FAFSA Dependency Status

You may be able to request a Dependency Override to be treated as an independent student if there are unusual circumstances that make it difficult or impossible for you to provide parent income information on the FAFSA. Those reasons include, but are not limited to: 

• Circumstances that threaten your health or safety 
• Abandonment by parents 
• Custodial parent(s) is/are incarcerated 
• Both parents are deceased (and/or the non-custodial parent is estranged) 

The Department of Education does not consider the following situations to be eligible for dependency appeal consideration:

• Your parents refuse to contribute to your education.
• Your parents will not provide information for the FAFSA or verification.
• Your parents do not claim you as a dependent for income tax purposes.
• You demonstrate total self-sufficiency to support yourself.

Please contact us if your parent is refusing to provide their information on the FAFSA or if you would like to request a Dependency Override for unusual or extenuating circumstances and have questions. 

You may be considered independent if you are homeless or at risk of homelessness. In some cases, you may have received documentation from one or more of the following: 

• A local educational agency homeless liaison, per the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act;
• The director (or designee) of an emergency/transitional shelter, street outreach program, homeless youth drop-in center, or other program serving individuals experiencing homelessness;
• The director (or designee) of a project supported by a Federal TRIO or GEAR-UP grant;
• A financial aid administrator at another institution who has documented the student’s circumstance in a prior award year.  

If you do not have documentation from any of the individuals above, a financial aid administrator can also make the determination. 

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If you indicated that you are homeless or at risk of being homeless on the FAFSA, Millersville's Office of Financial Aid will request additional documentation from you to verify this information. You will be able to access the required form in your myVILLE Portal under your Financial Aid Requirements.

In addition to the form, you will be required to submit official documentation. Examples include:

• 3rd party letter from a homeless school district liaison/ school counselor, OR the director (or designee) of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
• If you are unable to provide this documentation you can indicate this on the form and will need to meet with a counselor in the Office of Financial Aid to discuss your situation.

If you became homeless or became at risk of homelessness after completing the FAFSA, please contact us. 

You may be considered independent if you are an orphan. An orphan is defined as a person whose parents are deceased and who does not have an adoptive parent or legal guardian. 

If you indicated that you are an orphan on the FAFSA, Millersville's Office of Financial Aid will request additional documentation from you to verify this information. You will be able to access the required form in your myVILLE Portal under your Financial Aid Requirements.

In addition to the form, you will be required to submit official documentation. Examples include:

• Copy the student's birth certificate
• Copy of death certificates for parent(s) listed on the birth certificate

You may be considered independent if you are a ward of the court on or after the age of 13. A ward of the court is defined as someone under the protection of the courts. 

If you indicated on the FAFSA that you were a ward of the court on or after the age of 13, Millersville's Office of Financial Aid will request additional documentation from you to verify this information. You will be able to access the required form in your myVILLE Portal under your Financial Aid Requirements.

In addition to the form, you will be required to submit official documentation. Examples include:

• Official court documentation

OR

• Certification from a social worker

You may be considered independent if you were placed in foster care on or after the age of 13. Foster care (also known as out-of-home care) is a temporary service provided by States for children who cannot live with their families. Children in foster care may live with relatives or with unrelated foster parents.

If you indicated on the FAFSA that you were placed in foster care on or after the age of 13, Millersville's Office of Financial Aid will request additional documentation from you to verify this information. You will be able to access the required form in your myVILLE Portal under your Financial Aid Requirements.

In addition to the form, you will be required to submit official documentation. Examples include:

• Official court documentation

OR

• Certification from a social worker

You may be considered independent if you are in legal guardianship. Legal guardianship means a court grants someone other than a biological parent the right to care for a minor.

If you indicated that you are in legal guardianship on the FAFSA, Millersville's Office of Financial Aid will request additional documentation from you to verify this information. You will be able to access the required form in your myVILLE Portal under your Financial Aid Requirements.

In addition to the form, you will be required to submit official documentation. Examples include:

• Official court documentation that someone other than your parents has legal guardianship of you

Disclaimer: Legal custody is not legal guardianship

Custody (most often) generally describes a parent caring for his or her own child. Guardianship does not always grant custody or definitively mean a biological parent's custody is revoked.

You may be considered independent if you were an emancipated minor. Emancipation is the legal process by which a person under 18 years of age (a minor) is granted the legal status of an adult.

If you indicated on the FAFSA that you were an emancipated minor, Millersville's Office of Financial Aid will request additional documentation from you to verify this information. You will be able to access the required form in your myVILLE Portal under your Financial Aid Requirements.

In addition to the form, you will be required to submit official documentation. Examples include:

• Official court documentation

AND

• A personal letter explaining the circumstances under which emancipation was granted

You may be considered independent if you support yourself 100% and have a child you support and/or a legal dependent(s) to whom you provide at least 51% of their support during the academic year you are applying for aid. A legal dependent can be your child or a person who is not your child (niece/nephew, sibling, parent) for whom you provide 51% or more of their living expenses. 

If you indicated on the FAFSA that you have a child you support or another legal dependent, Millersville's Office of Financial Aid will request additional documentation from you to verify this information. You will be able to access the required form in your myVILLE Portal under your Financial Aid Requirements.

In addition to the form, you will be required to submit official documentation. Examples include:

• A signed copy of your latest tax return and W-2s

You may be considered independent if you are a veteran of the US Armed Forces or if you are currently serving on active duty in the US Armed Forces for purposes other than training. 

Examples of documentation you may be asked to provide include:

• A copy of your Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
• A copy of your "Member 4" DD214 or Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE)
• A letter from your current command, in memorandum form, stating intent to release you from active duty with other than dishonorable character of service.