The	student	was	born	before	January	1,	2002.
From	Question	3:
The	student	is	married	(not	separated)	or	remarried	as	of	the	application	date.
From	Question	4:
The	student	is	a	graduate	or	professional	student	during	the	award	year.
From	Question	5:
The	student	is	currently	serving	on	active	duty	in	the	U.S.	armed	forces	for	purposes	other	than	training.
The	student	is	a	veteran	of	the	U.S.	armed	forces.
The	student	has	children	or	dependents	other	than	a	spouse	(see	note	below	for	an	explanation	of	why	an	individual
may	not	be	asked	this	question,	even	if	they	appear	to	have	children	or	dependents	included	in	their	family	size).
The	student	is	(or	was	at	any	time	after	reaching	the	age	of	13)	an	orphan,	ward	of	the	court,	or	in	foster	care.
The	student	is	(or	was	when	the	student	reached	the	age	of	majority)	a	legally	emancipated	minor	or	in	a	legal
guardianship	(with	someone	other	than	their	parent	or	stepparent),	as	determined	by	a	court	in	the	student9s	state	of
legal	residence.
From	Question	6:
The	student	was	at	any	time	on	or	after	July	1,	2024,	determined	to	be	unaccompanied	and	(1)	homeless	or	(2)	self-
supporting	and	at	risk	of	being	homeless	with	a	determination	from	one	of	the	entities	listed	on	the	FAFSA	form.
In	unusual	circumstances,	an	aid	administrator	can	determine	that	a	student	who	doesn9t	meet	any	of	the	criteria	listed
above	should	still	be	treated	as	an	independent	student.	A	student	may	indicate	that	they	have	an	unusual	circumstance
by	selecting	<Yes=	to	Question	7	on	the	FAFSA	form.	The	student	may	then	skip	the	parent	sections	of	the	form.	Students
who	select	<Yes=	to	this	question	will	be	given	provisional	independent	student	status	and	directed	to	provide
documentation	to	their	financial	aid	office	for	determination.	(See	<Unusual	Circumstances=	in	Chapter	5.)
Active	Duty	in	the	U.S.	Armed	Forces
Note:	The	FAFSA	Simplification	Act	required	ED	to	limit	or	eliminate	unnecessary	questions	from	the	FAFSA	form.
If	the	answer	to	a	question	is	not	necessary	to	determine	a	student9s	eligibility	for	federal	student	aid	or	if	the
answer	is	available	or	derivable	from	answers	to	other	questions,	the	Department	is	not	permitted	to	require	the
student	to	provide	an	answer.
For	example,	when	completing	the	FAFSA	form	online,	applicants	are	only	asked	if	they	have	children	or
dependents	other	than	a	spouse	if	they	are	under	the	age	of	24.	A	student	aged	24	or	older	will	not	have	the
opportunity	to	answer	this	question	as	they	are	independent	by	age,	making	this	question	unnecessary.	In	FPP,
the	answer	to	this	question	will	be	<Blank=;	on	the	student9s	ISIR,	the	answer	to	this	question	will	be	<No=.
Therefore,	you	should	not	assume	that	a	<Blank=	or	<No=	indicates	the	student	does	not	have	children	or	other
dependents.	It	is	possible	for	an	applicant	to	have	a	<No=	or	<Blank=	response	to	this	question	and	report	a	family
size	that	appears	to	include	dependents	other	than	a	spouse.	This	is	not,	on	its	own,	conflicting	information.
Independent	Student	Determination
HEA	Sec.	480(d)
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