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NOTES
Independent vs. Dependent
A student is considered dependent unless they are born before January 1, 1995, are married, a veteran of the US Armed
Forces, serving on active duty in the US Armed Forces, homeless, orphan/ward of the court or under legal guardianship.
-Independent students must complete Section A-G. -Dependent students must complete Sections A-M.
Section A (HOUSEHOLD INFORMATION)
-Independent Household (Section A) includes student, spouse, and child(ren) that the student supports more than 50%
from 7/1/2018-6/30/2019.
-Dependent Household (Section A) includes student, parent(s)* and sibling(s) (under the age of 24) that parents support
more than 50% from 7/1/2018-6/30/2019.
*Parent(s) in household include either: 1) one or both biological/adoptive parents (depending on their marital status and if
they both live in the household OR 2) one biological/adoptive parent PLUS one step-parent (if re-married)
Section B and/or H (ASSETS INFORMATION)
Net worth means current value minus debt. If net worth is $1 million or more, enter $999,999. If net worth is negative,
enter $0.
Investments INCLUDE real estate (do not include the home you live in), rental property, trust funds, UGMA and UTMA
accounts for which you are the owner of, money market funds, mutual funds, certificates of deposit, stocks, stock options,
bonds, other securities, installment and land sale contracts (including mortgages held), commodities, etc. Investment
value includes the market value of these investments as of today. Investment debt means only those debts that are related
to the investments. Investments also include qualified educational benefits or education savings accounts that student or
parents own (Coverdell and 529 college savings plans and the refund value of 529 prepaid tuition plans).
Investments DO NOT INCLUDE the home you live in, the value of life insurance and retirement plans (401[k] plans,
pension funds, annuities, non- education IRAs, Keogh plans, etc.), Investments also do not include UGMA and UTMA
accounts for which you are the custodian, but not the owner.
Business and/or investment farm value includes the market value of land, buildings, machinery, equipment, inventory,
etc. Business and/or investment farm debt means only those debts for which the business or investment farm was used as
collateral. Do not include the value of a small business if your family owns and controls more than 50 % of the business
and the business has 100 or fewer full-time or full-time equivalent employees. For small business value, your family
includes (1) persons directly related to you, such as a parent, sister, cousin, or (2) persons who are or were related to you
by marriage, such as a spouse, stepparent or sister-in-law. Investment farm does not include the value of a family farm
that you (your spouse/parents) live on and operate.
Section D and/or J (NON-TAX FILERS INFORMATION)
If, according to IRS regulation, the student/spouse and/or parent(s) were required to file a 2016 federal tax return but
failed to do so, all financial aid processing will be delayed until the return is filed, processed by the IRS and appropriate
documentation is submitted to the Financial Aid Office. Information regarding filing limits can be found in the 2016 IRS
Publication 17 online at www.irs.gov
. (See page 7 for dependent students. See page 5 for independent students/parents.)