We currently live in Texas , but are wanting to relocate in the next few years , we are thinking between California and New York , what are the main points to keep in mind that are essential for our child to qualify for in state tuition, in either of these states and do they have to be in place 1 year before applying for undergrad colleges .
Lastly can one qualify for more than one state , if one parent is working in one state and the other parent in another , since there is a chance we both might get jobs together at the same time .
TIA for feedback !!!
Will you also be applying for need based state aid?
You need to reside in the state at least 12 months prior to applying to the colleges. Check to be sure about that in both states.
In some states there are specific requirements for getting instate tuition if your parent lives in the state…and you don’t.
Are you saying that one parent might get a job in NY and the other in CA?
Another thing to consider is your kid. Transferring high schools for just their senior year might be a difficult thing for them to do. You might want to consider relocating earlier in their HS years than that…if possible.
In CA the schools can have different requirements, I would check the most stringent schools, for example, if you qualify at UCLA and Berkeley, you are likely ok at the other schools, but do be thinking a couple of years ahead; it is theoretically possible to be the resident of no state for tuition purposes!
AFAIK, the student needs to choose a state, only one state of residence, but there could be some oddball provisions in some locations that allow more flexibility?
I think this student could actually qualify for all three states as an instate resident. I’m going from memory, but doesn’t Texas just require you to graduate from a Texas high school? If so, and she stayed and graduated, she’d get instate rates.
California has a few different ways to qualify if the parent is a resident. If she’s under 18 when she is a dependent of a California resident, she might make it as an instate resident. Read the requirements carefully.
A third state might just give instate if a parent lives there. Colorado does, so if the father moved to Colorado at least a year before starting, she’d get instate. I don’t know what NY/NJ/CT schools might do, but you might also have options there depending on which community you live in.
There are a lot of steps and you could trip up by trying to get too much. Just read each requirement carefully. A gap year might also be in the cards. Ask your daughter if she has a favorite.
You are aware that the cost of living, for those two states, is extremely high???
I think you need to worry about more than just your daughter’s college choices.
How will you gain employment? Will you be renting? Purchasing a home in California is expensive and competitive depending on the part of the state you hope to reside.
It’s not even enough to check with each state. You actually have to drill down and check within each SCHOOL! Even publics within the same state have different criteria – some looser, some tighter.
Rule of thumb is one year residency and of course the kiddo graduating from high school in that state, but while you are contemplating a move, I also suggest also checking websites for public unis in both those states.
In CA, applying to another state as an in-state resident can disqualify you. If your parent moves and you remain OOS, you can be scrutinized. If you’re claimed as a dependent by an OOS parent, risky.