<p>By Fall 2013, I will have lived in California by myself for two years. I already have a California ID, a receipt for voter registeration, Californian bank accounts and statements, and even have a receipt for a (failed) Californian driver license test.</p>
<p>There's one thing that are keeping me wondering though. I am not independent on my taxes.
I do not know if I am considered independent from my parents and whether I should file my taxes as independent. I have worked in California for over a year, but only made $2500 so I don't even have to pay taxes. I assume I have been filed as dependent on my parents who live in a different state early this year, and I don't know if I can file myself as independent because my parents sent me like $15,000 in total until the middle of this year. I already spent that money paying off my former debt. I didn't see my parents for over two years.</p>
<p>I am trying to apply to a community college for Fall 2013. The prices are $50/unit for residents, but $210 for out-of-state. I want to further my education but I cannot afford $210/unit. One of the things CC's ask as "proof of burden" is tax return, but am I a California resident if I got a load of money from my non-resident parents that far outweigh my own earnings? My parents cut me off and won't talk to me, but I am pretty sure they will file me as dependent on their taxes during January or April. No chance of filing for FAFSA or grants/loans either. What should I do?</p>
<p>You’re showing clear intent to stay in California. What CC do you go to? The one I attend has a residency appeal form on their website. If you’ve been in CA for a year and and show intent to stay you can be eligible for in state tuition. Use the search function on your CCs website or drop into the advisory/counseling/general student problems department. You’ve been here for a year, have ID, have employment history, and are registered to vote in CA. I fail to see how they can turn you down for residency tuition. Schedule an appointment with your advisor and show up with all your proof and request in state tuition. I’m 100% confident they’ll give it to you.</p>
<p>Really? Even though I am dependent on non-resident parents tax-wise? I mean, that’s my ONLY problem. To be honest, as long as I state, “oh I don’t have tax returns because I didn’t make enough to file taxes”, I don’t think the college advisors would dig into my tax history to find out if I am dependent because I have like a bunch of other stuff to show I have intent to stay.</p>
<p>If you’re over 19, that shouldn’t be a problem.</p>
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<p>You aren’t a qualifying child of your parents, because you fail the principal place of abode test (and, if you’re 19 or older at the end of the year, and weren’t a full-time student for at least 5 months of the year, you fail the age test, too.)</p>
<p>However, you meet the qualifying relative tests, so your parents are allowed to claim your exemption on their tax returns. And because they may claim your exemption, you may not claim your own, even if they choose not to claim yours.</p>
<p>Note that you flunk the qualifying relative gross income test if your income exceeds the dependency exemption ($3,900 for 2013), no matter how much of your support your parents provided. If you aren’t anyone’s qualifying child or qualifying relative, you get to claim your own personal exemption.</p>
<p>They refused to give me the price for residents. I didn’t bring my driver license test receipt, but I brought my California ID and my latest voter registeration receipt (about a month old each) and they said that it has to be a year old. I’ve been living in California for two years and I was told that I need to live here for 2 years before applying for California ID, so now I have to wait another year to be considered a resident? Isn’t it obvious that if I made a voter registeration and an ID in California, I intend to stay?</p>
<p>They asked for my tax return, I told them I didn’t make enough money to do one.</p>
<p>I told them that I’ve been living here and getting mail and bank statements for two years in California and that I can bring old mail. They said it didn’t matter. ***?</p>
<p>By the way I was warned that the admission people at my college are very rude and unhelpful. I see now, but do you think it would help if I demand to talk to the main manager instead of the front desk people just lounging around?</p>
<p>I am going to PCC.</p>
<p>This was one major reason why I went to USC and not a UC. It’s very, very, very, very difficult to get residency for purposes of tuition in California, all the more so if you’re under 24. You basically have to be totally self-sufficient meaning that you have your own full-time job and pay rent, utilities, have a driver’s license, voter registration, etc. The only time that realistically happens is when kids join the military.</p>
<p>I got into Berkeley and UCLA out of state, among others, but they didn’t give me any financial aid. I got some scholarships and financial aid which were able to make USC a reality. Don’t obsess over the price tag - they charge that for the hedge fund managers and investment bankers who can simply write a check and not give it a second thought (and their kids are on every top campus, public or private) and that money is used to fund the financial aid for the rest of us. USC will proudly meet 100% of every kid’s demonstrated need, which means that you have to have tax returns for you and your parents as well as any asset statements they have. It’s humbling the first time you do it but they do that because it’s a lot of money and plenty of people seem to have no problem lying about it.</p>
<p>In the meantime, I’d work on mending your relationship with your folks. I’m sure there are also plenty of other students and alumni on the boards for the various UCs and USC and Oxy and Pepperdine and Claremont who could talk to you further.</p>
<p>Good luck! ;)</p>