Room and Board in Midwestern Disaster Areas

[Jesse]

For the Hope Credit:
Reasonable costs of room and board, but only to the extent that the costs are not more than the greater of:

The actual amount charged if student resides in dorms or school owned housing

or

the allowance for room and board as determined by the eligible institution, that was included in the cost of attendance(for federal financial aid purposes) for a particular academic period and living arrangement of the student.

Questions:
1.) Would room and board be room and food plan cost for a student living off campus?
I'm thinking yes, but can't find anything solid to confirm/reject.

2.) If a student resides in the dorms but did not elect to pay for the food plan can this amount be added to the room charge?
I'm thinking no, because the food plan wasn't in actual amount charged, but I'm doubting myself again.

[Jesse]

Bump

Any opinions?

[mjryan]

Room & Board At Neb University

We use special rules for students in Midwestern Disaster area provided on the Univ of Nebraska student accounts website. There is a very helpful chart for the "Financial Aid Cost of Attendence for Housing 2009" allowance according to grad level & living arrangements per semester or summer session. Also note that the designation of "Midwestern Disaster Area" refers to the county in Nebraska where the SCHOOL is located, not the student. Hope this helps.

[AJsTax]

Question 1: yes.
Question : 2, not sure, but does follow with your thinking on it.
Make sure of the eligibility of the college and the "reasonable " amounts set by the school by going to the website for the school in question. They all have the information available if they are in the disaster area.

[Jesse]

Well Duh!

We are in the Internet age and I did not even think to go to the school websites. I've been asking and letting the parents/students obtain the numbers, had quite a few in Dane County.

They get that "deer in the headlights" look and for the off campus students it takes longer to explain what I need as they just can't make sense of receiving a credit for an amount they did not pay. They want to tell me they paid more! I know but........

Thanks for the opinions and the help!