I wanted to see how many OOS families decided to keep their student as a resident of their home state vs. changing to Alabama residency, especially when going off campus with a physical address? What are the pros and cons to each?
OOS undergrads living in apts aren’t residents of Alabama. They’re still OOS residents for school purposes.
@mom2collegekids what would be considered the “current” or “primary” address for a student once they get off campus, assuming they don’t change their home residency? I am trying to figure out how mail, licensing, and other things work for the next few years once I am living in a physical address.
For mail, licensing and the like, I think students do a variety of things. Some use their parents’ address for everything and keep all licenses, registrations, etc. in their homes states. Others switch everything to Alabama, and still others have some things in Alabama and others in their home state. My daughter grew up in Illinois. At present, she has an Alabama driver’s license, her vehicle is registered in Alabama, she is registered to vote in Alabama, she files taxes as an Alabama resident and she uses her Tuscaloosa address for just about everything. She has lived in Alabama year round since the beginning of her junior year (she graduated from UA last May and is currently a UA grad student) and has spent fewer than five days in total in Illinois in that period. Her intention is to get a permanent job in the state of Alabama when she graduates. She considers herself an Alabama resident and I think she is for all purposes except tuition. That’s why she switched her licenses and registrations to Alabama; if she didn’t intend to stay in AL I think she would have left everything in Illinois.
I know a Bama graduate (premed) who was advised not to apply to med schools until after she graduated (rather than after junior year which is traditional). She did that so that she could establish residency in AL during that year…working, etc. She’s now at UAB med school as an instate student.
While you’re an undergrad, you can get your license, etc, in Alabama, but you won’t be instate for tuition purposes.
The one thing I am trying to consider is how this all ties in plans for a possible CO-OP…I like the idea of switching everything to Alabama since I have no foreseeable intention of living in my home state after college. It would be convenient to get a license in Alabama and car registered as well. Only issue I see with changing residency is if I need to take a course at a community college over the summer for CO-OP and since I change residency I won’t be able to get in-state tuition in either state…
You will not be “changing residency” while an undergrad. Your residency will be the state where your parents live.