I have an adult daughter who is 22, lives with her boyfriend, works full-time and pays her own taxes. She wants to go back to school via an online college to study to be a pharmacy tech. She is asking me for my tax information to apply for student aid and says she is considered a dependent since she is single and has no children. How can she be considered a dependent when she does not live with me and I do not help support her?
Translate Post: 
Yes, your daughter is correct, they need your information to consider her for financial aid. The financial aid world REALLY should change the word that they use because it bothers so many people who feel that they should be considered “independent”.
Put that word aside for a minute and realize that this has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with who supports who, where she lives or with whom, who pays rent or taxes or health insurance or anything like that.
The rules are very clear and you can find them on the FAFSA website. In your daughters situation, she will not be independent FOR FINANCIAL AID PURPOSES until she is 24 yrs old, has a child, joins the army or meets one of the other conditions to be independent. Sure, she is an independent adult, but not in the eyes of the people who hand out the money for educational grants and loans and that is the way it should be. Taxpayers cannot afford to put everyone through college.
Honestly, they should really just call them RED and BLUE or something besides dependant and independant since it makes for so much confusion.
FAFSA and IRS definitions of dependent are completely different. Read the definitions and you will easily see why your daughter needs your info.. If you make a good deal of money, she may be better off waiting the 2 yrs to go to school