HUD HCV Guidebook § 6
Student Income Eligibility (HUD HCV Guidebook)
Operative Text
If an individual is enrolled as a student at an institution of higher education, is under the age of 24, not a
veteran, not married, is not a person with disabilities who was receiving assistance on November 30, 2005,
and does not have a dependent child, in order to be eligible for assistance, the student must be individually
25
24 CFR 5.522; 42 USC 1436a(c)(2)(A)
eligible to receive assistance and the student’s parents (the parents individually or jointly) must be income
eligible to receive assistance unless the student can demonstrate his or her independence from parents with
the guidance in the Supplementary Guidance Notice published in the April 10, 2006 Federal Register (71 FR
PHA Options: Verification of Parent Income Eligibility
The PHA may establish its own procedure for verifying parental income eligibility. For example,
PHAs could require a signed income certification from the parents with a penalty of perjury
statement, or the PHA may also choose to request supporting documentation of parental income
such as tax returns, award letters, or paystubs.
PHAs may adopt and implement the following criteria for determining whether to obtain the
declaration and certification of income from parents, individually or jointly.
• If the student’s parents are married and living with each other, obtain the declaration and
certification of income from each parent.
• If the student’s parent is widowed or single, obtain the declaration and certification of
income from that parent.
• If the student’s parents are divorced or separated, obtain the declaration and certification
of income from each parent.
If the student has been living with one of his or her parents and has not had contact with or does
not know where to contact his or her other parent, obtain from the student a certification under
penalty of perjury, addressing the circumstances (including a statement that the student has not
received financial assistance from the parent) and obtain from the parent whom the student has
been living or has contact with the declaration and certification of income.Under HUD Housing Choice Voucher Guidebook § 6 (referencing 24 CFR 5.522), certain students enrolled in higher education who are under 24, unmarried, not veterans, not disabled and receiving pre-2005 assistance, and without dependent children must meet a dual eligibility test: both the student and the student's parents must independently qualify based on income. A student may avoid the parental income requirement by demonstrating independence according to criteria published in the April 10, 2006 Federal Register. Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) have flexibility in how they verify parental income, including accepting signed certifications under penalty of perjury or requesting supporting documents such as tax returns or pay stubs.
Plain English — not legal advice.
As a Housing Choice Voucher program participant, property owners should be aware that under HUD Housing Choice Voucher Guidebook § 6, PHAs are responsible for verifying both student and parental income eligibility before assistance is approved for qualifying student applicants. Compliant PHAs typically establish written procedures for collecting parental income declarations, tailored to the family structure — whether parents are married, single, widowed, or divorced. Landlords participating in the voucher program can generally expect that a PHA has completed this eligibility screening before a voucher is issued to a student household.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under HUD Housing Choice Voucher Guidebook § 6, student applicants who are under 24, unmarried, non-veterans, and without dependent children should be aware that their eligibility may depend on their parents' income as well as their own. Students who believe they qualify as independent from their parents have the right to present documentation supporting that claim under the guidance outlined in the April 10, 2006 Federal Register notice. Tenants or applicants who feel their eligibility was incorrectly assessed may consider contacting their local PHA for clarification, reaching out to a HUD-approved housing counseling agency, or consulting a tenant-rights organization familiar with federal housing assistance rules.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 26, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.