Dependent vs Independent
See also IRS Dependency Tests.
Forms
These forms are commonly used or distributed by educators and financial aid administrators:
(Note: PDF files require the Adobe Acrobat reader -- if you don't have it, download a free copy.)
Federal Government Documents
Federal Student Financial Aid Handbook
This web page provides copies of the US Department of Education's
publication, the Federal Student Financial Aid Handbook. The FSFA
Handbook, as it is known, provides a guide to the rules and
regulations governing federal student assistance programs for college
financial aid personnel. Although this publication is primarily of
interest to financial aid administrators, students and parents may
also find it useful.
Counselor's Handbook for Postsecondary Schools
This is a guide from the US Department of Education to help financial
aid administrators advise students about financial aid for
postsecondary education.
Verification Guides and Worksheets
Starting in the 1999-2000 award year, the Verification Guide was
incorporated into the FSFA Handbook. This link is
to sample verification worksheets for dependent and independent students.
Code of Federal Regulations (alternate)
This web page provides easy access to federal regulations relating to
the US Department of Education (Title 34 CFR Chapters VI, VII, XI and XII).
Other regulations can be found using the
Code of Federal Regulations search interface.
Federal Registers
This web page provides a compilation of student aid related Federal
Registers published from January 1, 1995 to the present.
GPO Access also provides an online
searchable interface
to all Federal Registers.
EFC Formula Worksheets and Tables
This contains the formulas, worksheets and related tables for
calculating the expected family contribution for Federal Student Aid.
Digest of Education Statistics (PDF)
The Digest of Education Statistics provides a compilation of
statistics relating to education, including information about spending
on scholarships and fellowships.
SFA Coach
An introduction to Federal Student Financial Aid for financial aid
administrators.
Direct Loan Program
This web page provides information about the Direct Loan Program, including a history and fact sheet, and copies of the Direct Loan Newsletter. The site also provides information about the Direct Consolidation Loan Program.
US House of Representatives Democratic Leadership Position on Financial Aid
Proposal for Improved Oversight in Federal Student Aid
A proposal from the US Department of Education.
Talks Presented by Mark Kantrowitz
Scholarship Scams
Designing a Financial Aid Office Web Site
The Future of the Financial Aid Office
