Dependent or Independent?

sblake7
Fri, 16 Feb 2007 00:29:52 +0000

Your family income is over Cal Grant limits, so you won’t be eligible.

You don’t get a choice of whether you’re dependent or independent for financial aid purposes, the guidelines are specific (you’re apparently dependent if you’re a high school junior, and unmarried with no kids of your own).

As to whether Dad can claim you as a dependent on his taxes-- that’s a different question than the dependent/independent status for FinAid purposes. And if your parent(s) provide more than half your support, they can geerally claim you as a dependent for tax purposes. But Dad should get tax advice from a tax professional.

The good news is that with two in college, the EFC will roughly get cut in half of what your sib’s EFC was, so the total EFC for the family will likely remain about the same (unless you have substantial income or assets in your name).