supply documents necessary to update any of the FAFSA components affected by the change.
See additional information regarding independence status at StudentAid.gov.