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FAFSA - Step 3
In Section 3, Questions 52-58 are used to determine, according to law,
whether you are a dependent or an independent student for purposes of
calculating an EFC. If you answer "No" to all of these questions, you are a
dependent student, even if you do not live with your parents. A financial
aid administrator, or FAA may make an otherwise dependent student
independent in an individual case if he or she can document the
determination of independence by reason an individual circumstance. The
FAA's decision is final and cannot be appealed to the U.S. Department of
Education.
A dependent student moves on to Questions 59-84 in the FAFSA, providing
information about his or her parents in the purple areas of the paper FAFSA.
An independent student skips Questions 59-84 and continues with Questions 85
through the end of the application.
You must answer all of the following Questions:
Question 52. Were you were born before January 1, 1980? All current high
school students should answer "No" in this box.
53. During the school year 2004-05, will you be working on a master's or
doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, Ph.D., EdD, graduate
certificate, etc.)?? All current high school students should answer "No" in
this box.
Question 54. As of today, are you married? Answer "Yes" if you are legally
married on the date you sign the application. "Married" does not mean living
together unless West Virginia recognizes your relationship as common-law
marriage. Answer "Yes" if you are separated but not divorced.
Question 55. Do you have children who receive more than half of their
support from you? "Support" means financial support. An applicant whose
unborn child will be born before the end of the award year can answer "Yes."
Note, that the financial support is the issue here; it does not matter
whether the child lives with you or not.
Question 56. Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who
live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you, now
and through June 30, 2004? Again, the FAFSA is asking about financial
support. In this question, the people supported must live with you.
Question 57. Are you an orphan or are you or were you (until age 18) a
ward/dependent of the court? You should answer "Yes" if you are currently a
ward/dependent of the court or were a ward/dependent of the court until age
18, or both your parents are dead and you do not have an adoptive parent. If
your parents are dead, but you have a legal guardian, you are considered to
be an orphan for purposes of completing the FAFSA.
You are not considered a ward/dependent of the court based solely on being
incarcerated.
Let's move to question 58. Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces? High
School students should answer "No" for this question, even if you are
currently an ROTC student.
If you answered "Yes" to any of the questions 52-58, you should now skip to
Question 85. If you answered "No" to every one of these questions, continue
with Question 59. If you are a health professions student, your school may
require you to complete Questions 59-84 even if you answered "Yes" to any of
the dependency questions.
That concludes section 3 of the FAFSA. You should now be ready to continue
with Section 4.
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