IE: proof of residency & income: living with brother,pay rent,not on lease. Will they report us to rentor?

Question

I'm 18 imacipated. Brother concerned if I apply for fian aid and use his address we will get kicked out due to Fian Aid reporting to apts. Also that his income will be requested by Fianancial Aid. I need Fian Aid to goto school. Is this true? Is all income of household required if I support myself? Does Fiancial Aid report you if you are not on the lease? How can I show proof of residency?

Answer 1

They just want to know where you live so if they need to contact you they can. It does not matter where you live. If you are emancipated they will not care any about your brother. Proof of residency can be proved through your taxes they will send you paperwork if they need it.

Answer 2

Proof of residency usually means that you can get mail someplace and have a valid ID (driver's license) with the same address.

Financial aid does not call the apartment manager.

You provide information on your own income, not your brother's income.

If you are legally emancipated, or have lived away from your parents for more than 4 years, you do not report their income.

If it has been less than 4 years, you may need to report their income.

If their are specially circumstances, talk to the financial aid counselor at your school (or the school that you are applying to).

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Sure, your federal financial aid application goes through a variety of different government systems before it is "approved" -- but housing/leases, etc. are NOT one of them. You have nothing to worry about there. Your Financial Aid Office has way too much to do to be reporting people to their landlords...

Beyond that... Who is asking for proof of residency? This isn't something that the Financial Aid Office will usually do -- not for federal or institutional aid, anyway. It is *possible* that you might be asked to prove residency in order to obtain financial aid from your state (i.e. if you're from California and are eligible for a Cal Grant or are from Massachusetts and could get a Mass. Grant). Most states rely on the financial aid office to collect residency information -- and they generally give more "proof" options than just a lease. You could, for example, submit proof that you have received your bills at an address in the state for (X) number of years and/or that you file taxes in the state.

As far as your brother's income -- DO NOT include a siblling's income on the FAFSA. He isn't a "parent," so it isn't relevant. If you were to use him in place of a parent.. well, it really messes things up for Financial Aid people when student's do that. Just read the FAFSA instructions carefully, follow them, and you'll be fine.

The only people whose income you should include are YOUR income and your parent's income. Why do I say parent's income? Because -- contrary to popular belief -- being emancipated by your state DOESN'T classify you as "independent" on the FAFSA. You will instead need to complete the FAFSA to the best of your ability. It will then *require* parent information as well as a parent's signature. Since it sounds like you will be unable to provide this information, you will need to then contact your Financial Aid office to request a Dependency Override. Simply put, until you are 24 or earn your degree [or are married, an orphan, a veteran, or have kids], only your Fin Aid Office can "emancipate" you (i.e. declare you independent) for Federal Student Aid purposes.

Answer 4

I think he means like state residency, right? I know at the school I work at they will accept a Voter Registration Card and a Driver's License. Anything less than a year in my state will mean you pay out of state tuition. Many states have much less stringent guidelines. I think when I was in California residency could be established sooner. Many places will accept a utility bill, lease, phone bill, etc. to prove residency.

Answer 5

Call the school's financial aid office and ask them. They will know better than anyone on here. Tell them about your situation and ask about the best way to handle it. It's better to just call them and do it the right way, then do it the way you think it should be done and get in trouble. It also makes you look much more responsible if you call and ask for assistance when you know that you need it. They love helping people with that kind of stuff. That's what they're there for! Good luck!! :-)