<p>Berkeley would be my number one choice for any college in the entire world IF I was able to pay in-state tuition. I do not have a legacy and my family cannot move. Is there any way to find a loophole in the system allowing me to pay in-state tuition?</p>
<p>I wish there was some way that I could pay in-state tuition for Berkeley, too. I love the school, but being an OOSer really sucks for the UC system.</p>
<p>In any case, I think there's no loophole. You're either a CA resident or not. It's called in-state tuition for a reason.</p>
<p>I read on the website of another UC school that out-of-state students can establish residency after their first year of study (= after living in CA for a year) and pay in-state tuition in their second year.</p>
<p>You cannot get instate residency for the sole purposes of attending school in-state and getting in-state tuition. </p>
<p>In addition, unless you are 24 years old, married, have your own children for whom you provide more then 1/2 their income, served in the military or were a ward of the court before you were 18, you will be a dependent student and will be a resident where ever your parents live.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Students whose parents are not CA state residents must also be able to demonstrate financial independence. (At Cal State U this applies to continuing nonresident students seeking reclassification.) </p>
<p>Exempted from this requirement are students who </p>
<p>1) are at least 24 years old by December 31 of the calendar year of the term for which resident classification is requested; </p>
<p>2) are veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces; </p>
<p>3) are wards of the court or whose parents are both dead; 4) have legal dependents other than a spouse;</p>
<p>5) are married or graduate/professional students and were not claimed as an income tax deduction by parents or any other person for the tax year immediately preceding the term for which resident classification is requested; or </p>
<p>6) are appointed as graduate student teaching/research assistants employed 49% or more time in the requested academic term. </p>
<p>Students in undergraduate or non-degree programs (e.g., teaching credential) whose parents are not CA state residents will be considered to be financially independent if all of these three criteria are met: the student </p>
<p>1) is single; </p>
<p>2) was not claimed as an income tax deduction by parents or any other person for the two tax years immediately preceding the residence classification request; AND </p>
<p>3) can demonstrate self-sufficiency for those 2 years and the current year (i.e., minimum total income and resources of $4,000).
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Well, I was considering serving time in the armed forces before college, so that makes things more interesting. It all depends on how much scholarship money I'm able to receive from different colleges and private organizations. Does Berkeley have a National Merit Scholarship Program? Do they have any merit-based aid?</p>
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<blockquote> <p>I was considering serving time in the armed forces before college>.</p> </blockquote>
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<p>That will make you an independent student for finaid purposes BUT it will NOT give you instate status in CA unless you reside in CA for a year before you enroll in college...work full time, and support yourself. No Berkeley does not give automatic aid to NMS students. I'm not from CA so I can't comment on merit aid....but my bet would be that since it is a UC, the bulk of their merit aid goes to top applicants from within CA. I believe veterans also do receive some kind of college stipend, don't they?</p>
<p>Yeah, Veterans receive some AMAZING money from the armed forces for college. Essentially, instead of receiving small cash amounts, you can choose to receive college money in the future ($50,000+). However, without immediate in-state tuition my first choice is definitely Oxford.</p>
<p>as thumper notes, joining the military will make you independent. If you can get yourself stationed in Calif, UC will usually waive the one-year residency requirement as long as you intend to remain a resident.</p>
<p>All of the UCs have a Regent's/Chancellor's scholarship program which is merit-based, primarily gpa and test scores. For Berkeley, one needs a 2250+ SAT to be competitive for the award. But, more importantly, the award itself is only $1-$2k at Cal. Other campuses offer an award that covers up to full tuition (or "fees" as they are known in Calif since the state technically does not have tuition), and sometimes a research stipend.</p>
<p>California is the most particular of any of the states I have lived in about this. Three years, and they make it very difficult to gain residency for the purposes of attending college. Basically, they want instate rates to be for people who have lived here for a while before attending, hence the three year rule.</p>
<p>I know of at least two people who have done what you want to do. Both came and attended community college, established residency during their time at CC, and then transferred to UCs. Each UC has some "feeder" community colleges--schools from which it typically accepts large numbers of transfers. You might talk to the schools, find their feeder CCs, gain residency while getting your associates, and then transfer as in-state.</p>
<p>I have no idea how the people I'm talking about demonstrated financial independence, because neither of them should have been able to, but regardless, this is what they did. I think it took longer than 2 years for both.</p>
<p>Regardless, a lot of trouble to go to. Good luck, whatever you choose.</p>
<p>This question seems to come up a lot. As a resident of CA, I have an idea. Move to CA, live here for 3 years, pay CA state income tax. The UCs are already overcrowded. Quit trying to beat the system.</p>
<p>California taxpayers subsidize each in-state student's UC education; it isn't that OOS people are paying "extra", they pay the actual cost of a UC education, it's that the in-state kids get a discount because state taxes pay part of the cost of their education. I'm sure your state does the same for its residents.</p>
<p>For the record, I was on a tour at a UC this past weekend and the guide made a reference of "well, that'll be easier once all you guys get residency." No details, and perhaps totally off-base, but nonetheless, an implication that it does get done.</p>