The Independent Student -- Fish, Fowl, or Other?

The expanding numbers of emancipated students in addition to students who, with their parents, believe that postsecondary education is a right rather than a privilege, and that the society should provide the resources to aid the student, present an increasingly difficult problem to the financial aid officer. The controversy surrounds the definition of the independent student and establishing criteria for identifying him. From that point, the financial aid officer is beset with the problem of establishing the need of the independent student and providing for those needs. Various methods of determining need are available; in each case they are based on establishing an individualized family budget to determine self-help eligibility. (JMF)