Hopefully this is in the right section - it pertains to in-state vs oo-state tuition.
I’m currently 23, and a CA resident. Next fall, I will be attending a university that is in a different state (possibly PA, RI, MA, DE, etc). In Feb 2018 I will turn 24, so I will be independent according to colleges/the federal government (as far as I understand it). Hopefully I will complete the rest of my undergraduate between Fall 2017 to spring 2019.
My parents have been discussing the possibility of selling their CA house (worth around 1.25 mil on the market although they still have ~900k owed on it), and buying a cheap house somewhere in Spain, semi-retiring, and moving there. If that actually happens, they will no longer be CA residents. However, since I will be 24 this won’t affect me right? What should I do if I want to maintain my CA in-state status so I could potentially attend graduate school for in-state tuition? Or can I even do so? My DL is from CA, and expires in 2020.
I know it’s still a ways off, but I just wanted to know if there’s anything I need to be doing to protect my in-state status for CA. I know getting residency when becoming a college student in a different state is tricky, and I don’t want to be in some sort of limbo where no state considers me a resident.
UCB and probably all the UC colleges have a web page that tell you how to stake your claim as a California resident. If I find it, I will add it here. Otherwise, google it. It entails getting a driver’s license, registering to vote, opening up bank accounts, paying state taxes etc.
I mean… I’m 19, my mom lives in Iowa, and I’m registered to vote in Florida. I’m dependent for financial aid purposes ONLY because I’m not 24/homeless/etc, but I’m independent as far as the IRS is concerned and that seemed to be what matters.
So if you already have a drivers license… seems like a solid basis to (validly) claim CA residency to me.
^That’s what my gf thought. She’s from PA and she has maintained her PA residency this whole time. She still has a PA license (gets her scrutiny going to bars and stuff lol).
The annoying thing about the informational pages is they’re more for people trying to establish residency, but I just want to maintain it. Maybe I should get a box in a CA mail center that forwards to wherever I am in college if my parents actually end up moving. Normally I use their address as my permanent address for car registration, college applications, etc because they own a house vs me renting different apartments.
I will be doing work-study during college so I probably won’t have enough income to report on taxes but I could continue registering to vote in CA.
At be 24 you will be independent for financial aid purposes. It is up to the colleges to determine whether you will be independent for residency purposes. YMMV at public universities not in the place where your parents reside.
Contact the schools.
So @thumper1 even if I’m completely financially independent (24+, independent tax returns + working full time for years, living on my own, etc) a college could choose deem me an international student if my parents live in Spain?
Also, what’s YMMV?
Here is your issue @philbegas
At some colleges, if you enroll as an OOS student…that is the same status you maintain regardless.
At others, your residency could change if your family moves.
You will be independent for financial aid purposes…but might NOT be for residency purposes. Only your school can answer that question.
Well technically I’ll be OOS at any college I might attend next fall (haven’t decided where yet) so I don’t think anything will change for undergrad. But this is for grad schools. I guess I could still call a UC and see what they say about this issue.
Grad school is a whole other thing!
You could very possibly establish residency for GRAD school in another state. YMMV…so contact the colleges.
I feel like perhaps you didn’t read my original post carefully?
I’m not trying to establish residency in another state. I’m trying to retain my CA residence which I currently have, while I go OOS for college especially if my parents move out of the country. But fine, I’ll call some of the UCs and see if their financial aid departments can help me at all.
I totally understand your question…and like I said…for grad school YOU will be establishing your own residency if your parents no longer declare you as a dependent…and after age 24, they won’t be.
So your question needs to be to the CA system…what do you have to do to be considered a CA resident IF your parents move OOS. Ask that.
You need to ask grad school admissions…NOT financial aid. You will be independent for financial aid purposes…but that does NIT mean you will be admitted as an instate student. That is what you want to know. Call grad school admissions…find out what it takes to be considered an instate resident for tuition purposes as a grad student.
Okay I understand. Thank you for the clarification @thumper1 . I just wanted to keep CA in-state schools on the table because if I end up going the bus-route it would be helpful to have UCLA, UCSD, and UCB grad school options. .
When I get the chance, I will give grad school admissions a call!
If you want to remain a California resident, you need to BE one. Where is your permanent residence? Where do you pay taxes? Where is your health insurance? Where is your car registered and where is the insurance? Where do you vote?
If you have no home in California, it is hard to say you are a resident. Is there someone you could rent a ‘space’ from, even it if only to have mail sent there, car registered there, vote as a resident from that address? You would have to file taxes as a California resident, even if that means you file as a part time resident in another (school you attend/work) state and get credit for taxes paid to those states when you file your California resident taxes (You may not be required to file CA taxes, but make sure, and it might be a good idea to do so anyway). If you spend several years away from CA, it will be hard to claim you are a resident there.
You won’t be considered an international student. YOU are a US resident, but may no longer be a resident of CA.
Well right now I am in CA and doing everything in CA. And my parents have a box at a private mail/copy center that maybe I would keep for myself and my younger brother.
I do not think you can use a PO box as an address on licenses or some other official documents. You need a physical address.
You know, you claim you don’t want to go to school in california because you feel cramped and want to go and explore the world. The price for that is that you will no longer be a California resident. You won’t have to pay California taxes, register your car there, vote there. You will be free.
Take your chances or just stay and go to school there now. Or go to school, graduate, return to California and work for a few years, re-establish residency and go to grad school.
Actually this makes me wonder. My brother will be a freshman at sjsu and if my parents move out of the country does that screw up his in state status? He’s only 17
He graduated from a CA high school, right? He’ll be fine as long as he doesn’t take a break.
Yes he’s been a ca resident with ca schools all his life