Provisionally	Independent	Status
Students	can	indicate	on	the	FAFSA	form	that	they	believe	they	have	unusual	circumstances	that	prevent	them	from
providing	parental	data.	Messaging	on	the	FAFSA	form	thoroughly	informs	the	student	about	what	warrants	a	dependency
override	and	what	the	results	will	be	for	their	application.	If	they	complete	the	screening	steps	and	do	not	include	parental
data,	they	will	receive	a	provisional	status	as	an	independent	student	and	a	provisional	SAI	calculation.	The	record	will	be
rejected,	pending	further	action	from	the	student9s	FAA.	You	will	have	to	review	the	student9s	situation	and	determine	if
the	student:
Is	unaccompanied	and	homeless;
Merits	a	dependency	override;
Must	instead	provide	parental	data;	or
Should	be	permitted	to	borrow	only	unsubsidized	loans	because	they	can	document	that	their	parents	have	refused
to	support	them	or	to	provide	parental	information	on	the	student9s	FAFSA.
Dependent	Students	Without	Parent	Support
Dependent	students	whose	parents	refuse	to	support	them	are	not	eligible	for	a	dependency	override,	but	they	may	be
able	to	receive	a	dependent	level	Direct	Unsubsidized	Loan	only.	For	a	student	to	be	eligible	for	this	provision	you	must
document	the	following:
The	student9s	parents	refuse	to	complete	the	FAFSA;	or
The	student9s	parents	do	not	and	will	not	provide	any	financial	support	to	the	student	(include	the	date	support
ended).
If	the	parents	refuse	to	sign	and	date	a	statement	to	this	effect,	you	must	get	documentation	from	a	third	party	(the
student	is	not	sufficient),	such	as	a	teacher,	counselor,	cleric,	or	court.
This	situation	does	not	on	its	own	justify	a	dependency	override.	However,	resolving	the	situation	is	at	your	discretion.	If
you	decide	that	a	student9s	situation	does	not	warrant	a	dependency	override,	you	must	document	your	decision	and
ensure	that	the	student	submits	a	FAFSA	form	and	passes	all	the	eligibility	matches.	The	result	will	be	a	rejected
application	with	no	SAI.	You	can	then	award	the	student	a	Direct	Unsubsidized	Loan	up	to	the	maximum	the	student
would	normally	be	eligible	for	depending	on	his	or	her	grade	level	(but	not	the	amount	a	student	can	get	when	their
parent	is	unable	to	get	a	Direct	PLUS	Loan).
Unaccompanied	Homeless	Youth	Determinations
If	a	student	does	not	have	and	cannot	get	documentation	from	any	of	the	authorities	listed	under	the	<Unaccompanied
homeless	youth=	section	in	Chapter	2	of	this	volume,	you	(the	FAA)	must	document	and	determine	if	they	are	an
unaccompanied	youth	who	is	homeless	or	is	self-supporting	and	at	risk	of	being	homeless.	Any	student	who	is	not	yet	24
may	qualify	for	a	homeless	youth	determination.	It	is	important	to	make	homeless	youth	determinations	on	a	case-by-
case	basis.
A	student	is	considered	homeless	if	they	lack	fixed,	regular,	and	adequate	housing.	This	is	broader	than	just	living	<on	the
street.=	It	includes	but	is	not	limited	to:
youth	sharing	housing	with	other	people	temporarily	because	they	had	nowhere	else	to	go;
youth	living	in	emergency	or	transitional	shelters,	for	example,	trailers	provided	by	the	Federal	Emergency
Management	Agency	after	disasters;
youth	living	in	motels,	campgrounds,	cars,	parks,	abandoned	buildings,	bus	or	train	stations,	substandard	housing,	or
any	public	or	private	place	not	designed	for	humans	to	live	in;
youth	living	in	the	school	dormitory	if	they	would	otherwise	be	homeless;	and
youth	who	are	migrants	and	who	qualify	as	experiencing	homeless	because	they	are	living	in	circumstances
described	above.
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