Is a Student Who Is Either a Refugee Or an Asylee Considered Independent On the FAFSA?

No, refugee or asylee status does not make a student automatically independent. A student qualifies as an independent student only if the student meets one of the dependency status criteria on the FAFSA, such as being married, a graduate student, etc. Therefore, the student should determine her dependency status based on those questions when completing the FAFSA.

It is possible that a dependent student arrived in the U.S. with her parents, or the parents may reside overseas and can still be contacted. In some cases, however, the student's circumstances may warrant consideration for a dependency override. If you approve a dependency override, you must maintain documentation to substantiate your decision. You must also ensure that the decision was made based on circumstances unique to that student and not based solely on the student's asylee or refugee status.

Instructions for indicating a dependency override on the FAFSA, or using FAA Access to CPS Online if the FAFSA has already been completed, can be found under "Dependency Overrides" in Chapter 5 of the Application and Verification Guide (AVG) volume of the FSA Handbook.

Note: Effective with the 2023-24 award year, any student determined to be independent by dependency override for a preceding award year shall be presumed to be independent for each subsequent award year at the same institution, unless the student indicates a change in circumstances or unless conflicting information exists. Reference Section 479D(d)(1) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended, [20 USC 1087uu-2(d)(1)] and Dear Colleague Letter GEN-22-15. 

Student Aid Reference Desk: For additional information, try the Student Aid Reference Desk. It is a central hub of all the important financial aid resources you need with direct links to legislation, regulation, Dear Colleague Letters, and other ED and NASFAA references. It is updated on a rolling basis with the latest news and changes. Search Professional Judgment.