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Office of Financial Aid
University of Mississippi

Orphan, Ward of the Court, or Foster Care

When you filed your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you reported that you were or are an orphan, a ward of the court, or in foster care. Before we can determine your eligibility for financial aid, you must document your orphan/ward of the court/foster care status. Please the each type of dependency situation below to determine what you need to submit:

  • You are considered an orphan if both of your biological or adoptive parents are deceased. If you meet this definition of an orphan and had no living parent (biological or adoptive) at any time since you turned 13, provide to our office a copy your birth certificate as well as the death certificate for both of your parents.
  • If you were a ward of the court any time since you turned age 13, you must provide our office with a copy of the relevant court decree. (PLEASE NOTE: Legal custody granted to a parent pursuant to a divorce decree does NOT constitute an individual as a Ward of the Court.)
  • If you were in foster care any time since you turned age 13, you must provide our office with a copy of the relevant court decree.

Documentation of your orphan/ward of the court/foster care status must be provided before we can continue processing your application for financial assistance.

Students can upload appropriate documentation through the Student Forms Self-Service Portal. All students must first create a Student Forms account; please visit https://finaid.olemiss.edu/studentforms/ for information on how to set up your account.