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[FAFSA®] What if my parents will not contribute to pay for college? Can I override dependency?
[FAFSA®] What if my parents will not contribute to pay for college? Can I override dependency?

If you're a dependent, you must include your parents' financial info. There are some cases where a college can "override dependency."

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Written by Eleanna Garcia
Updated over a year ago

As long as you're marked as a dependent, you will still need to include your parents' financial information, and the government will still include your parents' money when deciding how much you can afford to pay for college. (In other words, if your parents have money but won't give you any, the government will still see that your parents have money, and will likely give you less financial aid as a result.)

However, there are some cases where a college can manually "override dependency," meaning that their financial aid office can decide to ignore your parents' finances, which usually results in you getting a lot more financial aid.

Here are valid reasons for overriding dependency:

  • Both parents have abandoned the student (or their whereabouts are unknown / cannot be located)

  • Both parents are incarcerated or institutionalized

  • Both parents are hospitalized for an extended period

  • Both parents lack the physical or mental capacity to raise the student

  • There is an abusive/violent family environment (sexual, physical, or mental)

Here are NOT valid reasons for overriding:

  • Your parents refuse to financially contribute to your college education

  • Your parents are unwilling to provide financial information

  • Your parents do not claim you as a dependent on their taxes

  • You are fully self-sufficient financially

If you believe you might qualify for a dependency override, contact your college's financial aid office. This is entirely at their discretion, but note that most financial aid offices will require substantial documentation to "prove" the reason for the override.

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