1on1 FAFSA Navigation
Free Application for Federal Student Aid – Required Information and Steps to Fill out the Forms
| Before January 1 of this year, were you 23 or older? | No | Yes |
| Are you married? (Answer “Yes” if you are separated but not divorced.) | No | Yes |
| When you attend college, will you be working on a master’s or doctorate degree (such as an M.A., M.B.A., M.D., J.D., Ph.D., Ed.D., or graduate certificate, etc.)? | No | Yes |
| 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?) | No | Yes |
| Are you a veteran of the U.S. armed forces?§ Answer No (you are not a veteran) if you (1) have never engaged in active duty in the U.S. armed forces, (2) are currently a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) student or a cadet or midshipman at a service academy, (3) are a National Guard or Reserves enlistee activated only for training, or (4) were engaged in active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces but released under dishonorable conditions.§ Also answer No if you are currently serving in the U.S. armed forces and will continue to serve through the end of the award year.§ Answer Yes (you are a veteran) if you (1) have engaged in active duty in the U.S. armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard) or are a National Guard or Reserve enlistee who was called to active duty for purposes other than training, or were a cadet or midshipman at one of the service academies and (2) were released under a condition other than dishonorable.§ Also answer Yes if you are not a veteran now but will be one by the Federal Student Aid application deadline for the school year you will be attending. | No | Yes |
| Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you? | No | Yes |
| 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? | No | Yes |
| At any time since you turned age 13, (a) were both of your parents deceased, (b) were you in foster care, or (c) were you a dependent or ward of the court? | No | Yes |
| Are you, or were you an emancipated minor as determined by a court in your state of legal residence at the time you received the determination? | No | Yes |
| Are you, or were you in legal guardianship as determined by a court in your state of legal residence at the time you received the determination? | No | Yes |
| At any time on or after July 1, 2008, did your high school or school district homeless liaison determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless? | No | Yes |
| At any time on or after July 1, 2008, did the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless? | No | Yes |
| At any time on or after July 1, 2008, did the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or was self-supporting and at risk of being homeless? | No | Yes |
If you answered No to every question above, you are considered a dependent student, and you must provide financial information for your parents on the FAFSA4caster (http://www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov/F4CApp/index/what011a.jsf ).
If you answered Yes to any question above, you are considered an independent student, and you do not have to provide financial information for your parents on the FAFSA4caster.
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