<p>The grandparents are adamant that my S can "use their address" to get in at state rates at one of the U's in their state. I'm not so sure - if S sets up residency, doesn't that mean I don't get to "use" him as a dependent as far as taxes go? Plus, this doesn't seem aboveboard to me at all. I'm sure people do it all the time, but I just have this terrific fear of "getting caught." I have no idea how all this works - any help??</p>
<p>Don't think it will work. Students State of Residence is generally that of their parents. Plus presumably he is graduating from HS in the state you live in? Also if you do FAFSA the parent info is on that and the schools get to see that. It almost impossible in most States for the student to successfully set up residency in a different State to get in state rates. Or everyone would do that to avoid OOS charges.</p>
<p>I was also told to "use grandparents address". But I figured the colleges were smart enough to figure out that if he was attending a Michigan high school and he took the ACT in Michigan and all his extra curricular activities were in Michigan and his parents had a Michigan address (it’s on his transcript), that he couldn’t be a resident of Illinois!</p>
<p>I know that the University of Michigan has very strict requirements regarding in-state and out-of-state.</p>
<p>All in all, I don't think it would work. Besides, I don’t hate anyone enough to put their address on the college mailing list!</p>
<p>When your son's application shows that he graduated from a high school in another state, the red flags will go up in the admissions department. There have been several recent threads on this - most schools have very specific requirements for becoming a resident, including having lived there for a year or more before initial enrollment, not being claimed on anyone else's taxes for the current and previous years, and showing enough income to prove that you supported yourself from your earnings. Search the web sites of the schools in question for "residency requirements".<br>
While the grandparents are trying to be helpful, they are probably going on very old information.</p>
<p>Sorry, I can't help you do this, because it is cheating. I will not aid and abet cheating. :(</p>
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<blockquote> <p>The grandparents are adamant that my S can "use their address" to get in at state rates at one of the U's in their state>></p> </blockquote>
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<p>The grandparents are wrong. The address for college students is the address where their parents reside in most cases.</p>
<p>There is reasonable variation among states in how easy or difficult it is to establish residency. You really have to go to the specific school's website or admissions office and see what their policies are and what forms will need to be signed.</p>
<p>For example, my step-grandson was born and raised in NH. He moved to Va. with his mother for high school (parents divorced). He chose to go to UNH - he was able to be honestly considered in-state, as his father had always lived there (and paid taxes there ;)), even though his father was not the most recent custodial parent and even though all of his high-school record was from Va. NH requires a notarized form from the parent stating that he has been a state resident for, as I recall, the last 12 months.</p>
<p>Other states are quite different. I would say that, as a rule, it is difficult to establish residency without having done your last year of high school in the state and without one parent (at least) being a state resident for some period of time.</p>
<p>If you're truly worried about not doing wrong, call the school and ask this question straight to them - best to get the answer from the "horses mouth". You can identify yourself or not - your choice. But at least you would have the true answer.</p>
<p>Please get accurate information from the school and don't cut corners. Any misrepresentations would have to be duplicated on the FAFSA, assuming you'd be filing, and the penalties for lying there can include very large fines and even potential jail time.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for your responses. Anxiousmom - thanks for taking the time to let me know you don't aid and abet "cheaters." It was just an honest question; however, you I now realize that there are still some very judgmental people out there. No wonder you're so anxious - all these "bad" things going on.</p>
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[quote]
I'm not so sure - if S sets up residency, doesn't that mean I don't get to "use" him as a dependent as far as taxes go? (and) I'm sure people do it all the time, but I just have this terrific fear of "getting caught.
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Sorry, it sounded to me like you wanted to game the system, not that you wanted to know if it was legal to do this, and that you concern was just that you keep your son a dependent for tax purposes and "not get caught." I must have misread your intentions.</p>
<p>Don't confuse the concepts of "residency", "dependent" for tax purposes, and "dependent" for financial aid purposes. They're all different. For example, your son could become a legal resident of another state for residency purposes, but you still could claim him as a dependent on your taxes if you contribute more than 50% of his support. However, no matter what you do, unless your son is 24, married, has a child, or is a member of the armed services or a veteran, he will be considered your dependent for financial aid purposes, even if he's not for tax purposes. So these are all independent concepts, and very easy to confuse.</p>
<p>For residency for tuition purposes, it is highly unlikely that a grandparent's address will do. Most state school systems are smart enough to figure out all the various ways out of staters will use to get in-state tuition and admissions. Your son is not the first to want to go to an in-state school in the state in which his grandparents live. (And he won't be the last.) Read the websites to determine criterion for in-state eligibility. My guess is that it follows the parents' address.</p>