<p>I'm trying to find more information about declaring independent status during my sophomore year at Georgia Tech so that I may receive in-state tuition. Their website doesn't really provide any info on residency restrictions.</p>
<p>However, I read on the University of Georgia site that a student must not receive more than 50% of their financial support from a parent.</p>
<p>What other details does this involve, and how difficult would it be for me to be an independent? Is it legal, and would you recommend it? </p>
<p>I wouldn't be able to afford GT otherwise b/c I received no financial aid (except for unsubsidized loans) and only qualified as a semifinalist in the only GT scholarship.</p>
<p>To be an independent student you must be one of the following:</p>
<p>Were you born before January 1, 1983</p>
<p>Will you be working on a degree beyond a bachelor's degree, such as a master's or doctorate, in school year 2006-2007?</p>
<p>As of the date you will be submitting the FAFSA, are you married? (Answer yes if you are separated, but not divorced.)</p>
<p>Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you, or do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30, 2007? </p>
<p>Are you an orphan or ward of the court or were you a ward of the court until age 18?</p>
<p>Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?</p>
<p>Are you currently serving on active duty in the Armed Forces for other than training purposes?</p>
<p>If you cannot say yes to any of the above questions, you are a dependent student.</p>
<p>Unless your parents move to georgia, pay taxes in the state and work there at least a year, you will not have state residency as most states do not give residency for the purpose of in-state tuition.</p>
<p>Is there any other way? If I can finance my own tuition costs, does that count? I read on the UGA website that you have to pay for at least 51% of your tuition in order to be considered as an independent.</p>
<p>Sybbie is correct. But if you don't believe her, call GT yourself and ask them what their criteria for instate tuition is. Believe me, if all it took was paying 51% if your tuition for one year and poof...you were instate, there would be NO out of state tuition payers. The reality is that you are a resident of the state in which your parents reside unless you fit one of the criteria Sybbie noted above.</p>
<p>Declaring oneself an independent is a financially-advantageous move for any student whose family doesn't qualify for need-based aid, especially one attending a state school as a non-resident. Many students, therefore, would do it if it was as easy as you're hoping. It's not.</p>
<p>Residency is another issue besides. Some schools don't consider you eligible for resident tuition rates if your sole purpose for living in the state is to attend school there. I don't know what GT's policy is.</p>
<p>What if a student enters school as a freshman at age 20 and wants to pay her own way beginning her junior year? Is she then considered an independent student?</p>
<p>Even though you are starting college at age 20 and want to pay your own way, you will not be considered an independent student unless :</p>
<p>Will you be working on a degree beyond a bachelor's degree, such as a master's or doctorate, in school year 2006-2007?</p>
<p>As of the date you will be submitting the FAFSA, are you married? (Answer yes if you are separated, but not divorced.)</p>
<p>Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you, or do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30, 2007? </p>
<p>Are you an orphan or ward of the court or were you a ward of the court until age 18?</p>
<p>Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?</p>
<p>Are you currently serving on active duty in the Armed Forces for other than training purposes?</p>
<p>If you cannot say yes to any of the above questions, you are a dependent student.</p>
<p>At many schools, if you start at a dependent student your status remains the same unitl you finish so check individual school policies.</p>
<p>my mom passed away in feburary :( , my dad does not talk to me at all. he doesnt support me at all. i paid for my full college tuition with little financial aid help and the rest from my pocket. im a sophomore now.</p>
<p>him and my step mom just got divorce and i live with her but i completely support myself. </p>
<p>and he owes thousands and thousands of dollars in child support for my little sister.</p>
<p>can i become independant? i dont have any suppporting parents.</p>
<p>brittanylee, your father needs to pay up or go to jail. period. your stepmom should report him to the appropriate authorities.</p>
<p>are you at least 24 years old? if so then you could claim independence, otherwise you would be a dependent student, since you live with your stepmom.</p>
<p>talk to your financial aid counselor. explain your situation. he or she might allow you to claim independence. </p>
<p>based on what you posted here, i dont think that it would be a problem, so talk to your FAA.</p>
<p>Brittany, First my sympathies on the death of your mom. Your situation may be a "special circumstance" type of situation with regard to financial aid. I think you need to speak to someone about this situation. It is not a standard question with a standard answer. Set up an appointment with a financial aid person at your school...asap....and put forward all of this information. They will have questions you need to answer to determine exactly who is a "parent" in your situation. Good luck to you.</p>
<p>We at CC have to be careful answering these kinds of questions, because terminology definitions can vary. For instance, the OP asked about establishing independence for the purpose of instate residency, and what he was answered with was the definition of independence for the purpose of FAFSA. These are two separate categories. From the GT website:</p>
<p>
[quote]
l. Independent student – An individual who is not claimed as a dependent on the federal or state income tax returns of a parent or
U.S. court-appointed legal guardian who has ceased to provide support and right to that individual’s care, custody and earnings.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Further, </p>
<p>
[quote]
An independent student who has established and maintained a domicile in the State of Georgia for a period of at least 12
consecutive months immediately preceding the first day of classes for the term shall be classified as “in-state” for tuition
purposes. It is presumed that no student shall have gained or acquired in-state classification while attending any
postsecondary educational institution in this state without clear evidence of having established domicile in Georgia for
purposes other than attending postsecondary educational institution in this state.
<p>You need to gather up any and all paperwork you might have about your situation, make an appointment with the head of the financial aid department, and then see if they can do a "professional judgment" of sorts about your situation. That may or may not work, but it is all I know. </p>
<p>You are setting a great example for your younger sister, though. So, kudos on that, darling. </p>
<p>DETSAzn</p>
<p>I really think that you should just ask someone at your school.</p>
<p>For example, I know that if you live in Tennessee right on the Kentucky border, you can pay in state tuition to go to University in Kentucky. But, you are a Georgia Tech student coming out of Delaware, eh? So, I would think that maybe you should study over the post of garland and see what you can do. From what I can infer, you would have to be living in an apartment or something for a good year or so.</p>
<p>click on GA and all of the requirements are listed.</p>
<p>Bottom line - you have to convince the financial aid officer you are truly independent. they can use their professional judgement to adjust the formula.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It is presumed that no student shall have gained or acquired in-state classification while attending any
postsecondary educational institution in this state without clear evidence of having established domicile in Georgia for
purposes other than attending postsecondary educational institution in this state. >></p>
</blockquote>
<br>
<p>This section quoted by Garland could be the sticking point for the OP. The OP is indicating that he/she needs to get in state status for their sophomore year. It sounds like they are currently attending GT as a freshman. If that is the case, and their permanent residence is other than Georgia, they cannot (from what I'm reading here) establish residency in Georgia WHILE attending college there. However it DOES sound like a person can take a year off, get a job in Georgia, NOT attend post secondary school (e.g. college) and do so for 12 months PRIOR to the start of the college academic year...and they would establish residency. SO...my suggestion is to call GT...but my reading of this is that to get instate tuition, the OP can take a full year off, work and live in Georgia, not be declared on someone else's taxes, and establish instate residency for tuition purposes.</p>
<p>^I knew several people back when I was at UMich who did just that, including my SIL. I wasn't sure if this possibility still existed in state schools these days, but I also read it that this may be possible for the OP at GT.</p>
<p>I didn’t think i was the only one, good to know. Now what if you divorce or emancipate from your parents? wouldn’t that meen legally your independent? I know that doesn’t fall under the criterias but your faa would have to consider you an independent. And yes that is a worst case scenario.</p>
<p>It is VERY difficult to become an emancipated student. You must show evidence that you have had NO (read that again…NO) contact with your parents. You cannot be declared on their taxes. You cannot accept one nickel (not a nickel) from them. You cannot correspond with them or have them in your life at all.</p>
<p>AND you would also have to show how you were supporting yourself.</p>
<p>I am a Junior who took a semester off at Penn State. I am currently at home in the state of New York working full time and taking two classes at community college. I would like to go back to school in the spring. I realize that there is no way I can qualify as a resident of PA for tuition purposes in the spring, but my question is would I be able to qualify as an Independent if I were to secure a mailing address in PA, get a PA drivers license, and file my own taxes for the 2009 year? I would be willing to cut myself off financially from my father and thus live on my own/pay for my own needs.</p>
<p>If a student was able to establish himself as “independent,” could his parents still provide his medical insurance and still declare him as dependant on their taxes? Probably not.</p>
If you are talking about for financial aid then no, not unless you meet one of the criteria on FAFSA to be considered independent (age 24+, marries, have a dependent you support at least 50%, be a veteran etc etc). None of the criteria ask if you file your own taxes or pay your own needs. My son was completely independent and self supporting for more than 2 years (including not being claimed by us on taxes and paying his own rent/bills etc). he was still a dependent for FAFSA once he returned to school at 22 years old.</p>
<p>For independency for instate tuition purposes your state of residency is generally based on your parent’s State of residency. Even if it is possible (which is unlikely) you generally have to be a resident in the state for at least a year before the date you are trying to claim residency *and * you must be there for purposes other than school (in other words you would not be able to be taking classes during that year). These are fairly generic rules that apply to most states so you would have to check with PA for their specific rules.</p>