Parents Are Giving Up Custody of Their Kids to Get Need-Based College Financial Aid

[hashmander]

Parents Are Giving Up Custody of Their Kids to Get Need-Based College Financial Aid — ProPublica

Parents are giving up legal guardianship of their children during their junior or senior year in high school to someone else — a friend, aunt, cousin or grandparent. The guardianship status then allows the students to declare themselves financially independent of their families so they can qualify for federal, state and university aid, a ProPublica Illinois investigation found.

“It’s a scam,” said Andy Borst, director of undergraduate admissions at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “Wealthy families are manipulating the financial aid process to be eligible for financial aid they would not be otherwise eligible for. They are taking away opportunities from families that really need it.”

While ProPublica Illinois uncovered this practice in north suburban Lake County, where almost four dozen such guardianships were filed in the past 18 months, similar petitions have been filed in at least five other counties and the practice may be happening throughout the country. ProPublica Illinois is still investigating.

Borst said he first became suspicious when a high school counselor from an affluent Chicago suburb called him about a year ago to ask why a particular student had been invited to an orientation program for low-income students. Borst checked the student’s financial aid application and saw she had obtained a legal guardian, making her eligible to qualify for financial aid independently.

rich people never stop hustling.

 

[MajesticLion]

Thank you for this.

 

[Sohh_lifted]

this is upsetting and funny at the same time, that privilege.

 

[Dorian Breh]

this is upsetting and funny at the same time, that privilege.

If the US had any sense higher education would be much closer to a right than a priviledge

In Germany you can sue your folks for not paying for you to go to college... And they don't even gotta pay tuition just housing/food/stipend

 

[Professor Emeritus]

If I knew someone like this in college I would clown the fukk out of them on the regular. Would be literally the only time it is ever okay to make fun of someone for being fatherless. Doesn't make up for the bullshyt privilege manipulating the system but at least I'd get my jokes off.

 

[88m3]

Can't wait till we bail these cacs out of their student debt, they clearly need it