Can I FAFSA If...

Steps for filling out the FAFSA for students requiring a dependency override (submitting the FASFA as an Independent Student)

  1. In Step 3 (Student), check "yes" for any applicable questions. If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, FAFSA considers you to be an independent student, and you can skip Step 4 (Parent). If you cannot answer "yes" to any of these questions, you may need to apply for a dependency override with your university.

  2. FAFSA on the Web will ask whether you are able to provide information about your parents. Indicate that you have special circumstances that make you unable to provide this information.

  3. Submit the FAFSA without the information of the parent whose whereabouts you do not know. Although your FAFSA will be submitted, if you have not answered "yes" to the questions that determine independent student status (explained in Step 1), your FAFSA will not be fully processed. You need to contact your school regarding further steps.

  4. Contact your university's financial aid office and explain your situation; see if they have university-specific advice or protocols. They will likely ask you to fill out additional forms or submit letters from counselors or other parties who know your situation well.

Anna Helhoski Nerd Wallet

My Parents are Not Helping Me Pay for School

Filling out the FAFSA does not mean your parent has to provide financial support. Refusal to file will not make you eligible for need-based income, such as the subsidized Stafford Loan, Perkins loan, and Pell Grant. Not filling out the FAFSA prevent you from getting any of this aid. FAFSA is confidential and protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Having your parent fill out the FAFSA will make you eligible for need based income even if they don’t help with college costs. It is a simple process that can help students fund their college education. Parent refusal or unwillingness to contribute and provide information to the application is on ground for dependency status override.

My Parents are Incarcerated

You will have the option to indicate that you have special circumstances that make you unable to get your parents’ information. Make sure to contact your financial aid office at the college or career school you plan to attend. Be prepared to provide additional information and documentation, such as written evidences from a school counselor, about your situation.

My Parents are Unemployed

If a parent is unemployed when filing the FAFSA, the parent will indicate that he or she is a dislocated worker. This may exclude the parent from needing to report assets on the FAFSA. Any unemployment benefits received will be included in the parent's Adjusted Gross Income on the tax return and must be reported on the FAFSA.

If a parent becomes unemployed after filing the FAFSA, the student should contact the financial aid office at each college as soon as possible to determine if the student is eligible for an adjustment in the financial aid as a result of the job loss.

Martha Savery, MEFA

I am Living with Another Family Member

Even if you are living with someone who is not your legal parent (grandparents, foster parents, aunts/uncles, legal guardians, widowed stepparent), you still report information on your legal parent. These people are not your parents until they have legally adopted you.

My Parents are Divorced or My Parent is a Single Parent

In cases of divorce or a single parent, the custodial parent is responsible for completing the FAFSA form.

If your parents are divorced and don’t live together, answer the questions about the parent who you lived with most during the past 12 months. If the time spent was equally, answer about the parent who provided more financial support during the past or most recent 12 months

If your parents are divorced and live together, indicate marital status as “unmarried and both legal parents living together.” Answer questions about both parents on the FAFSA. If your parents are separated and live together, indicate marital status as “married or remarried”. Do not use “divorced or separated, and answers questions about both parents on the FAFSA.

Include a stepparent who is married to your legal parent on the FAFSA, except on the “parents’ education level.” Here, only include your birth or adoptive legal parent.

Financial Aid Options for Students with Disabilities

Enrolling in a Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary (CTP) program can provide you with additional grants, loans, and work study aid. If you are a student with an intellectual disability, you may also qualify for Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and Federal Work-Study programs.

CTP programs support students with intellectual disabilities who are continuing their academic, career, and independent living education to prepare them for employment. You will need to have a high school diploma or GED and not required to be pursuing a degree or certificate. You must maintain good academic standing and satisfactory progress. Click here to see a full list of colleges across the country that offer CTP programs!