Ziay!

llcheeseman

money through the government? I already have a Bachelor's degree, so I can't get grants. I currently am not eligle for very much loan money, and am hoping that once I am considered an independant, I will be eligible for loans up to the ammount of my tuition...

Kitsune

It completely depends upon your income (if independent) and/or the income or your parent or guardian (if you are their dependent). As far as FAFSA is concerned, becoming independent means that there is no one else besides you that can be held responsible for the costs of your education. Therefore, you could stand to make out pretty well with government loans if your personal income is less than that of your parents.
I was just going through making this decision myself because, although I am financially independent, FAFSA still considers me my parents' dependent because I am not yet 24 (when you turn 24 you become an "Adult Student" in the eyes of FAFSA, whatever that means...). I would get much more financial aid if I could file independently, but they will not allow me to.

nostalgia88

When you apply for graduate school you are automatically considered independent as far as the FAFSA is concerned. I went through this process and qualified for MUCH more aid than I had as an undergrad. I was not yet 24 when I applied for aid for grad school (I was 23) but still qualified as independent with virutally no income.

And even though I already had a B.A., I still qualified for grants that ended up covering the entire cost of tuition. So unless you're going for a second Bachelor's (which I don't know how that works), pursuing a Master's degree does not disqualify you for grants.