Service Overview:
You are considered an independent student for financial aid purposes if you can answer yes to one of the following questions at the time you complete and sign the 2021-2022 FAFSA.
- Were you born before January 1, 1998?
- As of today, are you married? (Also answer “Yes” if you are separated but not divorced.)
- At the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, will you be working on a master’s or doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, or graduate certificate, etc.)?
- Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training?
- Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?
- Do you have children who will receive more than half of their support from you between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022?
- Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30, 2022? (Documentation may be required for dependency override approval )
- Are both your parents deceased, or are you or were you (until age 18) a ward/dependent of the court? (Documentation required dependency override approval)
- At any time since you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care or were you a dependent or ward of the court? (Documentation required dependency override approval)
- As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you an emancipated minor? (Documentation required dependency override approval)
- As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you in legal guardianship? (Documentation required dependency override approval)
- At any time on or after July 1, 2020, did your high school or school district homeless liaison determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless? (Documentation required dependency override approval)
- At any time on or after July 1, 2020, did the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless? (Documentation required dependency override approval)
- At any time on or after July 1, 2020, did the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless? (Documentation required dependency override approval)
The U.S. Department of Education recognizes that there may be unusual circumstances that make it appropriate to exclude parental income. However, the Department of Education has identified four conditions that do not qualify as unusual circumstances and do not merit a dependency override. They are as follows:
- Parents refusing to contribute to the student’s education;
- Parents unwilling to provide information on the application or verification;
- Parents not claiming the student as a dependent for income tax purposes;
- Students demonstrating total self-sufficiency.
The policy at Winston-Salem State University is that exceptions are made only when adequate documentation of extenuating family circumstances exist. Extenuating circumstances are generally defined by a student’s inability to have contact with their parents. Acceptable reasons for appeal are listed on the attached sheet. If you think you have a basis for an appeal, please complete the attached worksheet and submit it with all the required documentation. Institutions have been granted authority by the Department of Education to establish their own policies regarding dependency overrides. Therefore, approval at a prior institution does not guarantee an approval at Winston-Salem State University
Available To:
Students
Getting Started:
Click the Start Questionnaire Request button to the right.