<p>This is not for me but a friend of mine. She is 19 and pregnant and thinking about going to college and starting before the baby is born. For FAFSA would she be dependent or independent? She lives with her mom currently and working. I called my school but no one is in right at the moment.</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>The finaid folks can chime in…but I believe your friend must be SUPPORTING a child to be independent. I believe she is dependent.</p>
<p>I believe that unless she is supporting herself and her child, she is dependent.</p>
<p>Being a parent makes you independent whether you are supporting the child or not, based on what I just read. But I don’t think if being pregnant is considered being a parent.</p>
<p>I do believe you need to be supporting a minor child to be independent. JUST being a parent does not make you independent…I don’t think.</p>
<p>Well, an eighteen year old supporting an infant will be an independent…</p>
<p>Is the 18 year old SUPPORTING THE INFANT?? If she is living with her parents and THEY are supporting the mom and infant…the mom will NOT be considered independent.</p>
<p>From what I’ve read you can count a fetus as a member of the family and the pregnant student would be independent if she has the means to support the baby.</p>
<p>Agreed…she would have to have the means to support the baby…that would mean sufficient income to do so.</p>
<p>From ofap.ed.gov:</p>
<p>“student has children who receive over half of their support from him or her between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010”</p>
<p>Since this student doesn’t actually have a child yet, I’m thinking she would have to file as a dependent now and petition for a FA change to independent when the child is born if she is contributing more than half of the infant’s support.</p>
<p>According to my college because she is pregnant she is considered independent because she is pregnant and working.</p>
<p>Check and make sure. Your college may assume that she is working enough to support the dependent child (and herself). For FAFSA purposes, that is the acid test.</p>
<p>Perhaps Kelsmom will see this thread and respond. I"m sure her financial aid office deals with this issue.</p>
<p>IF the student is working and making sufficient funds to adequately support the currently unborn child, the student would be considered independent for federal financial aid purposes…IF the infant will be born prior to June 30, 2010.</p>
<p>FAFSA.ed.gov:</p>
<p>[Independent</a> Students](<a href=“http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/help/fftoc03k.htm]Independent”>http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/help/fftoc03k.htm)</p>
<p>“If you can answer YES to any of the following questions, you are considered an an independent student on the FAFSA:”</p>
<p>[…]</p>
<p>"Do you have children who will receive more than half of their support from you between July 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010?</p>
<p>Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30, 2010?"</p>
<p>It’s not just about the physical action of having children; you have to be supporting them (at least half their support) and living with you.</p>
<p>A pregnant nineteen-year-old doesn’t even have any dependent children, much less supporting them at least halfway, so no, she’s not considered independent.</p>
<p>Juillet the answer to the first question is yes; her child is due Dec. 09</p>
<p>The answer to the second on is no. The only dependent she will have between no and June 10 is the baby.</p>
<p>She earns above minimum wage and gets 30-40 hours a week. She does not live at home because she makes very little money, there are other reasons.</p>
<p>Okay, I’m confused - first post said she lives with mom, last post says she does not live at home. Anyway, NikkiL is a FA officer, so I would trust her judgement but, to be sure, she should call the intended school or the FAFSA help line (1-800-4-FED AID) for clarification.</p>
<p>On page 47 of the FAFSA instructions, it does say that students with an unborn child can answer YES to the question of dependents if the child is born before June 30, 2010 AND s/he will receive more than half their support from the student.</p>
<p>My question is, how is she going to manage her finals with a December due date?!</p>
<p>I never said she did not live at home in the second post. I said she does live at home but not for reasons that she can not go and get a place. She can but there are reasons her mom wants her to be there for the time being.</p>
<p>I am not sure the exact due date in Dec but we are on the quarter system and we generally have finals within the first 1-2 weeks of Dec then out for the rest of the month. So at my school that is manageable.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Either I did not state that clearly or you misread. She lives at home not because she makes little she lives there for other personal family issues unrelated to money. Thats what I meant.</p>
<p>So are you saying that she has sufficient income to support herself AND her dependent child? That is the acid test. It is my opinion that schools will be very vigilant in looking at how students identify themselves for financial aid purposes. If your friend really IS earning enough to support herself and her child, that would be one thing. If her income is not sufficient to do so, it would raise a huge red flag to the school.</p>
<p>How will she continue to support herself and her child AND go to college full time?</p>
<p>Yes, I misread and the wording did seem unclear. That’s great that she has the financial means to support herself and her child. Seems like she’ll be okay to file as independent. The school will likely verify her for her 2008 income. She’ll have to continue earning enough to provide over half the child’s support, as thumper is saying, to remain an independent student.</p>