Financial Aid (Graduate Student)

[3AD 0]

I'm a doctoral student, so below poverty level in terms of actual income. However, I qualify and receive federally subsidized loans as financial aid that would put me well over the income thresholds for I-134.

Is this even worth mentioning, or do they only look at income?

I'm getting a co-sponsor that will put me in the clear, but I'm just wondering if anybody knows if and how they look at financial aid for students....

Thanks much.

3AD

[Miranda&James 8]

You know, I'm not sure. I have a financial aid loan that I use to pay my rent but the money is in my savings, so I included all of that money in my bank letter for my I-134. However, I have a cosponsor so my money doesn't really matter anyways!

[hafiz 1]

savings are treated differently than income.

[rebeccajo 14]

You know I've actually heard of this being used. Contact an immigration attorney about how it is done.

[Satellite 1]

What I've heard is that you can only use only the income shown on your tax forms as "income" in terms of the I-134. Granted you could file a tax a return showing your graduate student loans as income and pay taxes on it to satisfy immigration. But that is a huge waste of your much needed loan and probably illegal or wrong in terms of tax filing. Once the money is in savings you can still use it, but it goes into to assets category requiring you to have 5 times the amount of money you are short to satisfy the I-134 / poverty guideliness.

[Miranda&James 8]

Yeah, I was referring to that money as assets in the bank. Wasn't nearly close to 125% of the poverty level and miles away from 5 times that. But, it was in my savings so if I had enough I could use it as assets I imagine.