An independent student is a student who is: 18 years of age or older, or 16 years of age or older and living independently, or 16 years of age or older and has a youth agreement with Children’s Services under the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act. When determining if a student is living independently, the board may look at the following: whether the student or their parent has written a statement indicating the student is living independently the student’s living arrangements whether the student is financially independent or contributes financially to their maintenance whether the student is responsible for making important decisions for themselves, such as about health care If a student is an independent student, they may make any decisions about their education that their parent would have been able to make. The parent no longer has any right to make those decisions. Last Reviewed: November 2019