Help with grad school in-state tuition form?

[mom2ncr]

We live in VA and my 21yos is applying to UVA grad school. There is an in-state financial aid form that all undergrad and grad school applicants fill out to receive special aid from the state. He's confused (as I am) on how to approach the form. The form is not really addressing financial need or income as I assume the FAFSA does that. But it is to establish and determine state residency. It states the qualifications for declaring yourself a dependent of your parent's (which he is financially), or, it says that all grad students can declare themselves as independent. However, I don't know if there's an advantage to taking one route over the other. Does it matter? Anyone have experience with this?

[Julie in MN]

We live in VA and my 21yos is applying to UVA grad school. There is an in-state financial aid form that all undergrad and grad school applicants fill out to receive special aid from the state. He's confused (as I am) on how to approach the form. The form is not really addressing financial need or income as I assume the FAFSA does that. But it is to establish and determine state residency. It states the qualifications for declaring yourself a dependent of your parent's (which he is financially), or, it says that all grad students can declare themselves as independent. However, I don't know if there's an advantage to taking one route over the other. Does it matter? Anyone have experience with this?

The form is probably designed more for out-of-state undergrads, but as a person whose son went to a college out-of-state, here are my guesses...

If he is declared independent, it might increase the amount of scholarship grants he is offered, since grants are income-based and his income is likely lower than yours.

It might also be a bit easier for him to switch residency if he ever wants to school out-of-state (if it's like my son's undergrad experience, it still might take a year, but it wouldn't be as impossible as if he were dependent on parents in VA).

But if he is clearly dependent on you, then interesting that he could be declared independent? I've no experience with grad school, but when I think about it, folks I know who've been to grad school didn't seem too concerned about what state they chose...

Julie

[mom2ncr]

Thanks Julie...I think you are correct that they really are trying to weed out (or include) out-of-state residents who are trying to convince them they are in-state. I guess I'm surprised that if I can still claim him on my taxes, that they allow him to be independent for this purpose. But it does specifically address that and says a student can be dependent in one place and independent in another. I was afraid it was a trick question and down the road he would regret his answer!

[Julie in MN]

Yes, I hope someone with experience like yours will answer. My son became independent as an undergrad, but he truly was independent. It lowered his costs by many thousands of dollars.

Julie