United States · Financial aid
FAFSA 2027-28 dependency status checker.
Answer the form’s own questions and see whether a parent has to give information.
Short answer: On the 2027-28 form a student is dependent only if all of these hold: born after 2003, single/divorced/separated/widowed, not graduate-level, none of the question 5 circumstances, no homelessness situation, and no unusual circumstances. Fail any one and the student is independent (or provisionally independent).
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Result
Answer the questions and press Check status.
How the 2027-28 form decides dependent or independent
Page 3 of the form says a student is dependent, and a parent must complete the Parent section, only if all of these are true: the student was born after 2003; the student’s marital status in question 3 is single (never married), divorced, separated or widowed; the student’s college level in question 4 is first, second, or third-or-higher (not graduate-level); the student chose “None of these apply” in question 5; chose “They didn’t face either of these situations” in question 6; and answered “No” in question 7. If any statement is false, the student is independent and parent information should not be provided.
Provisionally independent
If every statement above is true except that the student picked one of the first two homelessness situations in question 6 and then “None of these apply” for who determined it, or answered “Yes” in question 7, the form calls the student provisionally independent. The student submits with the Parent and Parent Spouse or Partner sections left blank and contacts the college’s financial aid administrator for guidance. That is a status for the school to resolve, not a finding.
What counts in question 5
The form lists active duty, veteran status, supporting children or other people who live with the student and receive more than half their support from the student, having been an orphan, a ward of the court, in foster care since turning 13, being a legally emancipated minor, or being in a court-ordered legal guardianship. Legal guardianship does not include parents, even if a court appointed them. A custody order that says “custody” rather than “guardianship” does not count; the form tells the student to leave the box blank and contact the school.
Worked example (real dates)
A student born in 2006 who is single and starting a first undergraduate year, with nothing selected in question 5, “did not face either situation” in question 6 and “No” in question 7, passes every test, so the form treats them as dependent even if they do not live with a parent. If the student ticks “veteran” in question 5, one failed statement is enough to make them independent.
What this does not cover
- The college’s authority to change status or ask for documents. Foster care, ward of the court, emancipation and guardianship can require proof.
- State and college aid forms, which can use their own dependency rules.
- Who the parent is when the student is dependent. See the contributor page for divorced, separated and remarried parents.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Does age alone make me independent on the 2027-28 FAFSA?
The form uses the birth year: a student born in 2003 or earlier is independent. Being born after 2003 is only one of the six statements needed to be dependent.
Does living away from my parents make me independent?
No. The form says a dependent student’s parent must complete the Parent section even if the student does not live with a parent.
What does provisionally independent mean?
It means every dependent test is met but the student reported a homelessness situation without a determination, or unusual circumstances preventing contact with parents. The student submits with parent sections blank and contacts the college financial aid administrator.
Does being married make me independent?
Yes. Dependent status requires a marital status of single, divorced, separated or widowed, so married or remarried students are independent on this form.
Does graduate school make me independent?
Yes. The form lists graduate-level study (master’s or doctorate) as outside the dependent group.
Does this page submit or check my FAFSA?
No. It applies the dates and rules printed on the 2027-28 FAFSA form to what you enter, in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere. Apply at fafsa.gov.
Check the live schedule
This page applies the 2027-28 form’s printed tests to your answers. It is not run by the U.S. Department of Education, it does not decide your status, and nothing you type is transmitted anywhere. Your college’s financial aid administrator makes the final decision.