Anticipating marriage in the coming school year?

Once you submit the FAFSA for a school year, you cannot change your status from dependent to independent for that entire school year—even if you marry later in the year.

If you anticipate marriage between now and the end of the coming school year, consider the following points before submitting your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA):

1. Your eligibility for free federal grants (Pell, ACG and SMART) and Subsidized Stafford Loans depends in large measure on how needy the FAFSA says you are.
    
2. Students who are independent according to the FAFSA definition do not report parental income on the FAFSA. Therefore, independent students frequently, but not always, appear more needy and eligible for grants and subsidized loans. (To determine your FAFSA dependency status go to www.fafsa.ed.gov and select Determine Your Dependency Status.)
    
3. If you are currently dependent and will become independent after your anticipated marriage in the coming school year, then we recommend that you carefully consider whether or not you should wait to file your FAFSA after you are married. Once you submit the FAFSA for a school year, you cannot change your status from dependent to independent for that entire school year—even if you marry later in the year.
    
4. If you anticipate marriage in the coming school year and want to discuss your situation in more detail with a counselor before filing your FAFSA, then call (801) 422-4104 to set an appointment with a BYU Financial Aid Counselor.