There is a separate definition of dependent for IRS and taxes, and for being considered dependent/independent for financial aid, as you seem to know. Not a tax expert but here is my understanding.
The Cal Grant uses the FAFSA for all the information for your younger chid. So the FAFSA qualified dependents would be what you go by for. The FAFSA uses tax dependents to determine your family size.
Claim:
- yourself;
- your parents;
- the number of other children (other than yourself) who will receive more than half of their support from your parents between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016; and
- the number of people who are not your parents’ children but who live with your parents and receive more than half of their support from your parents, and will continue to receive more than half of their support from your parents between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016.