<p>Aid officers cannot give a dependency override for situations like this. This is considered a “parent doesn’t want to pay” (or perhaps “student doesn’t want parent to have to pay”). The feds give aid officers leeway for professional judgment, but situations like this are not acceptable for overrides.</p>
<p>P.S. “not always depending on someone else” - do you think grants grow on trees? Taxpayers pay for them! You might not be depending on your parents - but you WOULD be depending on “someone else.”</p>