<blockquote>
<p>my cousin is going to be an international student this coming fall at CMU>></p>
</blockquote>
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<p>Sounds to me like the purpose for this student coming to the US is to be a student at CMU...not to reside with the OP's family. I guess this cousin would have to "live with" the family better than 50% of the time in 2007 to be added to the family's fafsa for the 2007-2008 school year. I'm not sure that the time the student spends at CMU counts towards the "living with" time since that is clearly for college attendance purposes. I'm sorry...still seems fishy to me.</p>
<p>for the first part, he (my cousin) is living in the college dorms. so that means he doesn't qualify? but other students living in dorms do qualify if they are yoursiblings though?</p>
<p>"but other students living in dorms do qualify if they are yoursiblings though?"</p>
<p>For sure they qualify. I am not sure about your cousin though. Can you PM NikkiiL ? she works in the fin aid office. Ask her to visit this thread. We all want to know the answer.</p>
<p>"the purpose for this student coming to the US is to be a student at CMU...not to reside with the OP's family.."</p>
<p>"Purpose" doesn't matter. Whether he's a student, or not, doesn't matter.</p>
<p>"he (my cousin) is living in the college dorms." If he was living in the college dorms when the FAFSA is filed, he doesn't qualify. FAFSA applicant's siblings (the parent's children) can qualify even though they aren't living at home.</p>
<p>Sblake, I think we are agreeing, and I think my semantics were poor. What I meant was that establishing residency with the family while living in the dorms for the sole purpose of attending college does NOT constitute "living with the family" for finaid purposes.</p>
<p>I think the point that thumper is trying to raise (and she can correct me if I am wrong) is:</p>
<p>When not living in the college dorm, your child's primary residence is your (the parent's) home.</p>
<p>In the case of OP's cousin, his/her primary residence is their parent's home (overseas). They will be here for the purpose of attending school, and when school is out, they will be returning home (overseas).</p>
<p>I think that thumper and blake are essentially saying the same thing, when the FAFSA is filed for OP, if it is for school year 2007-2008 the cousin is living at home overseas. For school year 2008-2009 the cousin will be residing on campus at CMU (and would not count in the # of students in college equation)</p>
<p>So while Op's parents are subsidizing the tuition for the cousin, the gray area is whether or not the OP's family is providing half of the support (as this may be questionable when it comes to providing residence more than half the year). </p>
<p>Also, wouldn't the school change the/update the FAFSA information since the veracity of the information would be dependent on (or verified though) the what is presented on the tax forms (where the school in their professional judgment may not decide to count the cousing as a family member in college)?</p>
<p>Agree with most of what you're saying sybbie-- except using the tax forms to verify the answer to Q66. They're different questions, with different requirements. Now, a FAO might doing verification might ask about a difference between 1040 Q6d and FAFSA Q66-- since for many families they are the same. But for many they aren't (our FAFSA Q66 is one greater than our 1040 Q6d).</p>
<p>If it was as straightforward as just transferring the number in 1040 box 6d to the "household members" question on FAFSA, that's what they would ask for. But they're asking a different question.</p>
<p>The basis for who qualifies or does not qualify as a household member is determined by the Department of Education. The main determining factor is whether the person LIVES WITH the household and whether the household contributes MORE THAN half of the person's total support. The DOE defines financial support as "Financial support includes money, gifts, loans, housing, food, clothes, a car, medical and dental care, payment of college costs, etc." Under this simple terminology it would appear that the cousin in question could be included in the household. However...as with anything tied to the government, it is never that easy. The real issue here: Is the cousin actually residing with the household.</p>
<p>From a Financial Aid Office standpoint...there are a few questions which must be answered before anything definitive can be concluded:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>When the FAFSA was completed, what was the cousin's official place of residence?</p></li>
<li><p>What date did the cousin move to the United States? Was it before or after the completion of the FAFSA?</p></li>
<li><p>What methods of support is this person receiving and from which party's?</p></li>
<li><p>Can your family provide documentation to support that they are indeed providing more than HALF of your cousins financial support?</p></li>
<li><p>What is the primary purpose of your cousin's entrance to the United States?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>do the questions pertain to my filing of the FAFSA?</p>
<p>if so :</p>
<ol>
<li><p>his official residence is still in india i think?</p></li>
<li><p>he will be moving here in August '07</p></li>
<li><p>college tuition</p></li>
<li><p>yes they can</p></li>
<li><p>to go to college</p></li>
</ol>
<p>These are all questions I, as a Financial Aid Counselor would ask if I were examining your FAFSA application, so they do pertain to the filing of your FAFSA.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Since his official residence will be India, then he is not considered a resident of the household.</p></li>
<li><p>Since he is not already living in the household at the time of your FAFSA filing (assuming you met the college deadlines already), then he does not count as being in the household.</p></li>
<li><p>Since they will only be providing his college tuition, the financial run-down of more than 50% may not be substantiated.</p></li>
<li><p>If they are only providing for his college education, I don't see how this documentation would be possible, as it sure doesn't sound as though they will be paying more than 50% of his total support.</p></li>
<li><p>This goes to his motivation. In as much as a student moving to a different state for college is not granted residency...a student moving into your home for his temporary breaks from school really wouldn't qualify as a legitimate household member.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I can say with 100% certainty that, if you were applying for FA at my school, your cousin would not be allowed to remain on your FAFSA as a household member or person in college.</p>