Do I need to complete SSA student forms if my child turns 18 on the last day of school?

Yes, you should absolutely complete these forms! Even though your daughter is turning 18 on the last day of school, the SSA Form 1372 (Student Statement) is necessary to continue benefits for the month she turns 18. If you don't submit it, her benefits will terminate the month BEFORE she turns 18, not on her birthday. The rule is that child's benefits continue until age 19 as long as they're a full-time student at a secondary school. So technically, she could receive benefits through the end of the semester she turns 19, but since she's graduating on her 18th birthday, she'll just receive them until the end of that month (June). Don't ignore SSA paperwork - it's always better to submit it even if you think it might not apply. The school portion needs to be completed by a school official to verify her enrollment status.

Omg the SAME thing happened with my son last year!! His bday was right at graduation too. I DID fill out the forms and I'm glad I did because we got an extra month of benefits. The SSA is really strict about their paperwork deadlines though. If you miss it they'll stop payments and then you have to go through this whole appeal process which is a nightmare!!! Make sure you get the school part filled out ASAP because our school took FOREVER and we almost missed the deadline.

To clarify what others have said, here's exactly how this works: 1. Without the student forms (SSA-1372), child benefits terminate the month BEFORE the 18th birthday 2. With properly filed student forms, benefits can continue until the earlier of: graduation or age 19 3. Benefits are paid for the entire month in which eligibility exists In your daughter's case, if you file the forms, she'll receive benefits for June (her birthday month) since she was a student for part of that month. Without the forms, her last payment would be for April, not May (due to SSA's policy of terminating benefits the month before the 18th birthday without student verification). The official SSA rule is under Section 202(d) of the Social Security Act regarding child's benefits. It's absolutely worth completing the paperwork.

my daughter turned 18 in april and i didnt fill out the forms and they stopped her payments in march! had to go back and do it all after the fact huge hassle

I spent HOURS trying to call SSA about this exact situation last year with my son. Kept getting busy signals or disconnected. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in 20 minutes! They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - seriously worth it because you need to talk to someone to make sure those forms are being processed correctly. The SSA agent explained everything and confirmed we'd get the extra month of benefits once the form was processed.

I think its always better to just fill out whatever they send you rather than trying to guess what applies to your situation. The SSA is very bureaucratic and doesn't make exceptions easily. But one question - is your daughter going to college in the fall? Cuz I thought the benefits continue if they go straight to college?

THE SSA TAKES AWAY MONEY ANY CHANCE THEY GET!!!! Fill out EVERYTHING they send you and keep copies!!! I lost 2 months of my daughters benefits because the school sent back the form 3 days late. THREE DAYS!!! And they wouldn't backpay even with proof we submitted on time. The system is RIGGED against us!!!

Following up on my earlier comment - make sure you get the school's portion completed before your daughter actually graduates. Some schools are difficult to get paperwork from after the school year ends. And to be completely clear: if you submit the forms, she'll get benefits for May AND June. If you don't, her last payment would be for April. So definitely worth doing.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who works in a high school guidance office - we see this situation ALL the time! The timing with June birthdays and graduation is super common. A few practical tips: bring the forms to your school's main office or guidance counselor ASAP. Most schools are familiar with SSA-1372 forms and can usually get them completed within a day or two. Don't wait until the last minute though - schools get swamped with paperwork requests near graduation. Also, make sure the school uses official letterhead and includes all the required information (enrollment dates, full-time status, expected graduation date). Sometimes forms get rejected by SSA if they're missing small details. You're doing the right thing by filling them out! That extra month or two of benefits can really help with graduation expenses or getting ready for what's next after high school.

I'm new to this whole SSA process but wanted to share what I learned from my neighbor who went through this exact situation last year. She said the key thing is to NOT procrastinate on getting the school portion filled out - apparently some schools have specific staff who handle these forms and if they're out sick or busy with other graduation stuff, it can delay everything. Also, she mentioned that you should ask the school to make a copy for their records too, just in case SSA claims they never received it. Sounds like having that paper trail really helped when there was some confusion about her son's case. The whole "benefits stop the month before the 18th birthday" rule seems so backwards to me - like why wouldn't they just stop ON the birthday? But anyway, sounds like everyone here agrees it's definitely worth doing the paperwork to avoid losing those extra months of benefits!

As someone who just went through this exact scenario with my daughter last month, I can confirm everything others have said - definitely fill out those forms! The timing with June birthdays and graduation is tricky but very common. One thing I'd add that helped us: when you take the forms to school, ask specifically for the "registrar" or "student records" office rather than just the main office. At our school, only certain staff members were authorized to complete SSA forms with the official school seal and signatures that SSA requires. This saved us from having to make multiple trips. Also, don't be surprised if the school asks for a copy of your daughter's Social Security card or birth certificate along with the form - our school required this for verification before they'd complete their portion. The whole process was actually much smoother than I expected once I stopped overthinking it. And yes, we did receive benefits for her birthday month (June) because we submitted everything on time. Good luck!

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! My son turns 18 in late May and graduates June 1st, so we're in almost the exact same boat timing-wise. After reading through all these responses, I'm definitely convinced to fill out the SSA forms we received. The "month before the 18th birthday" termination rule that several people mentioned really caught my attention - I had no idea that benefits would stop in April for a May birthday if you don't submit the student forms. That seems like such an unfair gotcha! I called our school district's main number yesterday and they transferred me directly to the student records office. The lady there said they handle SSA-1372 forms regularly and can usually turn them around in 1-2 business days as long as they have all the required student information. She also confirmed they'll need to see my son's enrollment records and will use official letterhead with the school seal. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has been incredibly helpful for understanding what seemed like a really confusing process. I'm dropping off our forms tomorrow morning and making sure to get copies for our records too!

I'm going through something very similar with my daughter who turns 18 in July but graduates in mid-June. After reading all these responses, I'm definitely filling out the SSA-1372 forms we received last week! What really helped me understand the urgency was learning about that "month before" termination rule - I had no clue that benefits would stop in June for a July birthday without the student forms. That would mean missing out on her graduation month entirely, which seems so unfair. I called our high school yesterday and they said to bring the forms to the guidance counselor who handles all SSA paperwork. She mentioned they see these requests constantly in spring and can usually get them completed within 24 hours if all the student info is correct. One question for those who've been through this - do I need to do anything after submitting the forms to SSA, or do they just automatically continue benefits once processed? I'm always worried about things falling through the cracks with government agencies. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences - this thread has been a lifesaver for understanding what seemed like such a confusing process!

I just went through this exact situation with my son who turned 18 in May and graduated June 8th! I was so confused by those SSA forms at first too, but I'm really glad I filled them out after learning about that "month before" rule everyone's mentioned. What I found helpful was creating a little timeline to keep track of everything: forms received in March, took them to school registrar in early April, school completed their portion in 2 days, mailed everything back to SSA by mid-April. The whole process was actually pretty straightforward once I stopped overthinking it. One tip that saved me stress - I made copies of everything before mailing it to SSA, and I sent it certified mail with return receipt so I'd have proof they received it. Cost a few extra dollars but totally worth the peace of mind given how important those benefits are. We ended up receiving benefits through June (his birthday month) just like everyone said we would. Without those forms, we would have lost April, May, AND June payments - that's a significant amount of money! Don't let the SSA paperwork intimidate you - your situation with the June 3rd birthday/graduation timing is actually pretty common and the schools are used to handling these forms quickly. You've got this!

I'm also navigating this exact situation with my daughter! She turns 18 on May 30th and graduates June 2nd - talk about cutting it close with the timing. After reading through everyone's experiences here, I'm definitely convinced to fill out the SSA-1372 forms we received. The "month before the 18th birthday" termination rule that multiple people mentioned is such a crucial detail that I never would have known about otherwise. Without these forms, we'd lose benefits starting in April for a May birthday - that's three full months of payments! I called our school's registrar office this morning after seeing the advice about going directly there instead of the main office. They confirmed they handle SSA student verification forms regularly and can complete them within 1-2 business days with proper documentation. They also mentioned they'll need to see her enrollment records and will use official letterhead with the school seal, just like others mentioned. Planning to follow the approach several people recommended: make copies of everything, get the school portion completed ASAP, and send it back to SSA via certified mail for that paper trail. The timeline suggestion from Molly is great too - I'm going to map out all the key dates to make sure nothing falls through the cracks. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences! This thread has transformed what seemed like an overwhelming bureaucratic maze into a manageable process. It's amazing how many families deal with this same situation every spring.

I just wanted to add another voice of support - definitely fill out those forms! I work as a benefits coordinator and see this situation constantly. The June birthday/graduation timing is probably the most common scenario we encounter. One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is that you should also keep the SSA confirmation letter or receipt when they process your forms. Sometimes there can be delays in the system updating, and having that documentation helps if you need to call and inquire about payment status. Also, while you're dealing with this paperwork, it might be worth setting up a my Social Security account online if you don't already have one. You can track benefit payments and status updates there, which is much easier than trying to call their phone lines. The whole "month before the 18th birthday" rule is definitely confusing, but once you understand it, the process becomes much more manageable. Your daughter graduating on her exact birthday is actually perfect timing - she'll be eligible for benefits through the entire month of June since she was enrolled as a student when the month started. Don't stress too much about the paperwork - schools handle these forms all the time during graduation season and SSA processes thousands of them. You're asking the right questions and getting good advice here!

I'm in a very similar situation with my son who turns 18 on June 10th and graduates June 7th! After reading through all these detailed responses, I'm definitely going to fill out the SSA-1372 forms we received last week. The most eye-opening thing for me was learning about that "month before the 18th birthday" termination rule. I had no idea that without these forms, benefits would stop in May for a June birthday - not even on his actual birthday! That could mean losing out on two full months of payments (May and June). I called our high school's student services office yesterday after seeing the advice about going directly to the registrar rather than the main office. They confirmed they handle these SSA forms routinely during graduation season and can typically complete them within 24-48 hours once they have all the required documentation. Planning to take the forms in tomorrow morning along with my son's Social Security card and birth certificate (since someone mentioned schools sometimes request these for verification). I'm also going to follow the smart advice about making copies of everything and using certified mail when sending it back to SSA - the extra cost is definitely worth the peace of mind for such an important document. It's incredible how many families deal with this exact timing situation every year! Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - you've turned what felt like a confusing bureaucratic maze into a clear, manageable process.

I'm dealing with almost the exact same situation! My daughter turns 18 on May 25th and graduates June 1st. After reading through all these responses, I'm now completely convinced that filling out those SSA-1372 forms is absolutely essential. The "month before the 18th birthday" termination rule that so many people mentioned really shocked me - I had no idea that without the student forms, benefits would stop in April for a May birthday, not even in May itself! That would mean losing THREE months of benefits (April, May, AND June) which is a significant amount of money. I called our school district this morning after seeing the advice about contacting the registrar or student records office directly. They confirmed they process SSA student verification forms regularly during graduation season and can usually complete them within 1-2 business days with proper documentation. I'm planning to follow the excellent step-by-step advice shared here: make copies of everything, get the school portion done ASAP, bring my daughter's Social Security card and birth certificate for verification, and send everything back to SSA via certified mail with return receipt for that crucial paper trail. It's honestly incredible how many families face this exact timing challenge every spring! This thread has been absolutely invaluable for understanding what initially seemed like an overwhelming bureaucratic process. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences - you've helped turn a confusing situation into a manageable checklist of action items.

I'm so glad I found this thread! My son turns 18 on June 15th and graduates June 12th, so we're dealing with the exact same timing issue. I had been staring at those SSA-1372 forms for weeks, completely confused about whether I needed to fill them out. Reading everyone's experiences has been incredibly eye-opening, especially learning about that "month before the 18th birthday" termination rule. I had no clue that without these forms, benefits would stop in May for a June birthday - that's potentially three months of lost payments! I called our high school's guidance office this afternoon after seeing all the advice about going directly to student records rather than the main office. They confirmed they handle these SSA forms routinely and can turn them around in 1-2 days. The counselor also mentioned they'll need official enrollment verification and will use letterhead with the school seal. Planning to take the forms in tomorrow with copies of my son's Social Security card and birth certificate, make duplicates of everything for our records, and send it all back via certified mail like several people recommended. The extra documentation and postage costs are definitely worth it for this much money. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories - you've transformed what felt like an impossible bureaucratic puzzle into a clear action plan. It's amazing how many families go through this exact same situation every graduation season!

I'm dealing with this exact situation too! My daughter turns 18 on June 8th and graduates June 6th - so close to your timing. After reading through all these incredibly helpful responses, I'm definitely filling out those SSA-1372 forms immediately. The "month before the 18th birthday" rule that everyone mentioned is such a shock - I had no idea benefits would terminate in May for a June birthday without the student forms! That could mean losing 2-3 months of payments, which is substantial money during an already expensive graduation time. I'm going to follow the excellent advice shared here: contact our school's registrar office directly (not main office), bring copies of her Social Security card and birth certificate for verification, make duplicates of everything for our records, and send it back via certified mail with return receipt. One question for those who've been through this - roughly how long did it take SSA to process your forms once submitted? I want to make sure I'm not cutting it too close with the June timeline. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences! This thread has been absolutely invaluable for understanding what seemed like such a confusing bureaucratic process. It's amazing how many families deal with this same timing challenge every graduation season.