Allow students under the age of 24 to declare themselves as independent from their parents on the FAFSA. Lower the age!

The US Department of Education considers a student a dependent up until the age of 24 except in certain circumstances. Students must provide parental information on the FAFSA even if the student does not live at home. This is a problem for many students whose parents refuse to help them with college. With the increase divorce rates many stepparents are choosing not to help the children from another marriage with college. But the refusal to help is not seen as an acceptable circumstance to declare a student as independent. An incomplete FAFSA also disqualifies these students from many government scholarship programs where a completed FAFSA is required. Let's lower the age of dependency so students can have an equal opportunity to attend college. Thank you