<p>To your first statements: Yes, that is all true. </p>
<p>“I’m sorry…but as a parent, I’m going to say…why do you want to jeopardize this? What IF his company says “sorry…she’s not a dependent and we are pulling that scholarship?” What will you do then?”</p>
<p>That is why I created this post—to ask about the qualifications of being a dependent. If I cannot get my dad’s tuition break for the IU schools because I will be independent, then I won’t do it. My whole plan was under the assumption that I would be a dependent and my college would be taken care of under the tuition break. Health insurance also. Haha relax I wasn’t planning on running away from home without health insurance and just throwing half a college tuition away=P</p>
<p>There is dependent status for tax purposes and dependent status for financial aid purposes…and they are NOT THE SAME. </p>
<p>To be a dependent for tax purposes, your family needs to be providing more than 1/2 of your support. Also if you earn more than a certain amount of money, it would be hard for your parents to make this claim.</p>
<p>It all depends how much of your own support you will be providing. For tax purposes if you will be providing more than half your own support you cannot be claimed as a dependent by your parents. Your parents do not have to provide half your support, but you cannot provide more than half your own support. Providing your own support would include your income, loans you take out, savings of your own that you use, but not scholarships. Under IRS rules to be claimed as a dependent on your fathers taxes you must meet six test to be considered a qualifying child:</p>
<p>I can only share my experiences, but when I was a full-time undergraduate from 2004-2008 (ages 18 through 22) my father was providing exactly 0% of my support (everything was covered through scholarships, loans, and work) and I was still covered under his health insurance. Currently I’m 23 years old and my father again is providing exactly 0% of my support and I’m still covered - I provide 100% of my own support through my salary (yes salary, not stipend - it’s a training grant through which I am employed at the school) as a GRA. My dad has also not claimed me on his taxes since I turned 18. And I moved to a different state in mid-2008 - I live in New York, he lives in Georgia. Still been covered for the last 2 years.</p>
<p>Every insurer works differently, but my dad’s insurance company considers me a dependent until I’m 26 years old as long as I can provide evidence that I’m a full-time student. It doesn’t matter how much of my own support is provided by me or my dad. (My dad’s insurance company had this rule even before the healthcare reform, which was awesome of them :D)</p>
<p>You need to talk to your father more about the provisions of his specific insurance plan. I know in my case my dad didn’t know, so I ended up calling the insurance company at the number on the back of my card. Do that, and find out. Then call the school and find out if your 1/2 tuition scholarship/grant/whatever is contingent upon being a tax dependent (which you wouldn’t be) or a dependent student (which you would be until you turn 24 regardless of how much of your own support you provide).</p>