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You can apply for federal financial aid as an independent student if you meet at least one of these conditions:
For information about federal student aid from the US Department of Education, visit Student Aid on the Web.
Many schools will automatically consider you for grants and scholarships when you apply for admission. However, to maximize money that doesn't have to be paid back, we recommend you consult with your high school guidance counselor and visit scholarship search engines for those scholarships not offered by your school. You can visit:
You can also visit:
Our top 10 tips to getting a scholarship can help maximize your scholarship opportunities.
We recommend you continue to apply for scholarships for your undergraduate and graduate studies each year.
Our top 10 tips to getting a scholarship can help maximize your scholarship opportunities.
When a student's parents are divorced or separated and not living together, only the custodial parent's information needs to be included on the FAFSA. The custodial parent is the one you lived with most over the last 12 months. If it was equal time, then it's the parent who provided the most financial support during that time.
If the custodial parent has remarried, the stepparent will also need to report their financial information on the FAFSA.
There are no income requirements or cap to the amount of money you can earn to qualify for federal student aid. Many factors go into the financial aid equation, such as the number of children in college and the parents' age.
Most people qualify for some financial aid, so it's always a good idea to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
FAFSA® is a registered trademark of the US Department of Education and is not affiliated with Discover Student Loans.