Confused about FAFSA dependency status for 18-year-old with deceased mother and absent father

First, I'm sorry for your cousin's loss. For FAFSA purposes, your cousin would qualify as independent simply because both parents are deceased/absent. On that specific question, she should select 'None of the above' because she is not technically an orphan in the FAFSA definition (which is for people under 18), not a ward of the court, and not under legal guardianship. Her independent status is established separately. She'll need to gather documentation of her mother's death (death certificate) and possibly an official statement regarding her father's absence. The financial aid office will likely require a 'dependency override' form and supporting documentation. This process varies by school, but is fairly standard for cases like hers.

My son had kinda the same situation last yr except his dad died when he was 12 and mom isnt involved. we checked 'none of the above' on that question to and it worked fine. they did make him get a letter from his HS counselor saying he wasnt in touch w/ his mom tho

Financial aid advisor here. Your cousin is indeed considered independent for FAFSA purposes based on having both parents deceased/absent. The question about orphan/ward of court/legal guardianship is actually designed for students under 18, which is why it feels confusing in her situation. For the 2025-2026 FAFSA, she should: 1. Select 'None of the above' for that specific question 2. Later in the application, she'll indicate that she's unable to provide parental information 3. The FAFSA will calculate her SAI (Student Aid Index) based solely on her information Documentation she should prepare: - Mother's death certificate - A statement explaining father's absence (signed by someone who knows the situation - counselor, social worker, etc.) - Any legal documents showing attempts to locate father (if they exist) Once the FAFSA is submitted, she should contact each school's financial aid office to confirm they have everything they need. Some may request additional documentation for a dependency override, though with a deceased parent and absent parent, the process is usually straightforward.

OMG the FAFSA is RIDICULOUS with these questions!! I've been trying to help my sister with her application and we spent HOURS going back and forth with similar issues. The whole system seems designed to catch people in weird technicalities that make no sense in real life. Your cousin clearly doesn't have parents who can contribute, yet they make you jump through all these hoops to prove it. Makes me so angry how they treat students who are already dealing with difficult situations. Seriously, who created these questions??

Hey, I went through this exact situation 2 years ago. The key is to check 'none of the above' for that specific question, but then later in the application, there's a place to indicate you can't provide parent info. BTW, when I tried calling the Federal Student Aid helpline to confirm this, I was on hold for literally 3+ hours and got disconnected twice. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to someone. They have this system that holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is ready. Saved me hours of frustration - check out their demo video: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ The FSA agent confirmed everything the others here are saying - your cousin is definitely independent, but that specific question is looking for something else. Make sure she has her mom's death certificate and a statement about her dad's absence!

I was in almost this exact situation last year! I'm 20 now, but when I was filling out my first FAFSA after my mom passed, I got super confused too. Select 'None of the above' and you'll be fine. But here's what happened to me: after I submitted the application, I got an email requesting verification. It was super stressful! I had to send in my mom's death certificate and write a statement about my dad (haven't seen him since I was 8). Oh and important - make sure your cousin knows her financial aid package might be delayed while they process everything. Mine took an extra 3 weeks compared to my friends. Have her talk to her school's financial aid office ASAP so they know the situation and can help her through it.

will she have to do all this paperwork every year or just once?

I'm so sorry for your cousin's loss. This is such a difficult situation to navigate while dealing with grief. Everyone here has given excellent advice about selecting 'None of the above' for that specific question - that's definitely the right approach. One thing I'd add is to make sure your cousin keeps copies of ALL documentation she submits. I helped my nephew through a similar process and having backup copies saved us when one school's financial aid office lost his paperwork. Also, if she's applying to multiple schools, each one might have slightly different requirements for the dependency override documentation, so don't be surprised if she needs to provide additional statements or forms for different colleges. The most important thing is to stay organized and communicate proactively with each school's financial aid office. They're usually very understanding about these situations and want to help students get the aid they need. Your cousin is lucky to have you advocating for her during this tough time!