Office of Financial Aid
710 Colegate Drive, Marietta, OH 45750
Phone: 740.568.1908 Fax: 740.376.0257
E-mail: finaid@wscc.edu
2020-2021 Orphan, Dependent/Ward of Court, or In Foster Care Documentation
Student Name: ___________________________________ WSCC ID: _______________ DOB: _____/_____/__________
Based upon your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) results, you have indicated you are an
Independent student based upon one of the following: at any time since you turned age 13, both your parents
deceased, you in foster care or you a dependent or ward of the court. This information must be verified before
the processing of your federal financial aid application can be completed. Please complete this form and
return it with all required documentation to the Office of Financial Aid.
A student is considered an orphan if at any time since the age of 13 both parents (biological or adoptive) have
died, even if now adopted. Such a student is considered an orphan even if he/she has a legal guardian. If only
one parent is deceased, the student must provide information for the living parent.
A student qualifies as a ward of the court (regardless whether this status is determined by the county or state)
if the court has assumed custody of him/her. Incarceration of a student does not qualify him/her as a ward
of the court. In some states, the court may impose its authority over a juvenile who remains in the legal
custody of his/her parents; such a student is not a ward of the court. Emancipation of a minor does not
qualify a person to be a ward of the court.
Below is a list of acceptable documentation to confirm Orphan, Ward of the Court, or In Foster Care status:
A. Death Certificate for both Parents.
B. Documentation that the court assumed custody of the student since the age of 13, even if no longer
a dependent or ward of the court as of today.
C. Documentation that the student was in foster care at any time since the age of 13, even if no longer
in foster care as of today.
Office Use Only
Approved Documentation Denied Documentation
Signature of Assistant Director/Director: __________________________________________ Date: _______________
