FAFSA: Dependent or not?

Paying for College
1

Hello.

My husband and I are filling out FAFSA. We are not sure how to answer about the number of dependents. Child 1 is age 20 and 3rd year college. We do not provide any financial support for him as he works and lives away at school. On his FAFSA, it will state we have 2 children in college next year.

Child 2 is a high school senior. If Child 1 is not listed as dependent, then she is only student in college next year. How can the siblings have different answers? FAFSA says dependent is providing more than half of support, which we did not for Child 1, yet we still fill out FAFSA for him.
My question: Is Child 1 dependent on FAFSA?

2

Child 1 is dependent for FAFSA purposes - on both their own & child 2’s FAFSA - if they must file a FAFSA as a dependent student. It doesn’t matter whether or not you provide half the support for child 1; the fact that they are considered dependent for FAFSA allows you to consider them dependent for the other FAFSA. You can include child 1 in both household size & number in college for child 2.

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