Be a 21-year-old college student. Going to school, working, living on your own, providing for yourself. Finally an adult! You can vote, you can buy a drink at the bar, you are legal! Well in all ways but one you are considered an “adult”. When it comes to qualifying for federal student aid, a lot of students are out of luck without using their parents’ or guardians’ financial data.
Through the creation of a petition, I am asking the U.S. Department of Education to adapt their outdated definition of who is an independent student to ensure all students who are supporting themselves can have the same opportunities others are offered. As it stands now, only those who fall into a special category qualify as such. The rest are required to include their parents’ or guardians’ income even if they cannot or do not financially support them.
The Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is meant as a tool for students to be able to afford tuition at their prospective schools after high school. But unless you fall into an extenuating category, the FAFSA application requires you to provide your parents’ or guardians’ tax information for the previous year. It does not matter if the student pays most or even all their own bills.Their financial aid fate is determined by their parents or guardians.
To be independent by FAFSA’s criteria one must be: “… at least 24 years old, married, a graduate or professional student, a veteran, a member of the armed forces, an orphan, a ward of the court, someone with legal dependents other than a spouse, an emancipated minor, or someone who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.” There is no circumstance here that takes into account self-sufficient students. Of course, they still allow the students to apply without parents or guardians income even if they don’t meet one of those circumstances. But their options are limited then to only an unsubsidized loan which is, in the end, up to their schools to decide if they get.
A bachelor degree takes around 4 years to get – sometimes shorter and sometimes longer depending on circumstances. If you go straight from high school to college and graduate in 4 years, you would be 22 years old. Yet, FAFSA has the age set at 24 years old for college students to be considered independent. At that point, a student who moved out at 18 and has been providing for themselves has been doing so for six years.
I am a 22-year-old college student pursuing my undergrad in Social Work. I live on my own, providing for all my bills. I juggle a job and school work to do so. My parents do not support me financially. I am self-sufficient. However, I still must call up one of my parents and ask for their tax information. When their income does not pay for my life anymore, why should their income determine the financial support I should receive?
My story is just one of thousands of different stories from students who’s independent life is not acknowledged when it comes to affording to further our education. If a student is estranged from their parents or guardians they should not be penalized due to their inability to provide tax information. If a student is like me and supporting themselves then they shouldn’t be required to include parental income that does not play any role in their lives anymore. We all deserve the same grant and scholarship opportunities that others have access to. We should not be penalized for furthering our education. One’s choice to get a college degree should not burden them with a prolonged label of dependent.
It’s time FAFSA’s independent status be expanded to include ALL independent students. The current definition is outdated and does not account for the independent lives many students live before the age of 24. If one provides over 50% of their own support then they should count as independent regardless of their student status. How does one’s decision to further their education change their ability to be independent? We should not be penalized for pursuing an education and instead supported. After all, a lot of important fields require degrees such as in medicine or education. Let’s rewrite the definition of an independent student and bring it to the present, making it possible for students across the nation to further their education.
This change is overdue which is why I created a petition to collect signatures. It additionally offers an opportunity for others to share their stories and the stories of those around them.
Ashley Lytle
Bowling Green
