I am a New York State resident applying for TAP- I've been independent from my parents for the past 2 1/2 yrs, living with my partner of 3 1/2 yrs. My partner was unemployed for the past year, so I was able to claim her has a dependent and therefore be considered independent for Federal aid purposes (I am 22, generally the age is 24)- however, this is not sufficient for New York State- but if I list that I am 'married' on the application, I would be eligible for an additional $2500 in aid.

My partner receives domestic partner health care benefits through my employer. We have been together for 3 1/2 yrs, living together for 2 1/2, and I have supported her financially for approximately 2 yrs. Can I list myself as 'married' since we meet the requirements for a domestic partnership in our state (since legal marriage is not available in NYS, but is recognized on the state level?) I know for Federal aid it will not work because gay marriage is not recognized on the federal level... but since this is state aid, I'm wondering if it might be different.

Thanks for your input!

Margog, technically you can't. If they find that you lied on your application they will come down hard on you. At the very least, they would expect immediate repayment. She may be your domestic partner but you aren't married. Would you get married if you could? Can you and your partner get up to Massachusetts and get married? Then technically, you wouldn't be lying. Not sure how that would play out legally if they questioned it, but it would put you in a stronger position. Here is some info on it. GLAD :: How to Get Married in Massachusetts (http://www.glad.org/marriage/howtogetmarried.html)

You would be OK unless they come back and ask for proof of marriage.
Then if they come back with fruad against you, it may get you disqualified for a lot of aid for many years.

Now on the other hand, I would bet 100's just put down married, and there is no check and it just goes though.

LOL Chuck. I am one of those people that would be caught if I did something like that! Call it lousy luck. LOL! You are right, she could do it and might get away with it. But, she really is gambling. If she is caught, she doesn't have a leg to stand on and it could cause huge problems for her. What if she is in for thousands of dollars by the time they catch it? I would hate to see anybody get themselves into such a bind when they are just starting.

I guess it's not worth the risk, then. I, too, would be one to get caught- lol. We would marry if we could- I do know NYS recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere... do you know if Massachusetts has a residency requirement to perform same-sex marriages? Or Canada? We're actually closer to Toronto than Massachusetts, so that might be an option for next year... by which point I probably will no longer need financial aid any longer- lol. But it'd be nice to know, too, because we have been discussing it and want to get married regardless of the financial aid benefits- so if you know anything about that, please let me know.

Thanks for your input!

Nevermind- just visited the link you put in your answer, and found out Massachusetts isn't an option for us, since we don't intend to reside there. =(

Margog, I don't know about Toronto but I can check on it if you would like me to. I do know that you don't have to be a resident of MA. Check out the link I gave you. It gives you all the info you need to know to be able to get married to a same sex partner. :)

Sorry, I just saw your post. I didn't realize they changed the law. I guess it had to do with some people wanting to put a stop to it. :(

The government picks random students nation wide for what they call verification. This process is intended to prevent people from fraudulently applying for and receiving aid. You could apply for aid and list that you are married, and get by with it but there is a high probability that you will be asked to verify your marriage. When you can't do this, you could be forced to pay back all of the aid you received.

I would suggest that you search for other scholarships and grants outside of those that are federal. There are thousands out there.. all you have to do is look, apply, and be diligent.