Ohio CAN be an option in a year…when your lease is up. That’s how long it’s going to take to establish residency in PA too.
You might want to consider the costs of the OH colleges vs the PA colleges.
A school can only ask for your SSN if you are applying for FA. They aren’t going to run a search on you.
There are plenty of other ways for the school to know if you meet the requirements of a state resident, and those including having to complete the application which ASKS for your history - prior schooling, etc. Often there is a ‘residency’ form which asks for a copy of your lease, how long you’ve lived there, your driver’s license number and when you got it, etc. It is up to YOU to prove you qualify for instate aid. Your OOS high school diploma is going to raise a red flag.
You will NOT be independent for FA purposes even if you get instate tuition. You’ll need a parent to complete the FAFSA for you.
Where did you go to high school? What state?
The criteria for being independent for financial aid when you’re under age 24 are very specific: you have to have been homeless, in court appointed guardianship, in the military, or married. If you don’t meet any of those criteria you’ll need your parents to complete the financial aid forms to receive any aid.
PA colleges are expensive. Check the residency rules to find out what it takes to be considered a resident. But if OH schools are less expensive it may make better sense to move there in a year and attend one of their public colleges. Either way, unless you meet the qualifications for being independent for financial aid purposes you’ll need your parents to complete financial aid forms until you’re 24.
@twoinanddone this is NOT uniformly true. If this student was deemed independent for certain reasons, parent info will not be needed.
@mamartina this does, however, bring up a good point. How do you plan to pay the costs to attend college in PA. Even as at instate costs, these are pretty pricey schools.
Or the parent of a child you support.