Purpose: These questions are used to determine, according to law, whether you are a dependent or an independent student for purposes of calculating an EFC. If you answer "No" to all of these questions, you are a dependent student, even if you do not live with your parents. A financial aid administrator (FAA) may make an otherwise dependent student independent in an individual case if he or she can document the determination of independence by reason an individual circumstance. The FAA's decision is final and cannot be appealed to the U.S. Department of Education.

A dependent student moves on to Questions 59-84, providing information about his or her parents in the purple areas of the paper FAFSA or in the area designated for parental income on FAFSA on the Web. An independent student skips Questions 59-84 and continues with Questions 85 through the end of the application.

You must answer all of the following Questions:

52. Were you were born before January 1, 1980? Note that if you were born on January 1, 1980, you should answer "No."

53. During the school year 2003-04, will you be working on a master's or doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, Ph.D., EdD, graduate certificate, etc.)?? You should answer "Yes" if you will be enrolled in a master's or doctorate program in the initial term you attend in 2003-04. If you will be finishing your bachelor's degree in the initial term of the school year and then moving on to a masters or doctorate you should first answer Question 53 as "No." Once you have completed the undergraduate degree, this item should be corrected to "Yes" and resubmitted. You should also notify your FAA.

A graduate or professional student is not eligible for a Federal Pell Grant or Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, so if you incorrectly report that you are a graduate or professional student, you will need to correct this answer to receive either of these federal grants.

54. As of today, are you married? Answer "Yes" if you are legally married on the date you sign the application. "Married" does not mean living together unless your state recognizes your relationship as common-law marriage. Answer "Yes" if you are separated but not divorced.

55. Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you? "Support" means financial support. An applicant whose unborn child will be born before the end of the award year can answer "Yes." Note, that the financial support is the issue here; it does not matter whether the child lives with you or not.

56. Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30, 2004? Again, the FAFSA is asking about financial support. In this question, the people supported must live with you.

57. Are you an orphan or are you or were you (until age 18) a ward/dependent of the court? You should answer "Yes" if you are currently a ward/dependent of the court or were a ward/dependent of the court until age 18, or both your parents are dead and you do not have an adoptive parent. If your parents are dead, but you have a legal guardian, you are considered to be an orphan for purposes of completing the FAFSA.

You are not considered a ward/dependent of the court based solely on being incarcerated.

58. Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces? You should answer "Yes" if

• You have engaged in active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard), or you were a member of the National Guard or Reserves who was called to active duty for purposes other than training, or you were a cadet or midshipman at one of the service academies, and
• You were released under a condition other than dishonorable. Box 24 of the DD214 indicates the "Character of Service." If anything other than "dishonorable" appears in that box, you should answer "Yes" to this question, as long as you engaged in active duty for at least one day. If "dishonorable" appears in that box, you should answer "No."

You should answer "Yes" if you are not a veteran now but will be one by June 30, 2004.

You should answer "No" (you are not a veteran) if

• You have never engaged in active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces,
• You are currently an ROTC student or a cadet or midshipman at a service academy, or
• You are a National Guard or Reserves enlistee activated only for training purposes.

You should also answer "No" if you are currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces and will continue to serve through June 30, 2004.