Different eligibility loan amounts will be awarded for dependent and independent students

students who have access to parental support are classified as dependent students

dependent students and their parents must report respectively their income and assets on the FAFSA form

Students who display at least one of the following requirements are classified as independent students:

• you were at least 24 years of age on January 1 of the academic year you begin school
• you are married
• you are enrolled in a graduate or professional program (beyond the bachelor's degree)
• you have legal dependents other than a spouse
• you are an orphan or ward of the court (or were a ward of the court until age 18)
• you are veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces ("veteran" includes a student who attended a U.S. military academy who was released under a condition other than dishonorable)

independent students must report only income and assets of their own (and those of their spouse, if married)