Frequently
Asked Questions About
Q: Does owning property in
A: For independent students,
owning property by itself does not allow students to receive in-state
tuition, as the other requirements still must be met.
For parents of dependent students,
Q: Can personal loans and gifts
from parents and relatives be counted as support that a student has
provided?
A: No.
Loans and gifts are considered money coming from elsewhere and
do not count toward financial independence. Financial support must come
from the sources listed in the law/regulations.
Q: Are Parent (PLUS) loans
considered financial support contributed by students?
A: No.
PLUS loans are applied for and awarded to the parents.
Q: If I have lived in
A: No, nothing is automatic
about residency. You must
meet all of the requirements, submit a residency application and be
approved before you become eligible.
Q: If I move here and live with
relatives, does that make me eligible?
A: Not unless the relatives have
been made your legal guardian through the court, before age eighteen. Be aware that the law states
that if it appears that steps have been taken just to obtain resident
tuition, the application will not be approved.
Q: Am I eligible for residency
if I use a
A: You still must meet the other
requirements. For
admission, other factors are important, such as the source of
transcripts and addresses of parents.
Q: Are pre-paid tuition plans
considered financial support provided by the parents?
A: Even though pre-payment plans
are in students’ names, the parents contributed the funds and
received the tax benefits. Therefore, they are
considered funds from the parents.
Q: Can I use the money I’ve
saved in my savings and checking account to establish my financial
independence?
A: No, since it is not possible
to document the source of the funds.
Support must come from the sources listed in the
law/regulations.
Q: What is the difference in
applying for residency as dependent or independent?
A: If the parents provided more
than half of the student’s support for the past twelve months,
the student is still considered dependent and it is the parents that
must meet the residency requirements. If the student provided the
majority of support, then the student may be eligible to apply as
independent.
Q: Am I required to provide 51%
of my total financial support or 51% of my total expenses?
A: You must provide at least 51%
of your total support. Total
support must also be greater than total expenses.