Unfortunately there is not a way to get around it. If you cannot answer yes to any of the following on your FAFSA:

were you born before January 1, 1984

are you a graduate or professional student

do you have children you support

do you have legal dependents

are you an orphan or ward of the court

are you active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces

are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces

Then you must report your parent(s) income and would be considered a Dependent student. You may try to appeal the Dependent classification with the financial aid office at your school, but it will probably be denied unless you have extenuating circumstances – such as an incarcerated or institutionalized parent for example. It doesn’t hurt to ask about appealing your status, but just be prepared for it to be denied if your only argument is that you are self-supporting.

Good luck!

The government believes that education is a partnership between you, your parents, and the school (or the government) thus each of those groups need to pay a portion (or their share) of the educational costs. You can receive financial aid even though your parents make $100K a year; it will just be in student loans. Most people don’t consider student loans financial aid but it is. Because you are considered a dependent student (by the government’s definition of dependent), your parents are still obligated to assist you with student aid. They can choose not to but their portion of the obligation doesn’t go away because they decide not to help. If the government didn’t have that requirement, 90% if not 100% of students (or parents telling students) to use that that excuse; the government would foot the whole bill then a very reduced number of students wouldn’t be able to receive financial aid. There wouldn’t be enough money to go around and you might not get anything to help with school. The government knows it’s not a perfect system but it’s better than the alternative—no aid for anyone.

Financial Aid in Texas is based on your status during the last years income tax filing period. If you parents claimed you as a dependent on their 2006 income taxes, then there is no way around it. However, if you were not claimed on their taxes, you can claim independent status.

To prepare for next year, you will have to ask you parents to let you file independently from them. That way you will not have that problem again.

But for this year, I am afraid that you are in a bad situation.

Good luck

Singa is WRONG.