MACON, Ga. — For college students, hearing news about getting a potential $1,200 check in the mail was a relief.
"Initially, I actually researched it because I knew it was too good to be true, like there's no way," says Mercer University senior Amina Mohamed.
Mohamed was right. Some people between the ages of 18 to 24 will not be getting a check, even if they file their own taxes, because a parent or guardian is claiming them as a dependent.
"Kind of disappointing to find out that I didn't get this check that would pay rent and pay bills and all that stuff," she says.
Mohamed says her mother claims her although she works close to 40 hours a week while in school.
Sophomore Alexander Stump says he feels like this has also taken a toll on his family.
"I don't feel like I myself am being cheated out of money, but my family is missing out of money that could be imperative during these uncertain times," says Stump.
Financial advisor Sherri Goss says parents have the right to claim their child as a dependent up until the age of 24, but there is one option that college students could benefit from from this bill.
"Even if they're only out of work for a week, they need to file for unemployment and if they're approved for unemployment benefits, they would also be eligible to get this $600 stimulus payment weekly that lasts for four months," says Goss.
Goss says most young adults don't know when their parents are or aren't claiming them on taxes and the only way to know for sure is to ask.
"The only other option would be to talk to the parents and say, 'Can I please file my own return and have you not claim me anymore?' That's the only thing that I could come up with," she says.
Goss says students could also look into asking their landlords about delaying rent payments and call student loan lenders about pushing payments back.
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