<p>We moved from Israel to the US on Aug 2010. My son is in his junior year and plans to apply to UT Austin this fall. I understand that he can apply as international because he will be in the US less than 3 years by the time of applying? </p>
<p>What do you recommend?</p>
<p>US citizens and legal permanent residents have a much, much easier time being admitted to American colleges and universities than foreign applicants have.</p>
<p>If he is a US citizen, or has legal permanent residence, or holds one of the special categories of visa that permit him to file the FAFSA, he is a domestic applicant. If he is in any other immigration status, he is an international applicant. This is because of the financial aid process which is highly dependent on federal funds.</p>
<p>In some states an international student who has lived there for a certain number of years and/or has graduated from a high school in that state is considered to be an in-state resident by the public colleges and universities. The student will not be eligible to file the FAFSA, but will be charged in-state rates for tuition and fees. In a few of these states, these students are also eligible for state scholarships and financial aid. To find out whether or not this would apply to your son’s case, ask his high school guidance counselor.</p>