Independent Students
Independent students may be eligible to borrow more money for a student loan each year. You are an independent student if at least one of the following applies:

• You must be at least 24 years old by Dec. 31 of the award year;
• You are married as of the date the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is submitted;
• You have at least one child who receives more than half their support from you;
• You have a dependent (other than a spouse or a child) who lives with you and receives more than half of his or her support from you from the time the FAFSA is completed through June 30 of the award year.
• You are an orphan or ward of the court (or were a ward of the court until age 18); or
• You are or will be working on a master’s or doctoral program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, or graduate certificate, etc) at the beginning of the award year for which the FAFSA is completed.
• You are a veteran of the US Armed Forces. You are considered to be a veteran if you meet both of the following criteria prior to the end of the award year for which the FAFSA is filed: 1) you are currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces; were a National Guard or Reserves enlistee and called to active duty for purposes other than training (does not include active duty for state purposes); or you were a cadet or midshipman at a service academy (even if you withdrew before graduation). 2) you were released under a condition other than dishonorable.