To be considered "independent" within the 2022-2023 financial aid year, you must be able to answer "yes" to at least one of the following questions found in Step 3 of the FAFSA:

• Were you born before January 1, 1999?
• As of today, are you married?
• At the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, will you be working on a master's or doctorate degree program?
• Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training?
• Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?
• Do you now have or will you have children who will receive more than half of their support from you between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023?
• Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who will receive more than half of their support now and through June 30, 2023?
• At any time since you turned age 13, were both of your parents deceased, were you in foster care or were you (until age 18) a dependent or ward of the court?
• As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you an emancipated minor?
• Does someone other than your parent or stepparent have legal guardianship of you, as determined by a court in your state of legal residence?
• At any time on or after July 1, 2021, did your high school or school district homeless liaison determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?
• At any time on or after July 1, 2021, did the director of an emergency shelter program funded by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?
• At any time on or after July 1, 2021, did the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?

If you cannot answer, "yes" to one of these questions then you are considered "dependent" and must provide parental information.

In some extreme cases, financial aid administrators may approve a "dependency override" for a student who is not independent for financial aid purposes. However, guidance from the U.S. Department of Education specifies that certain circumstances do not qualify a student for a dependency override including:

• Parents refuse to contribute to the student's education.
• Parents are unwilling to provide information on the application or for verification.
• Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes.
• Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency.

If you think you may qualify for a dependency override (outside of the conditions listed above), contact the Office of Student Financial Aid at 913-588-5170 or email financialaid@kumc.edu to schedule an appointment to discuss your situation.