<p>Can I do this without actually living in North Carolina? I've heard that there are ways to do this...and anyone know the university's specific policies regarding this?</p>
<p>Search the UNC website for the answer.</p>
<p>The short version is no, you cannot.</p>
<p>[Residency</a> Office of the University Registrar](<a href=“http://registrar.unc.edu/academic-services/residency/]Residency”>Residency - Office of the University Registrar)
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<p>Long answer: No.</p>
<p>“Establish legal residence”…so if my parents bought/ rented an apartment there, in a year from now I could qualify as in-state? According to the quote this seems so as long as we pay our taxes just like everyone else.</p>
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<p>No. There are no check-box criteria you can satisfy to become an instate resident for tuition purposes in NC. You have to demonstrate–from voting registration, state of drivers license issuance, documents noting what states you’ve paid taxes in–that you are a bona fide resident of North Carolina who is not attempting to gain that status for the purpose of attending college. Since that’s exactly your intent, they’d see right through it and deny your application for instate residency.</p>
<p>If your parents can afford to buy a condo in NC, they can afford to pay the out of state tuition. Stop tring to break the law by faking NC residency. They will catch you.</p>
<p>UNC is meticulous about investigating in-state status applications. My child was accepted from out of state. Even though we’d owned a condo in North Carolina for years, it wasn’t until one full year after our family moved permanently to NC for a new job that she was granted in-state student status. It’s understandable that you’d want the lower tuition, bur what you’re contemplating just won’t work.</p>
<p>Yeah they would definitely see straight through that.</p>