the	2025-26	award	year.	Students	may	update	the	answer	to	this	question	if	their	plans	change	or	they	progress	to	a
higher	grade	level	during	the	award	year.
A	student9s	grade	level	is	not	based	on	the	number	of	years	the	student	has	attended	college	but	on	work	completed
toward	the	degree	or	certificate.	For	instance,	a	full-time	student	might	attain	second-year	grade	level	after	one	year	of
study,	while	a	half-time	student	would	take	two	years	to	reach	that	level.
The	student	should	also	indicate	whether	they	will	have	a	first	bachelor9s	degree	before	beginning	the	2025-26	year
because	eligibility	for	Pell	and	Federal	Supplemental	Educational	Opportunity	grants	(FSEOG)	is	almost	exclusively
restricted	to	students	who	have	not	received	a	bachelor9s	degree	or	completed	the	requirements	for	one.	See	<General
Eligibility	Requirements	for	Federal	Pell	Grants=	in	
Volume	7,	Chapter	1	of	the	FSA	Handbook	regarding	degrees	from
unaccredited	and	foreign	schools,	which	can	count	as	bachelor9s	degrees	for	Pell	and	FSEOG	eligibility.
If	the	student	indicates	they	have	a	first	bachelor9s	degree,	they	should	also	indicate	if	they	will	be	pursuing	an	initial
teaching	certification	at	the	elementary	or	secondary	level.	If	a	student	answers	<yes=	to	this	question,	you	must	evaluate
and	determine	if	the	student	is	enrolled	in	a	postbaccalaureate	program	for	which	a	student	may	receive	a	Pell	Grant.	See
Volume	7,	Chapter	1	of	the	FSA	Handbook	regarding	eligible	postbaccalaureate	programs.
A	student	who	is	a	graduate	or	professional	student	is	independent	for	purposes	of	Title	IV	aid	and	not	eligible	for	Pell
grants	or	other	forms	of	undergraduate	aid.	If	a	Pell-eligible	student	incorrectly	indicates	they	are	working	on	a	master9s,
doctorate,	or	graduate	certificate	program,	they	must	submit	a	correction	before	they	can	receive	a	Pell	grant.	If	a	student
completes	an	undergraduate	program	during	the	year	and	begins	graduate	school,	the	student	can	update	the	answer	to
this	question	and	the	FPS	will	reprocess	the	student9s	application.
See	Volume	1,	Chapter	1	of	the	FSA	Handbook	for	definitions	of	undergraduate	and	graduate	students.
Student	Personal	(5),	Homelessness	(6),	or	Unusual	 (7)	Circumstances
The	law	governing	the	Title	IV	programs	is	based	on	the	premise	that	the	family	is	the	first	source	of	the	student9s
support,	and	the	law	provides	several	criteria	that	decide	if	the	student	is	considered	independent	of	their	parents	for	aid
eligibility.	Note	that	a	student	reaching	the	age	of	18	or	21	or	living	apart	from	their	parents	does	not	on	its	own	affect
their	dependency	status.
Questions	5	and	6,	along	with	information	from	other	FAFSA	questions,	are	used	to	determine	if	a	student	meets	eligibility
criteria	to	be	considered	independent	and	not	required	to	submit	information	about	their	parents.	If	a	student	is
considered	a	dependent	of	their	parents,	the	parents'	must	include	their	financial	information	on	the	FAFSA	form.	The	FPS
will	calculate	a	parent	contribution	and	add	it	to	the	student9s	contribution	to	derive	an	SAI.
For	the	2025-26	year,	a	student	who	meets	one	or	more	of	the	following	criteria	is	independent:
From	Question	1:
Undergraduate	student	definition
34	CFR	668.2(b)	<Undergraduate	student=
Graduate	student	definition
34	CFR	668.2(b)	<Graduate	or	professional	student=
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