On Your Own; Your Legal Right @ Eighteen On Your Own formatted final version | Page 12

Student/Plus Loans, and National Direct Student Loans. Currently, women
are not required to register.
Registration is easy. You can register online at www.sss.gov. Or you can
register in person at any United States Post Office. There is no fee for
registration. You will need your Social Security number to complete the
registration form. If you choose to register at the Post Office, remember
to bring a driver’s license, passport, or other picture identification when
you turn in the registration form; the postal clerk may ask for proof of your
identity.
ON YOUR OWN . . . SOONER (EMANCIPATION)
If you have reached a point where you feel you can no longer live with
your parents, you have a couple of options: you can file with the court to
have someone besides your parents appointed as a guardian (see Title 14
of the Vermont Statutes Annotated for details); or you can ask the court
to emancipate you. The choice to seek either emancipation or a
guardianship is a serious one with a number of repercussions.
Guardianship allows you to have another family member or family friend
stand up as your guardian and can be a less drastic compromise to
problems with your parents. Emancipation means the release of a minor
from the legal control of his or her parents. If you are 16 years old or older,
and feel you cannot live with your parents, you may ask the court to
emancipate you. You need to tell the court your name, date of birth,
residence, and why you want to be emancipated. You also need to tell the
court who your parents are and where they live. To be emancipated, you
must have lived separate and apart from your parents, custodians, or
guardians for at least three months before the hearing. You must be
managing your own financial matters and be able to demonstrate the
ability to be self-sufficient in your economic and personal affairs without
being on general assistance. You must also have, or be working toward, a
high school diploma, GED, or the equivalent. You cannot be under the
custody of the Department for Children and Families or the Commissioner
of Corrections. Finally, you must show that it is in your best interest that
you be emancipated. Emancipation may mean that you no longer qualify
to be covered by the health insurance of your parent or guardian. Your
parents’ obligation to support you ends if you are emancipated.
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