<p>You need to look carefully at this year's FAFSA to see where the social benefits go. In the past, they had always counted as parents income, not the child's regardless of whether the income was handed to him. What is relevant about all of this, if there are savings of any kind, is that assets in the student's name are hit up for about 35% of the amount saved, whereas parental assets are hit for about 5%. I may be a little off on the amounts but the magnitudes in the differences is about right here. Parents have allowances such in the assets that the kids do not. So if there is money sitting in accounts in the student's name, better that he use it for his expenses along the way so that the account is depleted as much as legitimately possible by the time the assets have to be reported. Also just because the student turns 18, does not mean the money has to be put into a savings account for college. The money can still be used for the child's part of household expenses. Just because the calendar year for school and the child's birthday has a bridge, does not change the situation that the child is still living with the parent and costs as much the month after the 18th birthday as the month before. By regulation, the SS benefits end at a certain set point but while they are being paid, they can used as thery were before the student is of age.</p>
<p>I am having a dilemma. I am going off to college starting in June, doing a summer program at a college. It costs $3, 500 dollars extra and i receive social security benefits. I will not have a job while i am at college. Since I receive social security benefits due to the loss of a parent, should those be sent to me at college, instead of to my mother? I have three other brothers and I just want to have another opinion, because I believe that I should. I should, because I will not have a job, how else am I going to pay for my everyday needs? My mother believes that she should get the social security benefits. </p>
<p>She does not spend the money we get wisely, she goes out to eat with her boyfriend here and there and go on vacations without us. Yes, there is still a roof over her heads, but she should not be spending it on these things. If I got the money, I believe the money would be used more wisely than those frivolous spending habits of my mothers.</p>