Dependent or Independent...THAT is the Question.

Have you ever wondered why the FAFSA requires your parent's information and signature? At the age of adulthood and as a high school graduate, sometimes students wonder why it’s deemed necessary. How does the Department of Education classify the status of each student applying for federal aid? Is it possible to get financial aid without your parent's consent? Let's take a look at how the FAFSA distinguishes an independent student vs. dependent and find answers to these questions. I think you'll be surprised to learn of the criteria they use to come to their decision.

Section Three of the FAFSA is used as a tool to determine whether or not you need to provide your parental data. If you answer "yes" to any of the stated questions, you are considered independent. If you answer "no" to every one, you are considered dependent and need to submit your parent's data.

• Were you born before January 1, 1988?
• As of today, are you married?
• At the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, will you be working on a master's or doctorate program?
• Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces?
• Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?
• Do you have children who will receive more than half of their support from you?
• Do you have dependents who live with you and receive more than half of their support from you?
• At any time since you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care or were you a dependent or ward of the court?
• As determined by the court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you an emancipated minor?
• As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you in legal guardianship?
• At any time on or after July 1, 2010 did your high school or school district homeless liaison determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless?
• At any time on or after July 1, 2010 did the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development determine you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless?
• At any time on or after July 1, 2010 did the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?

So, now I will ask YOU: are you dependent or independent? Will your FAFSA require your parent's information or not? Basically, if you are under the age of 24, are not a parent, are not a graduate student, are not a veteran, and are not homeless...you are dependent. Count your blessings, get out your computer, and be nice to your parents because chances are, you'll need to ask for their information for every year you attend Bay Path!

*We make very rare and select exceptions to this rule. If you believe you are a candidate for this exception, and think you should be considered as an independent student, even though you don't qualify under the above explanation, please submit an Appeal for Independent Status by contacting the Student Financial Services Office at finaid@baypath.edu.

Big E Scholarship Opportunity

The Western Massachusetts Trustees Grant Fund Committee of the Eastern States Exposition is pleased to announce their intention this year to award scholarships to Western Massachusetts residents that have been involved with activities at the Eastern States Exposition.

Scholarships are awarded to students that have been involved with activities at the Exposition with a high emphasis on agriculture. If you wish to receive an application, or have any questions regarding the scholarship, please don't hesitate to contact the Exposition office at 413-205-5018 for further explanation.

We Have a Winner!!!

We are excited to announce that our blog has a name thanks to Jamie Maclone, a student from our One Day Saturday program. We received nearly 100 submissions and had a very hard time choosing between all of the creative entries. Thank you to all who participated!

Want Financial Aid for Next Year?

Have you completed your 11-12 FAFSA yet? If not, and you are planning to use financial aid to cover tuition costs for the 11-12 school year (July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012) please log on to http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ to complete your application.

**This also includes the summer graduate courses that are starting next month!

Zonta International Scholarship Opportunity

The Zonta Club of Quaboag Valley, a member of Zonta International, is pleased to offer a $500 scholarship opportunity to a woman studying business at the undergraduate level who has demonstrated outstanding potential in the field, and who lives in the Quaboag valley of Massachusetts (Belchertown, Brookfield, E. Brookfield, Hardwick Holland, Monson, New Braintree, N. Brookfield, Palmer, Spencer, Wales, Ware, Warren, and W. Brookfield).

To apply, please download an application for the Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship application and cover letter from the Zonta website at http://www.zonta.org/ by following the "What We Do" tab. The deadline for submission is May 1, 2011. Complete scholarships should be mailed to:

Kristin M. Goold
Chair, Jane M. Klausman Scholarship Committee
82 Catalpa Terrace
Springfield, MA 01119

Name Our Blog Competition Deadline

Just a reminder...the deadline for submitting your entry for our Name Our Blog Competition is this Monday, April 18th 2011. We have received an over-whelming amount of submissions already, and have several great contenders. We will announce the winner on Tuesday, April 26th. Thanks!

ECE Scholarship - June 1st Deadline

• Are you an Early Childhood Education major in our One-Day Saturday program?
• Have you been employed for at least one year in a program that is licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care?
• Are you still working there while you're completing your degree?

If you answered "Yes!" to all of these questions, you may be eligible to receive an ECE Scholarship! Please click on the link below to find out more information, and apply. The scholarship is awarded on a first come, first served basis so get your application in early - and definitely before the deadline of June 1, 2011.

http://www.osfa.mass.edu/default.asp?page=ecescholarship

For more information please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions posted on the application website or contact the Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance at 617-727-9420.

Name Our Blog Competition

Welcome to our blog! We are very excited about our newest endeavor for reaching our Bay Path community! We know how daunting and confusing funding your education can be, and we hope to relieve some stress by tackling your questions and concerns via the world wide web! Please visit us at http://www.baypathstudentfinancialservices.blogspot.com/

Our first (and very important) task is to name our blog. "Bay Path College Student Financial Services" is too obvious, and we would like your help to make the title more distinguishable! Do you have a more creative name to suggest? Please email your entries to Student Financial Services at kmurray@baypath.edu with your title and school ID. The winner will not only have bragging rights for all of eternity, but also a $100 bookstore voucher to be used at our Follett bookstore. The deadline for submission is April 18, 2011. We will announce the winner live! on our blog on April 26, 2011.