<p>My son wants to move out of his parents home into his own apartment year round and still attend the same New York State SUNY College. I am pretty sure he still qualifies as a dependent student. (Single, under 24, no dependents)</p>
<p>Does one have to amend the FAFSA to "student living off campus year round" and does NYS still have you fill out the FAFSA the same way using the parents and student income and assets as they did when he lived at home? </p>
<p>Do you still get to fill out the simplified needs as you did in prior years if the parents still fulfill the requirements to fill out the simplified needs or does the change in living status (him living in his own apartment year round) require the parent and student assets to now have to be disclosed? </p>
<p>If a student has moved out of his parents home for good does that affect the parents and students ability to qualify for simplified needs (do not have to report income and assets) if all other requirements are met? Thank you.</p>
<p>I believe you are indicating that your son will be living in his own off campus apartment. Many college students do this. It doesn’t change his status for financial aid purposes. He is still considered a dependent student for financial aid purposes and YOUR (the parents’) information is still required in the same way as when he lived in the dorm.</p>
<p>The ONLY difference is when you complete the FAFSA, there is a place to indicate where he is living (on campus, off campus, home). Just check the box that says “off campus”. Some schools have a different Cost of Attendance amount for students who are living off campus or at home than those residing in the dorms.</p>
<p>Oooh, at first I thought that said over 24. Yes, he’s dependent. I do not think that on or off campus will make a difference int he award. Basically, any additional expenses that are a choice are not going to get additional financial aid. They factor in the need for lodging and I do not think the assumption is that the student will be living with the parents, so up to this point they have been saving money that they were expected to spend.</p>
<p>Living in his own apartment makes no difference to his dependency status at all. If he is under 24 and an undergrad student (and does not meet one of the other criteria for independence - married, a veteran etc etc), he will still be a dependent for FAFSA so you will fill out FAFSA in the same way as always using both parent and student information. It will make no difference to the information you have to provide or to eligibility for simplified needs.</p>
<p>The part of FAFSA that asks about whether a student lives on or off campus is because the school’s COA on which aid is based * may*be different depending on whether the student lives on campus, off campus without parent, or off campus with parent. Of course you should answer the information accurately to represent the actual living situation. It may or may not make a difference to aid(at my daughter’s school there is one COA so it makes no difference).</p>
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simplified needs allows you to not report assets. Income must still be reported.</p>