<p>Next year me and my friends want to rent an apartment nearby (dorms are super expensive and there much more nicer apartment around). Now, I was wondering if on the FAFSA I should put dependent or independent. I won't being living with my mother anymore and I'll be paying my share of the apartment with my money, but my mother might help pay for any college payments I can't pay for on my own. Also I'll need a part-time job to help pay for the apartment, but I was wondering if getting a part-time job would make my financial aid go down. At the moment my EFC is 0.</p>
<p>You are independent only if you can answer yes to any of the dependency status questions on the FAFSA. You most likely are not independent unless you are 24. Is your current EFC as a dependent student 0? If so, it can’t go any lower than that …</p>
<p>Is your EFC 0 based on the FAFSA?</p>
<p>If it is you will most likely qualify for $5500 Pell, SEOG (another grant if your offers it), and work study.</p>