Allow Students to Apply to College as Independent and Receive an Equal Opportunity as Those That Rely on Their Guardians

Going to college is the first step into independence for most students so why not allow them to apply to college as an independent individual. Students are forced to apply to college as dependents on their guardians until the age of 24. Unless they are married, have dependents, are a veteran, orphan or ward of a court; students can not be considered independent by federal law. Just because a student has a dependent does not make them more responsible then a student that only has to care for themselves. A student should be able to become independent in the eyes of financial aid givers as soon as they begin applying to college. Statistics have shown that students that try to become seen as independent end up receiving an education at a less expensive institution because of no financial aid.