The following information was taken from a website providing information about federal financial aid:
Dependency for financial aid purposes is not the same as dependency for tax purposes. On the FAFSA, you will be asked a series of questions (below). Unless you can answer "Yes" to one of the following, you will be considered a dependent student for your financial aid:
Are you 24 years old or older?
At the beginning of the upcoming school year, will you be working on a master_s or doctorate program?
As of today, are you married?
Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you?
Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and receive more than half of their support from you?
Are both of your parents deceased, or are you or were you a ward/dependent of the court?
Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?
One of the most common questions we are asked by students is whether they can _declare themselves independent._ Unfortunately, unless you can answer "Yes" to one of the questions above, you will be considered a dependent student for financial aid purposes and will need to submit your parents_ income information on the FAFSA - even if they do not claim you on their taxes or provide any financial support to you.
Only in the rarest of situations - when there is documentation of a complete break in the family situation - can colleges override the general dependency criteria.
Message to taxLAW: I know it may not seem fair nor logical to be considered "dependent" when you are living on your own and supporting yourself, but the government believes parents have an obligation to contribute to their child's college education and therefore they will take your parents' finances into account when figuring your financial aid package. Look at it this way: should a student whose parents make $200,000 a year get the same financial aid package as a student whose parents make $20,000 a year, even if the student is living on his/her own?