Attending college at any age begins by filling out a FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. If you are over the age of 30, the primary difference for you versus any other student is that you’ll know right from the start that your student status is independent. You won’t be required to provide information on the FAFSA concerning your parent’s income, assets, or their education history. Instead, the FAFSA will utilize your income information alone to make award determinations.
For students 30 years or older, your status will always be independent, but there are some conditions where it might be important to report on the FAFSA that you are an “independent with dependents.” This would occur if you have children that depend on you for more than ½ of the cost of their care. It can also happen if you have dependents that live with you, such as children or dependent adult parents or grandparents.
In general, being an independent with dependents will result in more aid being awarded. However, if you are simply an independent, but have very low income, you may qualify for just as much aid. Regardless of your situation, the FAFSA will be used to determine all aid. Your income and asset information, education history, and dependent information will all be taken into account, and loans, grants, scholarships, and federal work study will all be awarded accordingly.
Many students over 30 prefer to take classes online. This does not pose any problem whatsoever. In most cases the FAFSA makes no distinction between traditional classes and online classes. As long as you are enrolled in an accredited school at least half-time, chances are that you can qualify for a great deal of aid.
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