Education

We are not experts at answering questions about getting financial aid for school.   We are in this user forum to help with income tax questions.   Your questions about financial aid and FAFSA should be asked in some other site where there are folks who can answer you.   Or perhaps sit down with someone in the financial aid office at your school to have a discussion.

But we can tell you some things about being claimed as a dependent on a tax return when you are  a full-time student.   If you are a full-time student you can likely be claimed as a qualifying child on a parent's return until the tax year when you turn 24, even if you have income you earn yourself.   Not always....but often.   So you will need to know what the rules are regarding providing your own support.  

You say you can be claimed as someone's dependent for 2020; and it sounds like you expect to be claimed as a dependent for tax year 2021.   So the next time this becomes an issue is tax year 2022---and you do not file a 2022 tax return until early in 2023.   

You do not "claim yourself" as a dependent; rather,  you have to know whether you CAN be claimed as a dependent by someone else.   If someone else CAN claim you  (even if they don't) then on your own tax return you must say that you can be claimed as a dependent.   If you can be claimed as someone else's dependent then the education credits go on the tax return of the person who can claim you.   

Read through the rules for claiming a dependent--from the standpoint of a parent who might be able to claim you.   And read carefully about when you must say yes to the question as to whether you can be claimed.   

IRS interview to help determine who can be claimed:

https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/who-can-i-claim-as-a-dependent

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/3113432-who-can-i-claim-as-my-dependent  

WHO CAN I CLAIM AS A DEPENDENT?

You can claim a child, relative, friend, fiance (etc.) as a dependent on your 2020 taxes as long as they meet the following requirements:

Qualifying child

•They are related to you.

•They cannot be claimed as a dependent by someone else.

•They are a U.S. citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or   Mexican resident.

•They are not filing a joint return with their spouse.

•They are under the age of 19 (or 24 for full-time students).

• No age limit for permanently and totally disabled children

  •      They live with you for more than half the year (exceptions apply).

Qualifying relative

•They don't have to be related to you (despite the name).

•They cannot be claimed as a dependent by someone else.

•They are a U.S. citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or Mexican resident.

•They are not filing a joint return with their spouse.

•They lived with you the entire year.

•They made less than $4300  (not counting Social Security)

•You provided more than half of their financial support. More info

When you add someone as a dependent, we'll ask a series of questions to make sure you can claim them.

Related Information:

•Does a dependent have to live with me?

•What does "financially support another person" mean?

•Can I claim a newborn baby?

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/dependents/help/when-do-i-have-to-answer-yes-to-being-claimed-as-a...

There are others here in the forum who might offer some thoughts.   @Hal_Al  ?  @Carl  ?