Life isn’t a race, but I can’t imagine anything more boring than repeating classes I’ve already taken - especially math and science. (You might at least read different books in English or learn different history.) Because life isn’t a race, I too a gap year before college, but I’m grateful no one made me repeat course work every time I switched schools. (And as a foreign service brat I switched school a lot, but thankfully not in high school.)
I agree he needs an advocate who can deal with the district.
Why did you send this kid to the U.S. now? Why isn’t he completing HS in India…and just coming to college here?
When my husband repeated 11th grade, he DID repeat some courses. I asked him…and he said…it wasn’t like he was taking exactly the same course with the same teacher at the same school. He was in a different school, different country, different teachers…and so…it felt different.
If this is a huge issue…for this student…perhaps there is a private parochial or HS he could attend in Illinois near where his grandparents live.
I live in India and he could have stayed and completed 12th grade in India.
My guess is they may be trying to get set for in-state tuition in the US before it is time to apply to colleges. I have many friends that move back, or send kids back, to the US in anticipation of college.
They may also want him to acclimate to US before it is time to go to college.
What I do find strange is the requirement for him to repeat a grade. I know tons of people who have moved from India to the US and not a single one was required to repeat any grade. If anything, the kids from India have math and science skills above their US grade level. So, unless he was in a village school that was unable to properly prepare a transcript - I really don’t understand the problem.
Actually my son grew up in Gujarat studying in a ICSE board school (#3 in the state), pure English, and ranks in the top 3 of his class. He’s extremely bright and can pick things up quickly. We sent him to the US as he wants to get a head start in school before we move back. My whole family (140 members) lives in the US, I’m the only one here from my side.
I’ve emailed the Assistant Superintendant of the District and he said he’s willing to help out and try to expedite the transcript analysis. The transcripts were never looked at, they just put him in 10th and selected random classes based on HS graduation requirements for the state and district.
Since my parents have taken guardianship, my son will meet the in-state tuition requirements (I assume). Now, we just cross our fingers and see what happens. I really just want him to be challenged and being bored in school will divert his mind in the wrong way.
If he ends up having to do 10th grade again. It will be for a good reason. Something big is waiting for him. He just has to be patient or else problems will arise.
Unless, your parents have court ordered legal guardianship (which would also make your son an independent student for federal/state aid), your son’s residency will be based on where you live and have a physical presence as long as he is a dependent student.
It is not uncommon for parents who are not physically present in the U.S. to give guardianship to parents or other family members to make educational/health decisions in their absence. However, unless it is U.S. court ordered guardianship, in the state of Illinois, I believe that you will have to be a state resident for at least one year in order for your son to get in-state tuition.
“Residency in Illinois can only be claimed through a parent, spouse, or legal guardian.” According to website about the rules. Need to formalize that guardianship if that is the plan.
Not true. Is this a court ordered legal guardianship…or did you just send your kiddo here assuming that if he lived with his grandparents, he would,have instate status?
If you want to make this a legal guardianship…you need to hurry and get this done…or your kid wil NOT have instate status in Illinois…as that status is based on the residency of the parents…not the kid.
We’ve done the legal work, court date is this week. We (wife and I) signed off on the paperwork in June, then my dad filed the paperwork for a court ordered guardianship. He’s a US citizen as well.
Thanks for the knowledge on the court-ordered guardianship… good thing we applied for that before we left (thanks to the assistant superintendent of the district, he advised it and we followed through).
For financial aid, the court ‘approved’ guardianship may not be the same as a court ‘ordered’ guardianship. The question on the FAFSA is 52 or 54, and will ask for the circumstances of the guardianship. Just keep it in mind.
You need to also be certain as to what your parents have as to whether or not it is a custody agreement/temporary guardianship order, which are not the same.
The assistant superintendent wanted something so that in an emergency…the grands could be contacted…and you would not need to be. It very well migh be that what younare getting is NOT the same as a full court appointed guardianship.
Your child has never been a ward of the state…and you are not giving up parental rights…correct?
And my guess is this is not a forever guardianship. It’s just for the time that your son resides with the grandparents.
While we are at it, the following is an important aspect of the University of Illinois residency determination rules:
Based on this (and other parts of the regulations), a student in the position of the OP’s child would not be eligible for resident tuition at UI unless he spent at least three years in high school in Illinois, and for at least part of those years he would have to be living with his parents (or parent) in Illinois. However, if at least one parent establishes Illinois residency, whenever that happens, the student would qualify for in-state tuition the following semester anyway. There is no one-year requirement for eligibility based on parental residence.
Ironically, in a true guardianship situation, where the student is not considered a dependent and does not live with a parent, under the rules the student could never qualify as an Illinois resident if the parent(s) were not Illinois residents when the guardianship began unless the student took a gap year while continuing to live in Illinois.
You were good in being sure his grandparents have legal rights since your son is a minor. Medical care is a huge reason as is their ability to give the school permission for activities. However, this may not suffice for the residency requirement. I can’t blame states for being tough on this. True legal guardianship would involve you giving up all parental rights I’m sure. Double check on this.
Oh and just an FYI…check the costs of University of Illinois Urbana Campus…the state flagship. Even instate costs are pretty steep. The school does not guarantee to meet full need.
So…can you afford the instate costs at UIUC…? Your son will be able to get a $5500 federally funded loan if you complete the fafsa.
If he is deemed independent for financial aid purposes, he would also get possibly a portion of the Pell grant…but even the Pell and Direct Loan added together won’t pay for,him to attend UIUC.
I hope your reason for him coming here to the U.S. to finish high school was NOT a college financial aid one.
Plus he may be better off at a private school or being OOS at some other U when the time comes. Trying to game the system is usually not worth it. Attending HS in the US for the experience is.
The kid is a US citizen…how is it “gaming the system” to move to the US to finish high school and try to get in-state someplace?
I know lots of expat families who send one parent and the HS kid back to the US for the last few years of HS. Is that gaming the system?
I know lots of people in Oregon who choose to do the last few years of HS in Washington State - the family moves to Washington and everything. Is that gaming the system?
If the family was moving here…it would not be concerning at all. The OP clearly stated that the STUDENT only had moved here…with grandparents. The parents remain in India.
If the whole family moves to Illinois…then of course they would be entitled to instate tuition costs. But that doesn’t appear to be the case in this poster’s scenario. They are hoping to get instate tuition by having the student live here…but the parents are not.
They MIGHT be getting the right kind of court guardianship that will make this student an independent for financial aid purposes. But that is different than being independent for instate tuition purposes…UNLESS these parents are transferring all guardianship and parental rights to the grandparents…and maybe they are.
The point is…and it’s been made by others. If the reason for sending this kiddo here is to establish residency for instate tuition purposes…it might not actually work out.
