<p>Hmmm… what seems a tad affected is the use of several of the phrases used above, but no matter.</p>
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<p>Why would you think it is improbable or unreasonable? What you seem not to be getting (or perhaps you just don’t want to understand) is that you can be deemed independent as far as receiving federal funds and still be considered independent for state aid.</p>
<p>In answer to your question, most students who are wards of the court are applying to college and they are being given independent status upon enrollment. They don’t go to college until they are 18 or the start at 17 and turn 18 during the fall term of the school year. Even if they start college at 17 and already away at residential college, for them becoming a ward of the state would be highly unlikely. they would simply file a change of circumstance at their school while providing documentation for the change.</p>
<p>You have a few who may go to college at 16 and turn 17 in the school year but those would be outliers. Their independent status is usually given before they start college so they come in independent and leave independent.</p>
<p>Someone who enlists in the military would most likely not be in college while they are enlisted (unless student is enrolled in ROCT).</p>
<p>The net-net most students who are deemed independent are given their independent status before starting college. Unless you have some major life changing circumstances, it is harder to become independent once you are enrolled.</p>
<p>ROTC is not enlisted. ROTC is a pure student status. For enlisted to enter ROTC they have to be released from active duty.</p>
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<p>I think you too are talking in circles here. I think the guy’s argument was that it’s not realistic to meet every criteria for independent status, [meaning</a> that you don’t have to be a veteran AND a ward of the state AND married AND supporting a dependent child of your own AND working on a masters/doctorate degree AND…](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org/calculators/dependency.phtml]meaning”>http://www.finaid.org/calculators/dependency.phtml)</p>
<p>It’s kind of a silly comment, but it’s technically true.</p>
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<p>It is going to be a rare individual who meets all of the criteria. Most of ctiteria do not pertain to the OP. Since we are not talking about everybody just him, the point he is trying to make is totally moot because he does not meet any of them.</p>
<p>No Gardna, Sybbie is correct, the OP is trying to formulate an argument WHY he should be considered independent which is moot because he does not meet the necessary criteria and will need professional judgement. He is “trying on” arguments and trying to figure out how to make it happen. Early in the thread several wise posters told him what documentation and circumstances would create a stronger case or to mend his relationship with his parents but the OP continues to try variations on the argument.</p>
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<p>I agree that it’s a silly question, but I think the point that he was trying to make (and again, I agree that it’s a meaningless point since he doesn’t meet any of them) is that you don’t have to meet every single category.</p>
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<p>Duh…I totally understand that you do not have to meet evey requirement. Lets cut the whole situation short and pick one scenario which will negate everything else(then I am out of this thread); if you are working on a masters or a doctorate, it doesnot mater what other things you may have to make you an independent student, you are not getting any need based financial aid with the exception of loans to complete another undergrad degree.</p>
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<p>I think the OP, who is apparently 17, is trying to determine if he CAN meet one of criteria (ie. deemed homeless or at risk by a shelter director or become legally emancipated) without being forced to return to his parent’s home. And, if so, would he still need professional judgement if he were able to answer “yes” to one of the qualifying questions on FAFSA?</p>
<p>^^Yes that may be more accurate. I believe Kelsmom or someone told him the documentation he would need to “back-up” the claim of homelessness in order to satisfy the FASA requirement. He does not want to return home and he does not want to have to deal with his parents for next year’s FAFSA. It’s just alittle obfuscated.</p>
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<p>Yes.</p>
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All kelsmom and thumper ever said concerning documentation was that, if I were aiming for fao discretionary override, I’d need to show something like a children’s service’s finding of abuse. To which I responded, emotional abuse is harder to document but is in any case irrelevant because I’m not looking for professional override. </p>
<p>No one has said anything of emancipation papers or homeless director’s determination yet. Additionally, it would make sense that I would need to demonstrate that I self-supported myself for the year, so I’d need to show how I supported myself (e.g., bank statements [?], receipts at grocery stores)–unless official proof of emancipation is sufficient proof. </p>
<p>However, if I remain on my parents’ health insurance, that would be one exogenous line of support that may indirectly render me supported-by-others instead of self-supporting. If so, how do I remove myself from their policy if it were the only obstacle and what other obstacles could there be?</p>
<p>If one of my parents claims me as a dependent on their tax form, will that also eliminate me? Is there something I can do to preempt that?</p>
<p>More pressing is my current school’s offer of temporary housing–I don’t have much time to decide, but I do know that my parents and I both need to sign documents, and that could mean that (1) my parents were still legally responsible for me in some way post-July 1, 2009 and (2) I held housing for at least one day post-July 1, 2009, either of which can disqualify me.</p>
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The McKinney-Vento act, in one of its subsections letter (b) (can’t find exact link now), includes children who are regularly sleeping in trailer parks, abandoned buildings, and the like. From what I read of it last time–quite a thorough read–there seems to be nothing that excludes runaway children just because they do have a place and are only in a trailer park or something as if it were because they choose to.</p>
<p>Temporary housing, such as a shelter or a dorm, doesn’t matter. I did tell you to go to a youth center or shelter! Idk why you’re hung up on the insurance thing…being self-supporting does not make you independent for FAFSA. Why aren’t you working this out with your school?</p>
<p>Betting dollars to donuts the OP is a student (college/grad) writing a paper on the veracity of information provided on internet BBs.</p>
<p>It’s not like schools are going to drop loads of money into your lap just because you are independent. </p>
<p>If you are busy working, going to school, supporting yourself, figuring out living arrangements, etc, how do you have time to do all this legal research? And on what computer with what provider?</p>
<p>----If one of my parents claims me as a dependent on their tax form, will that also eliminate me? Is there something I can do to preempt that?----</p>
<p>They need to meet these certain conditions to claim you as a dependent:</p>
<p>In general, to be a taxpayers qualifying child, a person must satisfy four tests:</p>
<pre><code>* Relationship the taxpayers child or stepchild (whether by blood or adoption), foster child, sibling or stepsibling, or a descendant of one of these.
- Residence has the same principal residence as the taxpayer for more than half the tax year. Exceptions apply, in certain cases, for children of divorced or separated parents, kidnapped children, temporary absences, and for children who were born or died during the year.
- Age must be under the age of 19 at the end of the tax year, or under the age of 24 if a full-time student for at least five months of the year, or be permanently and totally disabled at any time during the year.
- Support did not provide more than one-half of his/her own support for the year.
</code></pre>
<p>[A</a> ?Qualifying Child?](<a href=“http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=133298,00.html]A”>http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=133298,00.html)</p>
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School: how did you survive for the past year, homeless as you are?
Me: I supported myself.
School: Oh? No support from your parents whatsoever?
Me: No.
School: What about health insurance, do you have your own health insurance (they would know more about different kinds of exogenous support than I).</p>
<p>In a seperate hypothetical:
School: Can you document how you survived, how you obtained food?</p>
<p>To document that, would I need to show anything from grocery store receipts to checkings withdrawal statements?</p>
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Need is also calculated for independents by persons involved with financial aid.</p>
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I’m not working this out with my current school because there’s nothing to work out; I’m still a dependent here.</p>
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If anyone were writing any such paper, the topic would be “credibility” and not “veracity.” Veracity itself is much harder to prove, so stop using that word mistakenly please. </p>
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I’ve have neither consulted an accountant nor accompanied my parents to one; how would I disprove my parents’ claim that they provided for more than half of my support? Paying rent while I live in their shelter would automatically vault their support to over half. Does health insurance count too?</p>
<p>Yes, health insurance does count.</p>
<p>No…you’re imagining too many scenarios here. If your goal is to qualify as an independent, focus on getting the documentation that you need related to your housing situation. While you may be a dependent based on this year’s FAFSA, you need to ask your own school questions about whether the shelter/youth center’s determination is all you would need to document. Obviously they already know there’s a problem since they offered you housing. Just go to the source and focus on getting one answer at a time without arguing about every possible scenario…this is usually the simplest way to get things done.</p>
<p>If you’re enrolled with Medicaid, your folks are not providing you with health insurance, the government is. Support is a fairly simple calculation of how much money they have actually spent toward your expenses vs. your total expenses for the year. It sounds as if this might be much less than 50% if they’re not housing, feeding, insuring, or paying for your education. Once you’re 18 I believe you will have to apply for Medicaid on your own…maybe your county DSS can guide you in that.</p>
<p>Again, not sure why the support question is so important…it’s not going to make you independent and being qualified as independent via the homeless clause does not require that you received no parental support at all, does it?</p>
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Does it? Also, if legal emancipation is to be an alternative route, I may need to sever all exogenous support, including, apparently </p>
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But not if the health insurance is Medicaid?
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<p>Additionally, I don’t see why my parents can’t say that they provided for more than half if there’s no documentation either for or against, unless there is?</p>
<p>It’s not a tough thing…x amount of people lived in the home which cost a certain amount per month in rent plus utilities. You were one of x for a portion of the year. In addition, they spent a certain amount on your food (unless they receive food stamps, in which case they didn’t actually provide that either). Add clothing, educational expenses, and whatever out of pocket medical, transportation, etc. they actually paid. That’s it.</p>
<p>Compare that number to the total amount of support you needed, including your educational costs. If their portion is not more than 50% then they would have a hard time making a case for dependency. </p>
<p>Legal emancipation does not happen overnight…when are you turning 18? I know virtually nothing about that process but have a hard time believing a judge is going to emancipate you if you are homeless. That seems like a dead end but you should probably consult with an attorney if you wish to pursue it.</p>