For purposes of applying for federal student aid, what s the difference between a dependent student and an independent student? 
Read the definitions, find out who has to provide parent information on the FAFSA form, and learn what to do if you aren t in contact with your parents. Your dependency status determines whose information you must report on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid FAFSA form. If you re a dependent student , you will report your and your parents information. If you re an independent student , you will report your own information and, if you re married, your spouse s. The federal student aid programs are based on the concept that it is primarily your and your family s responsibility to pay for your education. A dependent student is assumed to have the support of parents , so the parents information has to be assessed along with the student s, in order to get a full picture of the family s financial strength. If you re a dependent student, it doesn t mean your parents are required to pay anything toward your education ; this is just a way of looking at everyone in a consistent manner. 

Am I dependent or independent? 
Your answers to questions on the FAFSA form determine whether you are considered a dependent or independent student. The questions change a little from one year s application to the next year s ; for instance, the 2020 21 FAFSA form asks whether you were born before Jan. 1 , 1997, while the 2021 22 FAFSA form will ask whether you were born before Jan. 1 , 1998. Here are the questions that determine your dependency status, first in a graphic format and then for 2020 21 specifically in a table of dependency status questions : View text-only version 

Dependency Status Questions on the 2020 21 FAFSA Form 
* Answer " No " you are not a veteran if you 1 have never engaged in active duty including basic training in the U.S. armed forces , 2 are currently a Reserve Officers Training Corps ROTC student or a cadet or midshipman at 

user: Can I be considered independent if my parents don't help me pay for college and refuse to provide information for my FAFSA?

assistant: You cannot be considered independent from your parents just because they refuse to help you with this process.

user: What if I don't provide my information on the FAFSA?

assistant: the application will be considered rejected, and you may not be able to receive any federal student aid. The most you could get depending on what your college financial aid office decides would be a loan called an unsubsidized loan.

user: ok what can i do then?

assistant: As I mentioned the most you could get depending on what the financial aid office of your university decides would be a loan called an unsubsidized loan.

user: Does this resource prove that I am dependent or independent?

assistant: effectively Worksheet to help students determine their dependency status by completing the FAFSA.

user: What happens if I do not have contact with my parents?

assistant: you have no contact with your parents and you don't know where they live?

user: correct i don't know anything about them

assistant: Fill out the FAFSA form, and then immediately contact the financial aid office of the college or vocational school you plan to attend. Financial aid staff will tell you what to do