<p>Following the link sybbie719 provided above, [Establishing</a> Legal Residence](<a href=“http://registrar.berkeley.edu/establish.html][b]Establishing”>http://registrar.berkeley.edu/establish.html), my interpretation is as follows:</p>
<p>(1) You do NOT need to establish financial independence in order to qualify for in-state tuition after your “Condit year” ends.</p>
<p>(2) You can instead qualify for in-state-tuition during those three years by showing that you are being supported by your in-state, California resident parent (your father).</p>
<p>Since you do not have to show financial independence, it should be okay for your mother to help with your expenses . . . as long as you are able to show that your father’s contribution is significant enough that you are still “dependent” on him to be able to pay tuition. If his contribution is trivial, and the bulk of your costs are being paid by your mother, then you wouldn’t satisfy the requirements of #2, above.</p>
<p>The language is not clear, and I could be mistaken, but my that’s how I read the requirements.</p>
<p>I would strongly recommend you contact the “residence deputy” at one of the schools you’re applying to. Doesn’t matter which school - they’re darned hard to reach, so talk to any one of them who’ll take your call!</p>
<p>P.S. In order to qualify for the “Condit year,” you do NOT have to show that your dad is claiming you as a dependent on his tax return. It’s sufficient that he is paying court-ordered child support.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>No, the OP’s 16-year residence in California does not make her “a unique case.” The law is clear: if she didn’t attend (for 3 years) and graduate from a California high school, she does not automatically qualify for in-state tuition. It makes no difference that she previously lived in California. The Condit Bill grants a one-year exception to the residence requirement for any OOS student who receives support from a parent residing in California; whether or not that student previously lived in California is irrelevant.</p>
<p>Edited to add:</p>
<p>Aha! This link posted in another thread to the [UC</a> Residence Policy](<a href=“http://www.ucop.edu/ogc/documents/uc-residence-policy.pdf][b]UC”>http://www.ucop.edu/ogc/documents/uc-residence-policy.pdf) confirms what I stated above:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Having a parent living in California does, indeed, make it significantly easier for the OP to establish state residence for tuition purposes.</p>