FAFSA deadlines for independent status - my son living on his own before Spring 2025

Hey there! To answer your questions: 1. For Spring 2025, the FAFSA can be submitted anytime after October 1, 2024. However, each college sets their own priority deadlines for spring enrollment - typically November/December. Have your daughter check with her specific school! 2. Unfortunately, living independently and self-supporting doesn't automatically qualify her as independent for FAFSA purposes. At 20, she would need to meet specific criteria like: - Being married - Having dependents she supports - Being a veteran - Being in foster care after age 13 - Being legally emancipated Without meeting one of these criteria, she'll need your tax info on the FAFSA until age 24, regardless of who pays her bills. 3. For environmental science scholarships, she should look into: - EPA Environmental Education grants - National Environmental Health Association scholarships - Geological Society of America scholarships - Local conservation organizations in Colorado Hope this helps!

The previous response is mostly correct, but I wanted to add that your daughter COULD potentially qualify for a dependency override in certain circumstances. This is handled case-by-case by each college's financial aid office, not directly through FAFSA. However, I need to be clear: simply living on her own and paying her own expenses is NOT enough for an override. The Department of Education is very strict about this. Overrides are typically granted only for: - Documented abuse in the household - Abandonment by parents - Incarceration of both parents - Other extreme circumstances If none of these apply, she will be considered dependent until age 24 unless she meets one of the automatic independent criteria already mentioned. For the Spring 2025 semester specifically, she needs to fill out the 2024-2025 FAFSA which becomes available October 1, 2024. The federal deadline isn't until June 2025, but as mentioned, schools set their own (much earlier) priority deadlines.

as a parent who went thru this last yr, even tho ur kid is independent they COUNT parent income till 24 unless married/military/etc. my son lived on his own 2 yrs b4 college too and it DIDNT MATTER AT ALL!! so frustrating!!!!! the WHOLE SYSTEM is broken imo. my kid got barely any aid cuz they counted our income even tho we didnt give him a penny for school or living!

You mentioned your daughter has outdoor leadership experience - has she considered approaching any of the organizations she's worked with for scholarship recommendations or reference letters? When I was applying for environmental science programs, having specific field experience really helped me stand out for departmental scholarships. Also, since she'll be applying for Spring 2025, make sure both of you create FSA IDs now so that's ready to go. The FAFSA for 2024-2025 has been a mess with all the new changes. Give yourselves plenty of time to gather documents and complete the application before her school's priority deadline. One other quick tip - have her reach out directly to the Environmental Science department at her chosen school NOW. Many departments have funds they control separately from the main financial aid office. Getting to know the department before applying can sometimes open doors to funding opportunities other students miss.

are you sure she even needs fafsa? has she looked into working for a company that pays for college? my niece works at starbucks and they pay for ASU online degrees. lots of companies do tuition reimbursement now cause of labor shortages. why go into debt at all??

To help your daughter prepare for the FAFSA submission in October: 1. Both you and your daughter should create FSA IDs now at studentaid.gov if you don't already have them 2. You'll need your 2023 tax returns and W-2s for the 2024-2025 FAFSA 3. Have ready documentation of your current investments, business assets, and bank account balances 4. Start researching her chosen school's specific financial aid deadlines and requirements - some require additional forms beyond FAFSA 5. If your financial situation has changed significantly since 2023, document this for a potential professional judgment review later One other option to consider: if she's determined to be fully independent, she could postpone college until age 24 or get married (not recommending this, just stating the options). Some students in her situation work and take classes part-time until reaching independent status.

I tried calling the Federal Student Aid line for THREE WEEKS to get clarification on my son's independent status situation (similar to yours) and could never get through. Always disconnected or 2+ hour wait times. Finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get a callback and spoke to an agent in 20 minutes. They confirmed what others here have said - living independently isn't enough. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/TbC8dZQWYNQ Worth it just to get definitive answers directly from FSA rather than relying solely on internet advice. The agent I spoke with actually took time to explain all the independence criteria and documentation requirements in detail.

i forgot to mention!!! make sure ur daughter applies for summer jobs or internships with the EPA or park service! my friends kid did that and got some kind of enviro scholarship after. they need more ppl in those fields especially women!!

One more thing - make sure your daughter understands her Calculated Student Aid Index (SAI) will be based on your family income despite her independence in real life. This can lead to a lot of frustration when she sees her aid package. I recommend she have a direct conversation with the financial aid office AFTER applying but BEFORE accepting admission to clearly understand what her actual costs will be. Sometimes schools have institutional funds they can provide for students in unique situations that aren't reflected in the federal methodology. Another thing to consider - community college for the first year or two can dramatically reduce costs while she establishes state residency (if she moved to a different state). Many have specific transfer agreements with 4-year universities for environmental science programs.