These criteria are really shitty for some people. My middle class parents spoiled me and paid for the entirety of my college tuition and expenses, but I had friends from families with similar income whose parents completely refused to pay for any college expenses, and they had to survive on whatever scholarships and student loans they could get, but couldn't get any FAFSA aid. I'm not sure what the alternative is, and I'm sure they were more privileged than many/most of the people who do qualify for FAFSA aid, but it still felt really unfair to me.

I guess they should've gotten sham marriages to qualify as independent? (Why is marriage a qualifying criterion for independence? Seems really antiquated to me...)

Or married, I think.

Married, yes.

Veteran also works -- I qualified not to include my parent's income. But the $10k I made the year before put be above the threshold for a household of one. I think I got a state $500/year and that was it. Everything else was loans.

It was a perverse position I was in during the 6 months between military service and returning to college. Any money I saved during that time was considered to be 100% applicable to that next year of college. So I basically had to deplete all savings before any aid or even loans were allowed to kick in.

Incidentally, the GI Bill, which is often advertised as $xxx per month is pro-rated to the day.