FAFSA independent status confusion - do I still need my grandparent to sign?

If you're truly classified as independent on the FAFSA (which at 24 you should be), then no, your grandmother does not need to sign anything or be listed as a contributor. Independent status means you don't report parent/guardian information at all. The whole point of independent status is that your financial aid is calculated based only on your income and assets, not your family's.

ur grandma might be thinking of the old FAFSA maybe? my mom was super confused too bc she always had to sign mine before but when i did mine this yr (im 23 but got independent status thru other criteria) there wasnt any place for parent signatures at all

Just to add some clarity to this situation - the FAFSA system automatically determines your dependency status based on your answers to specific questions. At 24, you're automatically considered independent without needing to provide additional documentation. Your grandmother won't be able to even access your FAFSA unless you specifically add her as a contributor, which isn't necessary or recommended in your case. The only people who need to sign your FAFSA are you and your spouse (if you're married). The system won't even allow parent/grandparent signatures for independent students because that information isn't relevant to your aid calculation. Your grandmother's confusion might stem from the fact that some colleges may still request parent information for certain institutional aid programs, even if you're independent for federal aid purposes. This is completely separate from the FAFSA itself.

my sisters boyfriend had this exact problem lol. he was independent but his grandma kept insisting she had to sign. he ended up just calling the financial aid office at his school and they told him no family signatures needed for independent students. took like 2 mins to clear up

I went through this same confusion last year with my aunt who had always helped with my FAFSA. The simplest way I can explain it is this: If you're marked as INDEPENDENT on your FAFSA, then: 1. No one but you needs to sign (and spouse if married) 2. No contributor information is needed from parents/grandparents 3. No parent/grandparent FSA IDs are needed 4. You don't report anyone's income but your own The redesigned FAFSA actually makes this clearer than before. The system won't even let you add parent/guardian contributors if you're classified as independent. Your SAI (Student Aid Index, which replaced the old EFC) will be calculated solely based on your information. One thing to check: on your FAFSA dashboard, it should explicitly say your status is "Independent" if you've answered the dependency questions. If it says anything else, you might want to review your answers.

Back when I filled out FAFSA (like 5 years ago), I was independent but my university still wanted my parents' info for their own financial aid packages. So maybe check with your school's financial aid office if you're getting any university-specific scholarships? Federal aid won't need grandparent info but sometimes schools have their own weird requirements.

The FAFSA system is SO FRUSTRATING!! I've been trying to reach someone at the Federal Student Aid office for THREE DAYS to get a simple question answered about my own independent status verification. All I get is busy signals or being on hold forever only to get disconnected!! Anyone else having trouble getting through to them? I'm about to lose my mind over this!!

when i was filling mine out i was so confused about this independent thing too, finally had to just call my school financial aid office and they walked me through it. btw congrats on that independent status, your pell grant is gonna be way better now!

To summarize for anyone else with this question: - If you're 24 or older as of January 1, 2025 (for the 2025-2026 FAFSA), you're automatically independent - Independent students DO NOT need parent/grandparent signatures or information on FAFSA - Only the student (and spouse if applicable) signs an independent student's FAFSA - The FAFSA system won't even allow contribution information from parents for independent students - Some colleges may still request parent info for institutional aid (separate from FAFSA) - Your SAI calculation for federal aid will be based solely on your information The redesigned FAFSA actually makes this much clearer than previous versions. Your grandmother is likely remembering the old process from when you were a dependent student.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this transition a few years ago! When I turned 24 and became independent, my mom was equally confused and kept asking if she needed to do anything. The key thing that helped me explain it to her was showing her my FAFSA dashboard where it clearly states "Independent Student" at the top. One tip: if your grandmother is still worried, you could have her look at the FAFSA itself - there literally won't be any sections asking for parent/grandparent information once you're classified as independent. The form structure completely changes compared to when you were dependent. It's actually pretty reassuring to see how the system automatically adjusts based on your status! Also, congrats on the independent status - it really does make a huge difference in aid eligibility. Your Pell Grant eligibility will be calculated purely on your income now, which should work in your favor if you're supporting yourself.

I went through this exact same situation when I turned 24! My dad kept insisting he needed to be involved somehow because he'd been helping with my FAFSA for years. What really helped was logging into my FAFSA account together and showing him that the system literally doesn't have any fields for parent information once you're classified as independent. The interface is completely different - no contributor sections, no parent FSA ID requirements, nothing. Your grandmother probably just wants to make sure you don't miss out on any aid, which is sweet of her! But you can reassure her that being independent actually puts you in a better position for federal aid since your eligibility is based only on your income rather than your family's. The new FAFSA design makes this much clearer than it used to be.