Hi! I’m having a bit of an issue finding a straight answer from Financial Aid itself, so I was hoping someone here would be able to give me info on the matter.
My situation is this; I currently reside with another side of my family in Chicago, but I have my permanent address for everything set to my home in Indiana. I may end up staying in Chicago for the year and the next, and what concerns me is the legal matter of it all.
I have an ID and all that for Indiana as I’m marked as a citizen of that state, and as of right now I plan on moving back eventually. I don’t have anything registered for Chicago as far as I remember.
I know FAFSA differs between the two states, and I’m confused entirely on the matter itself. I’ll be making monthly visits to pickup my mail/school books and visit family in Indiana, so do I use my address in Indiana as my permanent one, or my current address in Chicago, as I’d be spending most of my year here?
If your parents are in Indiana, at the address you have on your driver’s licence and your voter registration, then that would be your permanent address. Your current mailing address is where you are living during the school year in Illinois.
You can choose your permanent address as long as state law allows it. Usually it is where you have a DL, voter’s registration, register your car, have a library card, and file your taxes (you might work in a different state and have to file a non-resident return in that state). Many people spend half the year in a sunny state (Florida, AZ, Tx) and the other half in the north. They have to choose based on those things I listed.
For FAFSA, it really doesn’t matter. Some states asks additional questions and if so you’ll have to answer them. Some schools award their own FA based on the FAFSA, but that’s up to them. The federal aid (Pell, loans) will be the same no matter which state you put down. Your instate/OOS tuition status usually depends on where your parents live even if you are a resident of another state.
Please explain how you know that the fafsa is different between the two states. What IS the difference?
It sounds like your permanent address is Indiana. It is where your parents live, where you have all of your documentation (drivers license, etc): and is where you receive your mail!
How old are you? Why are you living in Chicago? Are you in high school…or college?
The difference between the states in aid is deadlines and state grants. Choosing a permanent address is important in the matter, as I wouldn’t be eligible for this year’s grants from Indiana.
To specify my situation, after some complications at home it was decided that I’d be better off staying with another side of my family in Illinois for the time being. I don’t know if I’ll decide to stay permanently towards this years end if I’m still here, and I’m just worried about it being legal as I wasn’t exactly prepared for this problem.
I suppose what I’m trying to say is that I’d like to use my home in Indiana as my permanent address still, as I don’t know if this will become a permanent arrangement. And in the case that it does, if it’s alright to make my current address (Illinois) my new permanent address towards the end of this year.
You don’t have to answer these questions here… it you probably DO want to know the answers.
1.is this a court pointed guardianship…or are you just residing with relatives in an informal agreement?
In the vast majority of cases, permanent residency for a student is the adddress where their parents reside. Kids go to school OOS, but that doesn’t change their actual permanent residency. UNLESS they are placed into a guardianship situation in another state…or parental rights are terminated.
You need to look at the requirements for residency for aid purposes in Indiana. It is very possible that you could still be eligible for Indiana aid…because your permanent address is Indiana.
OTOH…some state aid requires that a student graduate from HS in that state.
It is very possible that you won’t wualify for Illinois grant aid...because really, your permanent address is Indiana...But see my comment above about court appointed guardianship vs informal arrangements.
Why would you change your permanent address to Illinois?
The arrangement of me staying in Illinois for the time being was definitely an informal agreement.
As for why I’d change it eventually, I was under the impression that I had to if I stay here long enough. I wasn’t sure if I could legally keep my permanent address as my Indiana residence during this year, and possibly the next, given I’d be staying in Illinois nearly the whole time.
You really are a resident for college financial purposes of Indiana…because that is where your parents reside.
You can become a resident of Illinois by doing as others have noted…drivers license, car registration, jobs, rental, voter registration, etc. BUT that does NOT mean you will be entitled to Illinois state grant aid…or instate tuition at their public universities.
Your parents live in Indiana…and that is their domicile. As an undergraduate student…you are a resident of Indiana for grant aid and tuition purposes.
Is that what you are wondering about?
You can be a legal resident of a state…but still not be entitled to instate aid or tuition…as an undergrad.