From saint@admsec.wwu.edu Tue Jan 27 15:14:12 1998 Received: from mxu1.u.washington.edu (mxu1.u.washington.edu [140.142.32.8]) by lists.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.05) with ESMTP id PAA33912 for ; Tue, 27 Jan 1998 15:14:12 -0800 Received: from admsec.wwu.edu (gaea.admsec.wwu.edu [140.160.249.20]) by mxu1.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW97.07/8.8.4+UW97.09) with ESMTP id PAA06532 for ; Tue, 27 Jan 1998 15:14:07 -0800 Received: by gaea.admsec.wwu.edu id <13441>; Tue, 27 Jan 1998 15:11:47 -0800 Date: Tue, 27 Jan 1998 15:08:52 -0800 From: "Joseph M. St.Hilaire" To: residency@u.washington.edu cc: Discussion of Residency Issues State Wide Subject: RE: Declaration of Independence In-Reply-To: <205934FB3A2DD011BD1B08002BE60170011C6EA5@email1.bcc.ctc.edu> Message-Id: <98Jan27.151147pst.13441@gaea.admsec.wwu.edu> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII ***Thank you, Tika, for those good ideas. All these years I've been playing it coy, as you suggest, by telling an inquirer they must furnish more than half their support, etc., and demonstrate that on paper. Perhaps a form would force them to better stick to the facts. It seems that lately fewer students are able to document their income by presenting a copy of last year's tax return. They either didn't file or did so by phone. Joe On Tue, 27 Jan 1998, Tika Esler wrote: > This is a challenge because I do think each student can in fact be > "unique", and the challenge is in being "fair" when making these > decisions, or at least creating a standard!! > > You might want to devise a form that inquires about last twelve months > of expenses and income PERIOD. Put the responsibility on the student to > tell you their expenses (document where necessary) and tell you their > income (also document where necessary)......OR document only if income > and expenses are below a specific "threshhold". Take your financial aid > office's room/board and personal expenses at a minimum for a person's > "survival" and make that your threshhold. If you give them samples, > they'll use the one that makes them eligible. I'd leave it up to them > to figure out where their expenses where and how they met them. That > might be more of a challenge but give you a truer picture. > > My $.02 worth. > > Tika A. Esler > Associate Dean of Enrollment Services > Bellevue Community College, Bellevue, WA > tesler@bcc.ctc.edu > (425) 641-2206 > > > ---------- > > From: Joseph M. St.Hilaire[SMTP:saint@admsec.wwu.edu] > > Reply To: residency@u.washington.edu > > Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 1998 11:47 AM > > To: Discussion of Residency Issues State Wide > > Subject: Re: Declaration of Independence > > > > ***Seconds later I discovered a hole in my figures. Applicant B > > should > > also have, under income, financial aid in the amount of $5,700. > > > > Joe > > > > On Tue, 27 Jan 1998, Joseph M. St.Hilaire wrote: > > > > > I know every case is unique (which, of course, makes this business > > so > > > intriguing), but I constantly strive to achieve a place of "truth" > > by > > > indicating to residency applicants some minimum standards. For > > example, > > > in explaining the cut-off for self-support, I tell students that at > > > Western a year's expenses for a non-resident undergrad amount to > > about > > > $16,000. Therefore, the applicant must prove that s/he was able to > > > furnish at least half of that amount (using IRS guidelines) > > independently > > > in order to be considered independent. > > > > > > Recently a student argued that I should not include in those total > > > expenses the non-res tuition that she paid in the past year. > > Indeed, she > > > spoke to "someone" who told her that tuition could be excluded from > > her > > > annual expenses. > > > > > > Exasperated at the amount of misinformation out there, I've decided > > to > > > put in writing a more complete explanation of what "independent" and > > > > > "self-supporting" mean. > > > > > > This could be a dangerous proposition: any loopholes in such a > > > document can get me in trouble. So I ask you to scrutinize the > > draft of > > > this document and tell me where the loops and holes are. I know > > that > > > some of you (I have UW's blue sheet, for example) have such > > documents, > > > and therefore you would be able to advise me on their usefulness. > > > > > > Joe St.Hilaire > > > Western > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > - > > > > > > HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE INDEPENDENT FOR RESIDENCY PURPOSES > > > > > > You are regarded as independent for residency purposes if you are > > self- > > > supporting and your parent or legal guardian has not claimed you for > > tax > > > purposes. > > > > > > What is meant by self-supporting? It means that you are > > > able to provide most or all of the financial support required for > > your > > > subsistence for at least one year, particularly the year prior to > > > application for residency. > > > > > > Here are some examples of persons who have applied for residency as > > > independent students: > > > > > > > > > Applicant A: A student who is enrolled full-time, has a part-time > > job, > > > and relies on parents to cover most of the year's expenses. > > > > > > Expenses Income > > > Tuition (non-resident) $9,000 Wages $1,500 > > > Room & Board 4,700 Savings 3,000 > > > Books & Supplies 700 Financial Aid 3,000 > > > Personal Expenses 2,400 Gifts from > > > parents 8,500 > > > Totals 16,000 16,000 > > > > > > This student would not be regarded as independent since he or she > > did not > > > provide for most of the annual costs of living and attending school. > > > > > > > > > Applicant B: A student who has been enrolled in the university the > > past > > > two years, works part-time during the school year and full-time > > during > > > summers, and is eligible for loans, grants, and federal work study. > > > > > > Expenses Income > > > Tuition (non-resident) $9,000 Wages $5,800 > > > Room & Board 4,700 Savings 2,500 > > > Books & Supplies 700 Gifts from > > > Personal Expenses 2,500 parents 2,000 > > > > > > Totals 16,000 16,000 > > > > > > Since this student was able to use self-generated funds to cover > > most > > > expenses for the year, he/she would be regarded as independent, > > assuming > > > he/she has not be claimed by parents for tax purposes. > > > > > > > > > Applicant C: A student who has not been enrolled in the university > > and > > > has been working full-time. > > > > > > Expenses Income > > > Room & Board $9,000 Wages $10,000 > > > Personal Expenses 3,500 Savings 1,500 > > > Gifts 1,000 > > > > > > Totals 12,500 12,500 > > > > > > This student has not had to bear the cost of non-resident tuition > > during > > > the past year and has worked full-time, and therefore is more easily > > able > > > to prove independence. He or she would be considered independent > > for > > > residency purposes, assuming that he/she was not claimed by parents > > for > > > tax purposes. > > > > > > > > > Note: Besides proving self-sufficiency, an independent student must > > > > > also meet all other requirements for becoming a resident, including > > the > > > 12-month residency requirement and the declaration of intent to > > become a > > > resident by obtaining the necessary Washington documents at least > > one > > > year prior to application for residency. See the catalog and other > > > residency information materials for more information. Contact the > > > Registrar's Office for a more detailed explanation of residency > > requirements. > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > ------ > > > > > > > > > Joe St.Hilaire > > > Western > > > > > > .