If you are considered a dependent student, you will have to provide your parental demographic and financial information on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application. Here at Lamar University, we recognize there may be circumstances that affect your ability to provide required parental information on the (FAFSA) application.

The Higher Education Act allows a student aid administrator to change a student from dependent to independent; this is known as a dependency override. A dependency override is performed on a case-by-case basis for students with "unusual circumstances" who are unable to provide parental information on their FAFSA.

We have developed guidelines to help you understand what is considered "unusual circumstances" for applying for a Dependency Override, see below.

Unusual Circumstances Include:

• Abandonment by parents
• An abusive family environment that threatens the student’s health or safety
• The student’s inability to locate his/her parents
• Other circumstances deemed appropriate by a Student Aid Administrator

Unusual Circumstances DO NOT Include:

• Parent refusal to contribute to the student’s education
• Parent unwillingness to provide information on the FAFSA or for verification
• Parent does not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes
• Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency

How to Apply

Step 1: Fill out the FAFSA, indicating you have unusual circumstances and are unable to provide information about your parent(s).

Step 2: Once you receive notification from LU that your FAFSA has been received, login to Student Forms and complete the PJ Unusual Circumstance Appeal Form.  You will be required to provide the following:

1. A detailed personal statement that includes:
   • The whereabouts of your biological parents and their current living arrangements. Include the last contact you had with your biological parents and the frequency of contact with them over the past year(s).
   • Why you cannot provide parental information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
   • Your living arrangements over the past year(s); with whom you have lived with and who has provided financial support for you.
   • An explanation of the extraordinary family circumstances that led to you leaving your parents' household.
   • How you are supporting yourself. 
   • The date you last had contact with your parents or date you were last supported/left your parents' household.

2. Third party supporting documentation
   1. Official documents that support the extenuating circumstances such as, but not limited to:
      • Police Reports
      • Court Documents
      • Birth or Death Certificates
      • Incarceration Records
      • Child Protective Services Case Documents
   2. OR Types letters from two individuals who can attest to your situation.
      • The first letter should be from a professional individual not related to You (the student) - counselor, social worker, teacher, police, etc. Please submit on letterhead.
      • The second letter should be from either a professional or non-professional who is very familiar with your situation.
      • Each letter must include the individual's name, title or position, address, phone number and must be signed.
      • The individuals cannot be related to each other and must reside at separate addresses.

Step 3:

Please note that the Office of Student Aid may require supplementary documentation to complete the review process.

A Financial Aid Administrator will contact you if more information is needed.

Step 4: You will be notified of the decision via Student Forms.  The decision of the Student Aid Office is final and cannot be appealed.

If approved, you will be considered independent. OSA will presume you to be independent for each subsequent award year unless you inform us that your circumstances have changed; or we are notified of conflicting information about yours independence.