<p>So, because my parents don't live in CA while I have been living, working, and paying rent, taxes, and bills here i have to submit a plethora of documents to prove my residency/financial independence to UCB. Most of the required docs I can easily provide, the one thing though is proving that I rented. I rented a room from my uncle and auntie and paid them 300 bucks throughout 2008 and i rented from someone I met on craigslist throughout 2009. The problem is that I always paid my rent using cash and don't have any rental agreements or documentation to prove that I have been renting. You guys think it's possible to make renting contracts between my uncle and I that are dated for the time I lived with him and have him sign it, as well as the person I currently live with. Is that against the law or the rules of residency to do that? How would anyone find out? After all, I did pay rent the past 2 and a half years and I don't want something as dumb as this to cost me 20k more a year.</p>
<p>I’m hella stressing over this…</p>
<p>maybe have him write a document with his and your name, stating you have payed him the sum of X for rent over a period of Q. then have it notarized?</p>
<p>im in the same situation with you too…
but i didnt pay rent to my cousin… instead i work for her household duties everyday as paying my monthly rent (cleaning yards, house, garage, teaching her kids’ math)
and i let my cousin wrote me a letter to prove this for me
but i just sent out my appeal yesterday so im still wondering if it will work out…
however, i called berkeley and asked abt my situation b4 i mailed my appeal. they said if i can prove that i didnt receive free room from my relative, and my expenses in the past 2 yrs and this yrs are all from my own money, then i can prove im financially independent. But the most important thing is that because we dont have documents like paper check to prove our financial independence, he said my chance will actually not be really big…
hope it helps</p>
<p>Do your out of state parents claim you on your tax return?</p>
<p>Did your uncle and aunt report their rental income?</p>
<p>Claim you on their tax return* </p>
<p>Also, did you work and file taxes in CA?</p>
<p>My parents haven’t been claiming me and I highly doubt that my aunt and uncle reported the money I paid them as they are not very knowledgeable about things like that. I did call Berkeley today and the representative told me that a written letter from those I rented from really wouldn’t prove much. He did say, however, that I could provide my bank statements from the past two years that show I have consistently made cash withdrawals from my account for the amount that I was paying rent and a written statement from myself describing the situation. He did mention that if UCB finds out that if I have been paying a discounted rent to a family member or a friend then I would be disqualified for financial independence. So, I need not mention who I was living with exactly. So I just ordered my past 2 years worth of bank statements and i will prepare some written statements describing my living situation and why it would only be just that I be considered a resident. Hopefully, it suffices but worst case scenario I pay nonresident tuition this year but not next, as I will be 24 years old next year. I guess it isn’t so much about the money (it really is though lol), but moreso about the principle as I have been struggling my ass off to survive these past few years and they gotta make me go through so much just to prove that I’m an independent adult that’s trying to live and attain an education in California.</p>
<p>EDIT: yes I have been working and filing taxes in CA for 3 years now.</p>
<p>Hmm I called UCLA and asked because I am in a similar situation, other than I haven’t applied yet and am a plan early type. They said tax returns, and proving I made enough money to support myself with work, financial aid and loans would suffice since my mom doesn’t claim me. Cal I guess is different though.</p>
<p>I think all UC’s are the same in that regard. What you were told by UCLA was basically what the Berkeley rep. was trying to get across to me. I’m probably stressing out over this rent situation too much. I’m kinda OCD like that.</p>