A dependent student cannot be considered independent based only on parents refusing to help with the FAFSA. If you are unable to add information on the FAFSA form, the application will be considered “rejected,” and you might not be able to receive any federal student aid. The FAFSA instructions will tell you what to do if you are in this situation and your Financial Aid Advisor can help

If you answered 'No' to all of the questions on the FAFSA, you are still considered dependent even if you live on your own and support yourself. You still must answer the questions about your parents if you’re considered a dependent student.

If you have no contact with your parents and don’t know where they live, or you’ve left home due to an unsafe situation, fill out the FAFSA form and then immediately get in touch with the financial aid office

If your marital status changes, you must speak to the financial aid office to determine whether you may update your current FAFSA form.

If you have not completed the FAFSA, your Married/Divorced status is based on the day you fill out the FAFSA.

If you are expecting a child and you will provide at least 50% of the support for that child, you can answer 'Yes' to the question on the FAFSA stating, "Do you now have—or will you have—children who will receive more than half (50%) of their support from you". You can update your FAFSA to 'yes' after it is determining that you are pregnant.

The FAFSA form was designed to provide a picture of the family's financial strength as of the day you fill it out. Since parents and spouses contribute financially to the family, their income needs to be included.

For Example, if you were married in 2022 and the FAFSA requires 2020 taxes, you still are required to add your spouse's information from the 2020 tax year.

The FAFSA uses what is called Prior/Prior year tax information. That means the taxes used for the FAFSA aren't from last year but the year before that. For example, the 2023-2024 FAFSA uses the 2021 taxes, not the 2022 taxes.

Due to the IRS allowing for extensions, the previous year's tax information is sometimes unavailable. Using prior prior year will allow more students and families to complete the FAFSA using income information imported directly from the IRS because the taxes will have already been filed and processed.

You can complete the FAFSA online at the FAFSA website. If you have never filed a FAFSA, click "Start Here."

You will want to begin by creating an FSA ID. An FSA ID is your username and password for filling out your FAFSA application and your electronic signature for signing and submitting the FAFSA.

For a walkthrough on how to complete the most recent FAFSA, please use this link https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out

As soon as you have decided to further your education, you should start the financial aid process by creating your FSAID and then begin filling out your FAFSA form.

The FAFSA becomes available on October 1 each year. We recommend that all students complete the FAFSA as soon as it is available.

The FAFSA is not required for students to attend Herzing. However, if you wish to explore federal funding options, the FAFSA is required. Some Herzing students fill it out to receive state or federal grant funding. Please be aware that filling out the FAFSA will not affect your credit and does not mean you are using federal funding.