Filling out the FAFSA and applying for college financial aid is a challenge for most families. This is especially true for parents who grew up in other countries and are not familiar with the U.S. financial aid system.
Many students find themselves having to convince their parents that it is safe to share personal and financial information when applying for aid.
The stakes are even higher for students with undocumented parents.
A parent’s immigration status does not affect students’ ability to apply for aid as long as the student is a citizen or eligible non-citizen. But many families with undocumented members may be reluctant to share information with the federal government to get college aid.
Students ask if it is possible to file the FAFSA on their own, without their parents’ help.
Here’s the dilemma. Under most circumstances, high school students can’t complete the FAFSA without having their biological or adoptive parents provide family information.
If your parents are reluctant to share information, it’s important to understand your options.
Here are the three main options to consider:
Can You File the FAFSA Alone?
To file the FAFSA on your own, without including your parents’ information, you’ll need to be deemed “independent.”
How do you qualify as an “independent” student? Federal Student Aid, the agency that runs the FAFSA, provides a video and a set of questions that walks you through the rules.
Note: There’s a high bar for independent status. Even if you don’t live with your family or you are helping support them on top of paying your own bills, you may still be considered a “dependent” for FAFSA purposes unless you fall into one of the scenarios below.
To get started, answer these questions:
Can You Get a Dependency Override?
If you don’t meet any of the scenarios outlined above, there is another possibility: a “dependency override.”
If it is impossible to get in touch with your parents or if getting in contact would put you in danger, you can ask your college for a dependency override.
On the FAFSA, answer “Yes” to the question: “Do unusual circumstances prevent the student from contacting their parents or would contacting their parents pose a risk to the student?” Once you answer yes, you will be able to complete the FAFSA on your own.
But you should only answer “yes” to this question if it accurately reflects your situation, as you will need to provide proof later on to the college you plan to attend. Make sure to gather letters and documentation that will help college financial aid officers understand your situation.
If you are in this situation, you are entitled to support. Colleges are required to help you make your case for a dependency override. A financial aid officer should tell you what kinds of proof you’ll need to make a successful case.
Bottom line: The college must be convinced that there is no safe way for you to contact your parents.
Can You Ask Your Parents to Help?
If none of the situations discussed apply to you, you are a dependent student and will need to provide your parents’ information if you want to get federal financial aid.
How to proceed? Talk to your parents. It may take multiple conversations. That’s OK.
If they are worried about sharing their information with the federal government, let them know that there are strong privacy protections in place and protocols for how information is handled. Talk to a trusted advisor or legal counsel about your concerns and your options. You’ll want to talk about your family situation and how you can include your parents in making college decisions.
If money is your parents’ main concern, let them know that your best chance at affording college is by submitting the FAFSA. If you don’t complete the FAFSA, you won’t qualify for federal aid, like the Pell Grant, Federal Work Study, or low-cost student loans.
Also assure your parents that providing information on the FAFSA does not in any way obligate them to pay your college bills or guarantee any loans you take out.
It’s important that both you and your parents feel comfortable applying for federal college aid. Talk to a counselor or legal advisor and figure out what is best for your family.
READ MORE: Tools for Counselors
Navigating Financial Aid for Immigrant and Mixed-Status Students Experiencing Homelessness (SchoolHouse Connection and Presidents’ Alliance)
Messaging Guidance on FAFSA Data Security (Higher Ed Immigration Portal)
Financial Aid Options for Non-Tax-Filers (Presidents’ Alliance and Breakthrough Central Texas)
Advising California Undocumented Students & Mixed-Status Families: Talking Points, Tips, and Resources for Navigating College and Financial Aid Conversations (First Gen Empower)
Corinne Kentor is the Senior Manager of Research and Policy at the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. She is a Yale grad and with a PhD from Teachers College at Columbia University. She is passionate about making college more affordable for students from immigrant and mixed-status families.