How can you be considered independent

Independent In the federal government's eyes, parents are responsible for their children's' education, regardless of whether or not the parents can actually pay. Taking this into account, the federal government applies two different standards for students, one for dependent students and one for independent students.

Dependent students are assumed to have parental support while independent students are not. The result: independent students might qualify for more aid. Join the Discussion. At anytime since you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care or were you a dependent or ward of the court?

As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you an emancipated minor? If you answer 'No' to all of the above criteria, the Department of Education will consider you a dependent student. Parental information must be provided by your birth parent s or adoptive parent s.

Parental information cannot be provided by grandparents, legal guardians or foster parents. If you have a unique situation, please contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss your options. Search Search Image. Student Login. Employee Login. Stanford , California Skip to content. Financial Aid Optional line 2 - add two-line-signature to body class to display. Menu Search form Search term. Information for How Aid Works Independent Students If you are an orphan, a ward of the court, or have an extremely adverse home situation, we will treat you as an independent student for purposes of Stanford scholarship eligibility.

The following circumstances are not sufficient basis for you to be treated as an independent student for purposes of institutional scholarship eligibility: You are an emancipated minor; Your parents do not claim you as a tax exemption; Your parents do not support your choice of academic major or courses; Your parents do not want to participate in paying for your educational costs; Your parents feel that they are unable to contribute toward your costs.

Determining Eligibility Our financial aid program is need-based, meaning that all aid eligibility is determined by your financial circumstances including your spouse and family if appropriate.