Can making my child financially independent help them get financial aid?
You can improve your chances of getting college financial aid — but certainly not guarantee that you ll get some — if your child is deemed independent. That s because an independent student s eligibility for aid is based solely on his or her own income. For federal aid purposes, a student is generally classified as independent at age 24, or if they provide more than half of their own support. A student younger than that can still be considered independent if he or she has a child or other dependent; is a graduate or professional student; is a ward of the court or an orphan, or is a veteran of the armed forces. A married student may also be considered independent, but the spouse s income will be considered when determining eligibility for college financial aid.
