2023-2024 FAFSA dependency questions
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Posted Date October 03, 2022 Electronic Announcement ID APP-22-21 Subject The 2023-24 FAFSA® Form is Here! The beginning of the 2023–24 FASFA® cycle was Oct. 1, 2022. The
application is available until June 30, 2024—but be sure to remind your students that some funds are limited, so it’s a good idea to apply as soon as possible. Students can apply online via fafsa.gov. As part of the planned phased updates outlined in the FUTURE Act and FASFA® Simplification Act, changes were made to the FAFSA form. These changes for 2023-24 include: Removal
of questions related to Selective Service registration,
For a complete description of all the changes to the 2023–24 FAFSA form, please refer to the Summary of Changes for the Application System Guide. Federal Student Aid (FSA) is also pleased to announce that it has fixed a previously known issue affecting dependent students who used the IRS DRT in their initial application and later tried to change their status to “independent” in subsequent transactions. Students who were initially determined to be dependent and used the IRS DRT, or whose parent used the IRS DRT, had been unable to submit a correction in which their dependency status was now “independent.” This issue has now been resolved and users should no longer encounter this problem. FSA staff members have been busy updating FASFA® resources for you. You'll find FAFSA resources, updates, and talking points on the Financial Aid Toolkit site. For more information about the 2023–24 FAFSA materials and their estimated availability dates, visit the Financial Aid Toolkit’s “FAFSA Updates” page. Remember, the Financial Aid Toolkit is for you, the counselor, mentor, or financial aid professional. Send students to fafsa.gov for FAFSA information. We consider financial aid administrators, school counselors, college access organization staff, and other mentors to be our partners in educating students about applying for and receiving federal student aid. Several times a year, we email our partners with updates about our products and services, reminders about upcoming professional development opportunities, tips for outreach to students, and more. Sign up to receive our partner emails Thank you! As we work together to make college or career school a reality for millions of students across the country, we continue to be grateful for your hard work and support. For the FAFSA® you are either considered a dependent or independent student. Your dependency status is a classification used specifically for the FAFSA to determine how much financial aid you are eligible for. If you are considered a dependent student, you will have to provide your parental demographic and financial information on your FAFSA application. Independent students, you will provide your own financial information. And if you’re married, your spouse’s information is also required. FAFSA Dependency QuestionsThe FAFSA will ask you a series of questions to determine your dependency status. The questions are pretty much ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Technically, there are 10 questions, but if you are completing your FAFSA online or through the mobile app, it will only ask you questions based on the information you provided up until that point. For example, you may not see a question asking you to confirm if you will be 24 years old or older by Jan. 1 of the school year for which you’re applying for financial aid. Based on your student demographic information, which includes your date of birth, the FAFSA can make that determination. The questions you may see on the 2023-2024 FAFSA
Why does FAFSA consider me dependent?If you answer ‘no’ to all these questions, you are going to be considered a dependent student for FAFSA purposes. In most cases, if you are an undergraduate student, under the age of 24, single with no children, you will likely be classified as a dependent student for FAFSA purposes. If you are required to provide parental information, but there are reasons why you can’t provide it, you will be given the opportunity to indicate this. Who is considered a parent on the FAFSA?If you are considered a dependent student for FAFSA purposes, you will need to provide parental information. For some families, it may not be entirely clear which parent’s information to provide. Click here if you need help determining your FAFSA parent. If your parent is refusing to provide information, we have some tips to help you below. Does it matter who claims a child on taxes for FAFSA?NO. Sorry for the caps, but we want to make sure you don’t miss this answer. It does not matter which parent claims you on their taxes. If you are a dependent student, either parent can complete the FAFSA and it does not have to be the parent who claims an exemption on their tax return. It also doesn’t matter if neither parent claims you on their taxes and you file your own taxes. If the FAFSA has determined you to be a dependent student for FAFSA purposes, it will ask you to provide parental information. FAFSA Dependency Tax ExemptionJust to be clear, being classified as a dependent for FAFSA purposes is not the same as being claimed as an exemption or dependent on a parent (or other individual's) taxes. These terms are similar and can be easily confused. But the FAFSA will determine your dependency status based on the way you answer the dependency status questions. FAFSA Dependent vs. IndependentBeing classified as a dependent or independent undergraduate student for FAFSA purposes will have an impact on your financial aid package from your school. Note: All graduate level students are considered independent students for FAFSA purposes. This table shows some of the impact of being classified as a dependent or independent undergraduate student on the FAFSA.
*If your parent is denied a Parent PLUS loan, you will become eligible for the independent undergraduate loan limits in the Direct Stafford Loan program. How do you fill out the FAFSA without parents?Don’t panic if you are unable to provide the required parental information. The FAFSA will ask you questions to see if you’re eligible for a dependency override. FAFSA dependency overrideIf you indicate that you are unable to provide parental information, the FAFSA will display a list of special circumstances. If one of these applies, you will be able to complete your FAFSA without providing parental information. This means you’ve qualified for a dependency override and will be treated as an independent undergraduate student. If you don’t qualify for one of the listed special circumstances, you won’t be able to complete the FAFSA. It will be considered ‘rejected’. However, you need to contact your school as soon as possible to explain your situation. In some instances, they may decide your situation qualifies for a dependency override. If not, they will determine if you qualify for a FAFSA professional judgment review. What is FAFSA Professional Judgement Review?Your parent is refusing to help you is not enough to be considered an independent student. But your school could determine that you can complete the application without parental information. The only financial aid you will be able to receive is Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan funds from the federal student aid program. There could be other types of institutional aid your school may be willing to offer you. However, this will be at the discretion of your school, even your eligibility for unsubsidized loan funds. Read More About the Federal Student AidFiling the FAFSA Student Parent Financial Information Avoiding Errors in Filing Head of Household Financial Aid Appeals Parent Information FAFSA Deadlines What is Financial Aid When should I fill out my FAFSA for 2023 2024?For federal aid, submit your application as early as possible, but no earlier than October 1, 2022. We must receive your application no later than June 30, 2024. Your college must have your correct, complete information by your last day of enrollment in the 2023-2024 school year.
What tax year will FAFSA use for 2023 2024?Your Federal Income Tax Return
On the 2023–24 FAFSA form, you (and your parents, if you are a dependent student) will report your 2021 income.
What tax year does FAFSA use for 2024 2025?Here's what many families are not aware of: the FAFSA is based on the year before the year before the year. Let's break that down. The 2024-2025 academic school year will be based on the 2022 tax filing.
What if my parents don't claim me as a dependent FAFSA?You can't be considered independent of your parents just because they refuse to help you with this process. If you do not provide their information on the FAFSA form, the application will be considered “rejected,” and you might not be able to receive any federal student aid.
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