<p>Thank you very much, this information is very helpful! My wife and I are paying for our room / board costs through what we make working part-time this entire past year. We also have savings to help alleviate living costs for the spring, as tuition will become somewhat burdensome for me. I hope all the information I submit on the FAFSA and PROFILE reflect this independence correctly! I don’t want to mess it up somehow, because I am pretty new to the financial aid system. I’m unfamiliar with what makes me “look” financially independent, I just know that I am. So I just have to make sure I fill it out properly, and hope that all the information looks right to them.</p>
<p>Is there anything you know of that I should NOT do with our savings and funds that would make us appear dependent, even though we are independent? I just want to be cautious, and know the boundaries. For instance, I probably shouldn’t open a CD at the bank, or spend all of my savings on fall tuition so that it looks like I have no money in the spring when I apply for aid, etc etc. I’m just unsure.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for you help! We really appreciate it.</p>