When calculating a family's ability to contribute to the cost of education, the federal application processor must first determine dependency status. The federal government has strict criteria for determining dependency status, based on information you report on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

You will be considered a dependent student for the 2008-09 school year unless you meet any one of the following criteria:

• You were born before January 1, 1985.
• You are a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces.
• You are on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces.
• You are a ward of the court or both parents are deceased.
• You have legal dependents other than a spouse.
• You are married.
• You are a graduate/professional school student.

Expanded criteria for independent student status for the 2009-2010 academic year may include students:

1. whose parents are deceased and who were in foster care or a ward of the court,
2. who are emancipated minors as determined by a court in their home state,
3. who are in legal guardianship as determined by a court in the student's home state, or
4. who were an "unaccompanied youth" who were homeless or at risk for being homeless.