An independent student is one of the following:
- at least 24 years old
- married
- a graduate or professional student
- a veteran
- a member of the armed forces
- an orphan
- a ward of the court
- someone with legal dependents other than a spouse
- an emancipated minor or
- someone who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
Students who do not meet one of these qualifications must add parental information to their FAFSA. There are some unusual circumstances in which students who do not meet one of the above criteria can be considered independent and not be required to include parental information on the FAFSA:
- They are either seeking Dependency Override (https://financialaid.arizona.edu/policies/appeals), which means:
- Abandonment by both parents,
- An abusive family environment that threatens the student's health or safety, or
- The student is unable to locate their parents
- They are unaccompanied and at risk of homelessness, which means they meet the following:
- Unaccompanied—when a student is not living in the physical custody of a parent or guardian,
- Homeless—lacking fixed, regular, and adequate housing,
- At risk of being homeless—when a student’s housing may cease to be fixed, regular, and adequate, for example, a student who is being evicted or has been asked to leave their current residence and has been unable to find fixed, regular, and adequate housing, and
- Self-supporting—when a student pays for his or her own living expenses, which includes paying for fixed, regular, and adequate housing.
If you were approved for either of these circumstances in prior years, your independent status will automatically carry over, unless you indicate your circumstances have changed.
If you have not been previously approved for either circumstance by the University of Arizona, you will be required to provide additional documentation to confirm your independent status. Please reach out to a member of our Ask Aid Team.
For additional information about a how a student’s dependency status is determined visit studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out/dependency/.