<p>I am 19 and I don't live with my parents. My parents don't claim me on their tax form so I've been claiming myself for two years now. Does that qualify me as independent? </p>
<p>What else is required for me to become independent?</p>
<p>My parents make enough money that I wasn't qualify for any financial aid last year..
HELP!</p>
<p>No, your not being claimed on their taxes does not make you independent for financial aid purposes. It is very unlikely that you are independent for FAFSA at 19. To qualify as independent for financial aid you must be able to answer yes to one of the independency questions on FAFSA. None of the questions are about whether you are or are not claimed on your parents taxes. Whether you are claimed on your parents taxes is irrelevant for financial aid purposes. (my own son returned to school at 22 after being completely financially independent, working full time and paying his own rent and bills for 2 1/2 years. He was still considered our dependent for FAFSA. His girlfriend returned to school at 23 after being out of school for nearly 5 years - she was considered a dependent her 1st year and did not become independent until the next year when she turned 24).</p>
<p>To be independent your must be 24, married, have a dependent of your own you support at least 50%, be working on a masters/doctorate, be a veteran etc etc the link here lists all the questions. Unless you can answer yes to one your are a dependent for FA purposes</p>
<p>[Completing</a> the FAFSA 08-09/The Application Questions(43-45)](<a href=“http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/completing_fafsa/2009_2010/ques3-4.html]Completing”>http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/completing_fafsa/2009_2010/ques3-4.html)</p>
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<p>The expectation is that the parents of undergrad students will contribute to their college costs. It sounds like you hoped that your parents would not have to…even though the calculations say they can.</p>
<p>Sorry…that is not going to help you gain independent status. </p>
<p>Swimcats gave you the reasons. </p>
<p>Were you paying ALL of your living expenses, receiving NO help from anyone else? If so, YOUR income would likely be SO SO high in and of itself, that being independent wouldn’t help you a lick with financial aid.</p>
<p>eatyourcake, did your high school by chance declare you homeless since your parents “weren’t supporting you”? My boyfriend’s dad kicked him out when he was 16, but still continued to claim him on his taxes. He supported himself after that, bouncing from friend’s house to friend’s house. The school found out and declared him homeless so for 2009-2010’s FAFSA, he is considered independent.</p>