California Residency (help!)

Paying for College
1

So I’m in a unique situation. My parents are divorced, and my dad has been a California resident for years. I think I can get in state UC tuition. There’s just two things I’m unsure about.

  1. My birthday is in April, so I wouldn’t have lived with my dad for long periods of time prior to my birthday. My sister got in state at Berkeley, but her birthday was in the summer. Also, according to the SLR, I was absent from CA for 6 weeks or more at a time in the past 12 months.

  2. My sister was on my dad’s tax returns, but I don’t know if I was.

Will this hurt my chances of getting in state? I’m switching my driver’s license and opening a savings account in CA next week, but I want to be sure. I’d rather not commit and find out in a few months that I have to pay $60,000 a year. I’ve already looked at the websites and honestly, they were really confusing. Any help or experience would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

2

Don’t you have to move and live with your dad before your 18th Bday?

3

Yes, you can get in-state status, but there may be some hoops to jump through. Your dad should call the UCs that you are interested in and find out what needs to be done.