Yeah, my parents made too much for me to get shit regardless of the fact I was living on my own and paying for everything myself. But I couldn't declare myself as independant unless I was 26 or married. It's a bullshit system. I was half debating finding a fellow student that wanted to get temporarily hitched just for FAFSA benefits.
Yes, but my dad in a separate household wasn't as stupid/Reagan-brain-rotted and also had VA benefits to applied to children, and left an inheritance earmarked for college (because he knew my stepmom definitely wasn't going to help).
Bonus Points: all of them but dad had their own college tuitions paid in full by their parents.