I would look into the idea of declaring her a dependent because that may also mean that if she applies for aid based on her income, your income may also have to be taken into consideration. And depending on how much you make, she could be denied. My situation was a little different, so this may not apply to you. But I was paying my own expenses and was getting medical help as someone who could not afford treatment. They refused me one year because when I put in my annual application, my room mates tax forms, which had to be provided because everyone in household had to prove income, showed she had declared me as a dependent on her taxes. Because of this, they declared that I was financially able to pay for my medical care without assistance. She had to correct her taxes and prove she'd had removed me as a dependent before I was approved back into the program.