C was 20 years old and was attending college, taking 6 hours per semester at X State College and 6 hours per semester in other subjects at Y Junior College.

A person may receive child’s social security benefits if, all other requirements being met, they are under 18 years of age, or are between the ages of 18 and 22 years of age and attending school full-time at a school that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency.

The question was whether C could combine his part-time credits at each school to meet the full-time student requirement.

The answer was yes, because X State College certified that it would have considered C a full-time student if he had taken all his subjects at that college. All other requirements for qualification being met, C’s child’s benefits could continue for the period in which the combined credits at X and Y met the requirements for a full-time student.

See Social Security Ruling (SSR) 68-14.

This material should not be construed as legal advice for any particular fact situation but is intended for general informational purposes only. For advice specific to any individual situation, an experienced attorney should be contacted.