friend,

as said by earlier replier, the question is not clear, but let me tell you everything I know. because you are ready to apply, you might have done your research and my inputs might be redundant, but i am answering just to help you the way i can.

what i read in one of universities' brochure was(and i rephrase in my own words): F1 students are here promising to pay the amount they are supposed to pay(except Scholarship wala),  if they apply for unemployment benefits or what so ever.. thats an automatic loss of status.

I think your case is different. it is legal to apply for hardship.. but i have not seen a single person who has applied it (may be they didnt tell me). But if you apply for hardship, then you got to show some strong reasons over the time (since u applied and thus promised to pay the tuition fee to this date) that significantly reduced your income status. for example...the economic situation of the country( as was in zimbabwe) or loss of primary bread winner or loss of source of income (job of bread winner or cultivable land).

And if you cannot pay your tuition fees, thats automatic out of status after the current semester ends.

all the best