DS260 "Have you attended a public elementary school on student (F) status after November 30 1996 without reimbursing the school?"

[Danii 312]

My parents were studying in the USA from 2000-2004, and so I believe I was on an F2 visa. I attended preschool to grade 2 there. I asked my parents if they were ever asked to pay any fees to the school, and they said only the small registration fees/school trip ones. I really don't know how to answer this question... Is there by any chance I owe a lot of money to those public schools?

Edited December 25, 2020 by Dania A

[aaron2020 11,651]

As an F-2 dependent, you are permitted to attend K-12 public school without reimbursement.  You do not owe any money to the public schools here.  

You should answer no to this question since you were not here on an F-1 student visa.  You were here as an unmarried child F-2 dependent of an F-1 student visa holder.  

[Ryan H 3,812]

Moved from Progress Reports to Process & Procedures.

[JeanneAdil 6,554]

No one pays for public schools in the US

homeowners pay taxes to sponsor public education 

[Danii 312]

44 minutes ago, aaron2020 said:

As an F-2 dependent, you are permitted to attend K-12 public school without reimbursement.  You do not owe any money to the public schools here.  

You should answer no to this question since you were not here on an F-1 student visa.  You were here as an unmarried child F-2 dependent of an F-1 student visa holder.  

Ah that makes a lot of sense! Thank you for clarifying 😁

[aaron2020 11,651]

20 minutes ago, JeanneAdil said:

No one pays for public schools in the US

homeowners pay taxes to sponsor public education 

International students on student visas needs to pay for public school. 

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

3 hours ago, JeanneAdil said:

No one pays for public schools in the US

homeowners pay taxes to sponsor public education 

  Wrong  only certain residents are allowed to access public education for free .  That is why international student can't get a visa to a "free" public school.  

Public high schools are free for American students to attend, but international learners must pay a fee. According to the U.S. Department of State, these fees usually range between $3,000 and $10,000 for the one year in which they can study 

[JeanneAdil 6,554]

9 hours ago, NigeriaorBust said:

  Wrong  only certain residents are allowed to access public education for free .  That is why international student can't get a visa to a "free" public school.  

Public high schools are free for American students to attend, but international learners must pay a fee. According to the U.S. Department of State, these fees usually range between $3,000 and $10,000 for the one year in which they can study 

Don't know where that quote is from 

But even illegals can go to public schools free 

and there is no way for a school to accept money

they are governed by a yearly budget 

 

Every state has a public school system to provide free education to every child. Public schools are government-run schools regulated by federal, state and local law. However, with a free education often come numerous legal issues that parents should consider when sending their children to public schools.

[jan22 3,056]

1 hour ago, JeanneAdil said:

Don't know where that quote is from 

But even illegals can go to public schools free 

and there is no way for a school to accept money

they are governed by a yearly budget 

 

Every state has a public school system to provide free education to every child. Public schools are government-run schools regulated by federal, state and local law. However, with a free education often come numerous legal issues that parents should consider when sending their children to public schools.

Sorry, your information is incorrect.  Schools accept money all the time -- state funds, federal funds, fees, donations, etc.  The only requirement is to specifically account for all receipts and to use the money for its intended purpose.

 

First, it should be noted that the following does not apply to the OP. The following information is about only those individuals who are entering the United States for the specific purpose of studying, i.e., those needing a student visa.   It does not apply to those on other types of visas (F2,  J2, L1, A2, etc.) who are studying, as the OP was.  

 

Second, there is no free public education for a student visa holder (F1, J1, M1).  There is no provision at all for an elementary school student to enter the United States on a student visa to study at a public school. They must be going to a private school and, therefore, paying all the costs required by the school.  A high school student can attend a public high school in the United States for one year.  However, in order to do so, they must pay the full cost of that year's education by repaying the school the full, unsubsidized cost of providing that education.  If more than one year of high school is desired, it must be at a private high school (or while on another visa type as noted above and not on an F1 visa), with all school fees paid.  Check out the following State Department website, in the section entitled "Foreign Students in Public Schools":

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/student-visa/foreign-students-in-public-schools.html .

 

 

 

Edited December 25, 2020 by jan22

[Demise 1,296]

15 hours ago, Dania A said:

My parents were studying in the USA from 2000-2004, and so I believe I was on an F2 visa. I attended preschool to grade 2 there. I asked my parents if they were ever asked to pay any fees to the school, and they said only the small registration fees/school trip ones. I really don't know how to answer this question... Is there by any chance I owe a lot of money to those public schools?

No, this thing, also known as "student visa violator" applies only to people who got an F-1 to go to a private high school and then decided to be cheeky and enrolled in a public school. It's one of those bars that never really comes up because who gets a student visa to go to high school?

 

All derivatives (H-4, J-2, K-2, F-2, M-2, O-2, R-2, etc) are permitted to attend public K-12 education.

[Calicolom 266]

14 hours ago, NigeriaorBust said:

  Wrong  only certain residents are allowed to access public education for free .  That is why international student can't get a visa to a "free" public school.  

Public high schools are free for American students to attend, but international learners must pay a fee. According to the U.S. Department of State, these fees usually range between $3,000 and $10,000 for the one year in which they can study 

What about illegals.

[jan22 3,056]

2 hours ago, Demise said:

No, this thing, also known as "student visa violator" applies only to people who got an F-1 to go to a private high school and then decided to be cheeky and enrolled in a public school. It's one of those bars that never really comes up because who gets a student visa to go to high school?

 

All derivatives (H-4, J-2, K-2, F-2, M-2, O-2, R-2, etc) are permitted to attend public K-12 education.

Primarily, foreign exchange students.

[Demise 1,296]

17 hours ago, Calicolom said:

What about illegals.

Free as per Plyler v. Doe (US Supreme Court, 1982)