Anonymous wrote:He is currently at UMD. Currently in-state resident. Not looking for financial aid (not qualified due to HHI).

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like OP's son moved to MD from out of state for college and has been paying OOS tuition, and now that he's an upperclassman OP hopes he can pay in state tuition. That's not how it works, OP.

Anonymous wrote:That wont make your kid independent from the perspective of a financial aid office. I was 29, completely financially independent for 7 years, married for 3 years, and my law school financial aid office still required me to submit my parents' financial information.

Anonymous wrote:OP, it would help to clarify, because it is not at all clear what the facts are here. In what state does your kid currently have residency? Is your kid currently a student at UMD (or other Maryland college)?

The UMD residency requirements are spelled out on the website. http://registrar.umd.edu/Residency/resreclassfaq.html If your situation is not included there, call them and ask your specific question.

You may wish to consult the following:
http://www.usmd.edu/regents/bylaws/SectionVIII/viii270.pdf

http://registrar.umd.edu/petitions-forms/PetitionEffectiveSpring2018.pdf
http://registrar.umd.edu/petitions-forms/RCOchecklistSpring2018.pdf,

Likewise, rules for being considered independent for the purpose of financial aid are set forth on the FAFSA site. https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out/dependency#dependent-or-independent

If kid is currently an OOS resident, whether you move away from your current non-MD state doesn't seem relevant.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. He was born in and lived in MD his entire life. Graduated from MD public schools. We currently live in MD and have lived here and worked here (and he works here) for his entire life.

He is our last child and we are thinking of moving out-of-state. I am not trying to scam anyone. I’m looking for answers as to what is legal.

Actually, you are looking to scam and save a few bucks by pretending that your child is independent when he is not--he is not financing his own education. If you do this I really hope you end up in jail. Just because you are looking to move out of state does not change that status. People who are actually independent do not have mommy and daddy lining their bank account. We pay our own way, which is clearly something your child is incapable of doing.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can I gift my child enough money for tuition and living expenses, not claim him as a dependent on my tax return, have him file as independent, and have him claim residency in MD? He has part-time job in MD, rents in MD, and has MD driver’s license and voter registration.

I know he has to provide more than 50% of his support. Does the gifted money (which he owns) count as providing his own support? He is on our health insurance if that matters.

The irs ‘gift’ limit is 15K. You will likely exceed that with tuition and board. Don’t think you can get around him being your dependent if you are paying tuition and living expenses. As a dependent, if you move, he moves. The in-state program is for residents, paid for by md taxpayers which you will no longer be. I’m sorry but you are trying to cheat myself and all the other md taxpayers. Do you think anyone should be eligible for in-state at any state they’ve ever lived in? Not how it works.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can I gift my child enough money for tuition and living expenses, not claim him as a dependent on my tax return, have him file as independent, and have him claim residency in MD? He has part-time job in MD, rents in MD, and has MD driver’s license and voter registration.

I know he has to provide more than 50% of his support. Does the gifted money (which he owns) count as providing his own support? He is on our health insurance if that matters.

The irs ‘gift’ limit is 15K. You will likely exceed that with tuition and board. Don’t think you can get around him being your dependent if you are paying tuition and living expenses. As a dependent, if you move, he moves. The in-state program is for residents, paid for by md taxpayers which you will no longer be. I’m sorry but you are trying to cheat myself and all the other md taxpayers. Do you think anyone should be eligible for in-state at any state they’ve ever lived in? Not how it works.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. He was born in and lived in MD his entire life. Graduated from MD public schools. We currently live in MD and have lived here and worked here (and he works here) for his entire life.

He is our last child and we are thinking of moving out-of-state. I am not trying to scam anyone. I’m looking for answers as to what is legal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can I gift my child enough money for tuition and living expenses, not claim him as a dependent on my tax return, have him file as independent, and have him claim residency in MD? He has part-time job in MD, rents in MD, and has MD driver’s license and voter registration.

I know he has to provide more than 50% of his support. Does the gifted money (which he owns) count as providing his own support? He is on our health insurance if that matters.

You do not need to gift him the money.

If he is over 18 you can have him file his own takes, no longer claim him as a dependent on your taxes and he needs to have lived full time himself for one year in the state in question to get instate tuition. He will have to take care of all the paper work. Change his drivers license to that state for one year before applying for a change in residency.

People do this all the time. They buy condo's near a college or townhouses or houses. It's pretty common.

Every school has it's own list of residency requirements please have your child read them. Some schools are easier to get this chnage than others. Gifting him monies is not a good idea.

Your plan doesn't work for an already enrolled student who moved to Maryland for college.

He didn’t move to MD for college. He lived here all his life and graduated from MD public schools.

Anonymous wrote:Can I gift my child enough money for tuition and living expenses, not claim him as a dependent on my tax return, have him file as independent, and have him claim residency in MD? He has part-time job in MD, rents in MD, and has MD driver’s license and voter registration.

I know he has to provide more than 50% of his support. Does the gifted money (which he owns) count as providing his own support? He is on our health insurance if that matters.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can I gift my child enough money for tuition and living expenses, not claim him as a dependent on my tax return, have him file as independent, and have him claim residency in MD? He has part-time job in MD, rents in MD, and has MD driver’s license and voter registration.

I know he has to provide more than 50% of his support. Does the gifted money (which he owns) count as providing his own support? He is on our health insurance if that matters.

You do not need to gift him the money.

If he is over 18 you can have him file his own takes, no longer claim him as a dependent on your taxes and he needs to have lived full time himself for one year in the state in question to get instate tuition. He will have to take care of all the paper work. Change his drivers license to that state for one year before applying for a change in residency.

People do this all the time. They buy condo's near a college or townhouses or houses. It's pretty common.

Every school has it's own list of residency requirements please have your child read them. Some schools are easier to get this chnage than others. Gifting him monies is not a good idea.

Your plan doesn't work for an already enrolled student who moved to Maryland for college.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To what end?

OP is talking about gaming Fadsa to get more financial aid.

It’s funny that you think you can do this. It won’t work, his financial aid will still be based on your income, all that will happen is that you won’t get the dependent tax benefit.

(You’re not the only one to have thought of this, btw.)

If you’re really committed to this, have him get married to a friend’s kid - then you solve the problem for 2 families! Your kids can file as independent! The kids can get divorced after graduation. The only other option is for your kid to have a baby - which will certainly be more expensive than whatever you save in aid money.

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like OP's son moved to MD from out of state for college and has been paying OOS tuition, and now that he's an upperclassman OP hopes he can pay in state tuition. That's not how it works, OP.