Removing Conditions for College Student

[Italian Mom 1]

My son came in the US with a K2 Visa months after I did and he got his conditional GC months after I did. Plus it took him 7 months to get his GC, so now his is expiring almost one year after mine.

He will start college this Fall and we would like him to live on his own and apply for federal college aid. So if he is on his own on his household it will be easier for him to get the aid. But would he then be able to apply for removal of conditions (one year after me) being on his own household or does he need to be my dependent?

Thank you!

[simpleflower 0]

How old is your son? Schools will consider him independent for financial aid only if he's 24 years old and older. Anyone younger than that is considered dependent and have to

show the parents (in this case you and your US husband) taxes. If he moves out he will have to change the address on his drivers license and you will have to inform USCIs as well.

I have no idea how that influences the process of removing conditions.

Here's how this works:

"Dependent students are assumed to have parental support while independent students are not. The result: Independent students might qualify for more aid.

Being considered an independent student is not merely a matter of being responsible for your own educational expenses. You must meet at least one of the following seven criteria to be declared an independent student for the purposes of the FAFSA:

Be 24 years of age or older by December 31 of the award year;

Be an orphan (both parents deceased), ward of the court, or was a ward of the court until the age of 18;

Be a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States;

Be a graduate or professional student;

Be a married individual;

Have legal dependents other than a spouse;

Be a student for whom a financial aid administrator makes a documented determination of independence by reason of other unusual circumstances. "

source: h t t p://w w w .fastweb. c o m /financial-aid/articles/699-fafsa-and-the-independent-student

[Italian Mom 1]

How old is your son? Schools will consider him independent for financial aid only if he's 24 years old and older. Anyone younger than that is considered dependent and have to

show the parents (in this case you and your US husband) taxes. If he moves out he will have to change the address on his drivers license and you will have to inform USCIs as well.

I have no idea how that influences the process of removing conditions.

Here's how this works:

"Dependent students are assumed to have parental support while independent students are not. The result: Independent students might qualify for more aid.

Being considered an independent student is not merely a matter of being responsible for your own educational expenses. You must meet at least one of the following seven criteria to be declared an independent student for the purposes of the FAFSA:

Be 24 years of age or older by December 31 of the award year;

Be an orphan (both parents deceased), ward of the court, or was a ward of the court until the age of 18;

Be a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States;

Be a graduate or professional student;

Be a married individual;

Have legal dependents other than a spouse;

Be a student for whom a financial aid administrator makes a documented determination of independence by reason of other unusual circumstances. "

source: h t t p://w w w .fastweb. c o m /financial-aid/articles/699-fafsa-and-the-independent-student

Thank you Simpleflower!

My son just turned 20, so it looks like he only can claim as our dependent. He does not fall in none of the listed criteria of the FAFSA.

I hope there will be no problem for him to remove the conditions in case he moves out in a room near by the college.

Thanks again!

[aaron2020 11,651]

My son came in the US with a K2 Visa months after I did and he got his conditional GC months after I did. Plus it took him 7 months to get his GC, so now his is expiring almost one year after mine.

He will start college this Fall and we would like him to live on his own and apply for federal college aid. So if he is on his own on his household it will be easier for him to get the aid. But would he then be able to apply for removal of conditions (one year after me) being on his own household or does he need to be my dependent?

Thank you!

He can remove the condition when living on his own. This is not a problem.

As for college financial aid, he is still your dependent even if he is living on his own. So living on his own gives him no advantage over living with you.

Edited August 15, 2012 by aaron2020