When should I apply for FAFSA aid?

Question

I will be 24 on 9/20/08, and according to FAFSA I must be 24 before I can be listed as an independent in order to receive a larger amount of assistance.

From the FAFSA website:

"You are considered a dependent of your parents unless you:

Will be 24 years old before January 1 of the academic year, (for example, 24 years old before January 1, 1984, for the 2007-08 academic year."

So, does that mean I can not go to school until after January 1st 2008 if I want to be listed as an independent?

Answer 1

These are exactly how the dependency questions are worded.  Answer YES to any of them and you don't have to list your folks info.  

Just be warned.. many people think that because they aren't listing parents info they will automatically be poor and gets lots of free fin aid.  Many don't realize that it costs more to feed a family than it does a single person and are disappointed they waited all those years and still don't get the free fin aid.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Yes, if you want to be considered as an independent, you'd have to apply for college for the Fall 2009 semester.