Financial Aid

Financial Aid forms may be available in a variety of downloadable formats. If you want to view a form as a PDF document and you do not have Acrobat® Reader® installed on your system yet, please download the free version now. If you fill out a form on your computer, please remember to print it and sign it before submitting it by mail or faxing to 360-867-6576

When you file the FAFSA, note that you are requested to answer several questions in Step III.

The answers to these questions determine your dependency status:

Will you, the student, be 24 years old before December 31, of the academic year the FAFSA covers?
For example, for the 2007-08 academic year, were you born before January 1, 1984?
At the beginning of the academic year the FAFSA covers, will you, the student, be working on a Masters or Doctorate degree?
Are you married (as of the day you file your FAFSA)?
Do you, the student, have children who receive more than half their support from you?
Do you, the student, have dependents other than children/spouse who receive more than half their support from you?
Are both your parents deceased, or are you or were you (until age 18) a ward/dependent of the court?
Are you, the student, a veteran of the US armed forces?

If you are able to answer yes to any of these questions, you may be considered independent by the Department of Education.

more information on dependency

The Higher Education Act states that under certain conditions, an instititution may override a student's dependency status.

If you do not meet the federal definition of being independent as described in the FAFSA Step III, you may request that the Financial Aid Office make a waiver of your status on the basis of documented extenuating circumstances.

Note: The parent's unwillingness (vs. inability) to assist the student should not, in and of itself, be grounds for a dependency override.

These decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis and justified by an individual student's unusual circumstances and must be documented in the student's file.

Petitioning Process

Complete and submit the Request for Independence form along with a letter explaining your circumstances. Please include letters of support and other documentation as outlined on the form itself.
Fill out a paper FAFSA, sign it and submit it along with your petition and documentation.
Your petition will be reviewed by the Professional Judgement Committee in your Financial Aid Office.
If your petition is approved, you will be granted financial aid as an independent student for one year only. You must reapply annually to keep that status.

The following circumstances do NOT qualify as extenuating circumstances and will NOT qualify you for independent status.

Parents refuse to contribute to your education.
Your parents are unwilling to provide their information for the FAFSA or for verification, which is the process by which a university confirms the data on a FAFSA.
Your parents do not claim you as a dependent for income tax purposes.
You demonstrate self-sufficiency.

Essential Determiners

What is your class standing?

What is your enrollment status?

Are you a resident of Washington?

Related Links

FAFSA on the Web

Loan Entrance Counseling

Sign Your 0809 MPN Online

Track Your Loan Status

Veterans Affairs

Office of Financial Aid
Location: SEM 3127
Hours:
M-F 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Phone:(360) 867-6205
Fax: (360) 867-6576
Email: Financial Aid

Contact the Site Manager

Last Updated: July 22, 2008

The Evergreen State College

2700 Evergreen Parkway NW

Olympia, Washington 98505

(360) 867-6000