Recently I moved to Pennsylvania
I have a Pennsylvania Drivers License
I’m registered to vote in the state of Pennsylvania
My car/tags are registered to Pennsylvania
I have a Pennsylvania Mailing address
But I haven’t filed taxes here yet as I moved after tax season, but will be paying all taxes here next year.
Previously I lived in Ohio for 19 years and had everything in my name under the state of Ohio
I’m currently 19 about to be 20
But am classified as a dependent.
I moved to PA not for school, I planned on taking a gap year, but recently I’ve really been thinking about going back to school while working
You have to contact each school regarding how residency is determined for tuition. Each school has its own rules in that regard.
For West Chester University, for example, if you are under the age of 22, your parents last federal income tax forms are required, along with your ID information. You can include a notarized statement that you are living independently and separately from your parents but if they just declared you as a dependent for tax purposes, that is an issue. You have to show that you were not a dependent for the PRIOR tax year.
However, that is for matriculating students, those who have been accepted for a degree program. Often, for taking a few courses, without being in a degree program, just ID with an in state address is required. Without being a matriculating student, you can’t get financial aid in many cases.
So you need to call the school and find out exactly what its rules are for what in terms of in state tuition. Just because you get those rules does not mean they hold for a different school within the same state
I don’t know PA school rules, but my gut says that you’ll need to be working full time for a year or two without going to school before being considered instate for tuition purposes.
Usually if you’re going to school while establishing residency, then you’ll be denied instate rates.
To the OP. Usually undergrad students are instate for tuition where their parents reside.
I have to ask…why did you move to PA? And if you can’t get instate tuition in PA for college, would you move to a college in Ohio? There are many public, instate schools there that would likely be more affordable than the PA schools anyway.
Only degree seeking/matriculated students can receive financial aid.
Also, are you taking courses part time? How many credits at a time?
Are you applying as a degree seeking candidate? Are you looking for financial aid?
Those all come into play.
Also some PA state schools, like Slippery Rock give good OOS students (3.0) average, a discount on tuition. It really depends upon the school and how you are enrolling
Ohio has a lot more affordable tuition for instate students compared to PA.
Like collegemom I don’t think you can be considered for instate tuition at PA schools.
If your parents still live in Ohio and especially if they support you, your residency for college purposes would still be Ohio I believe.
Slippery Rock does give some merit for high stats, and I think they give an OOS discount for students with certain stats, but it might still cost more than Ohio schools.
Even if you could fully support yourself and pay for your own living expenses, it would be difficult to pay for your own education as well.
PA schools are expensive for instate students, PASShE schools are over $20,000 and Pitt, Temple, PSU main are $30,000.
For out of state students those schools can cost another $10,000 more.
Google college residency requirements (or similar) for PA and get it directly from the source, their official policy. (SInce it’s a factor for public college costs, the policy is usually set by the state, not the school.) In some states, on top of what you have, a year of a job is proof. In others, it’s more than a year.
But as some point out, this is more than getting in-state rates, when the colleges start at much higher prices.
I mistyped on the original post. I am classified as an Independent. So it doesn’t go by my parents, but at the same time I left my old state but am new to PA so I don’t even know if I can get in state anywhere
Also, if I was to choose the route of getting some schooling done online would that hinder my not moving for school purposes, i.e you have to move to the state with purposes other than schooling
How are you classified as independent? Married? Homeless? A veteran? Emancipated minor? Former foster child? What? You don’t have to post it here…but do make sure you are really an independent student. Some folks assume they are because their parents don’t declare them on tax returns or the student is self supporting. That’s not what would make you independent in terms of colleges…for instate residency or financial aid.
If you are “independent” as a student…you still have to establish residency in your new state. You would need to reside there for 12 months before starting any college classes. And if you are self supporting, you should get a job, and an apartment, in addition to the change to your drivers license and voting.
Plan to also provide documentation of your independent status to any school you apply to in PA…they are going to ask for this.
And…why PA? What was wrong with all the lesser cost public universities in…Ohio.
Yes I know that I’m classified as independent, I didn’t move to PA for schools I moved to escape certain things and I have my own place a lease full time job etc but I’ve not hit the 12 month threshold, I’m registered to vote in PA, have a Pa license etc so idk if there’s certain circumstances where they allow leeway and what not but figured I’d get other people’s opinion before going to the school and pretty much saying “I recently moved” cause right now nothing in my name is my old state so I’m not sure how they’d track down that I’m not from PA
Any school in PA which gets an application from you will ask for your social security number- and a three second check of the SS database will show your 19 years of existence in Ohio. So don’t even think about pretending that you’re a long time PA resident. Heck- I could trace you using public information in about three minutes if I knew your name (don’t worry, I won’t) and could find more information about you than you can imagine.
Don’t get other people’s opinions. Make an appointment with a local PA college’s admissions office and lay your cards on the table. They will either tell you they have leeway or not. But don’t rely on a bunch of strangers on the internet, and don’t think you can bluff your way through being a new resident of PA because you can’t.
You graduated from an Ohio high school, right? You will need to provide your HS transcript and it will clearly note Ohio. You will need to prove that you are independent and have properly established residency in PA.
So again, go online and, in addition to the policy, many states have a copy of the actual residency questionnaire forms you fill out to provide “positive proof” you’re a PA resident in the college system’s eyes.
One reason you want the original, official policy (not just someone’s word,) is some states are a bear about qualifying and can make things quite tough if they suspect any gaming. Just do this right. Even if it means waiting a bit, to live there long enough.
(not your question, but if you are re-locating as a fully emancipated minor I would pick a different state for college purposes. There are a lot of states that have a better deal for in-state tuition than PA.)