I’m a community college student transferring at the end of the spring semester. For some weird reason, these four year colleges keep asking me for my parent’s information. Howard, Harvard and GWU all asked for it, but I want to know why. I have two children of my own, and custody of another. I only claim my two on my taxes, but that should be sufficient. I’ve filed as head of household for the last two or three tax years. Doesn’t that qualify me for independent status? At community college, I wasn’t required to provide my parent’s info, why is it different at a four year? Harvard says something like, ‘99% of students don’t qualify for independent status, because we feel that their parents should contribute’. Well too bad because my parents stopped contributing four years ago when my son was born. So what do I tell them