<p>I got a question about eiligibility for in-state tuition.
I started working in NC about a year ago, but my daughter lives with her mom in another state because she wants to finish her high school there. If she attends UNC in 2012, is she eiligible for in-state tuition? or she has to pay out-of-state tuition? How about her sophomore year?
This is very important to us. Does anybody know? </p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>She can apply to UNC. In her application they will include an application for NC residency. You might be able to find the actual app online for residency.</p>
<p>She will probably need to fill out the long form. Since you have been here for over a year and are employed you would be considered a resident. But her? That would depend on how she answers the questions on the residency form.</p>
<p>UNC-CH admits no more than 18% OOS applicants. She would have a much better chance of being admitted as a in-state resident.</p>
<p>If she took a gap year and resided with you and worked during that year, that would probably help.</p>
<p>Again, depends. </p>
<p>Kat</p>
<p>Kat,
Thank you for your reply.
Her school is in another state, so she cannot apply as NC resident. If she gets admission to UNC, does she have to live with me for a year to change to in-state tuition, or she simply has no chance to get in-state tuition? She is not eiligible for in-state tuition for her freshmen year, right? Is she eiligible for her sophomore year? Thanks.</p>
<p>Call admissions and ask the question. Too much money is involved for you to guess.</p>
<p>A friend was in the exact same situation in Texas. As long as there was a parent that had residency for a year and taxes were paid in Texas it was no problem. Search the UNC website for in state tuition for more information and you should call the school as well.</p>
<p>It appears that NC does not grant residency based upon the domicile of a non-custodial parent. IMO, she would have to live with in NC for 12 months prior and take other steps to establish domicile there. They provide a list of factors here:</p>
<p>[Residency</a> Classification | Office of the University Registrar | The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill](<a href=“http://registrar.unc.edu/AcademicServices/Residency/ResidencyClassification/index.htm#require]Residency”>http://registrar.unc.edu/AcademicServices/Residency/ResidencyClassification/index.htm#require)</p>
<p>Texas has different guidelines than North Carolina for establishing residency. What applies in one state does not necessarily apply in another. In addition, in SOME states…this also varies by SCHOOL within the public universities. You gotta check the school requirements for the schools your kid is applying to.</p>
<p>New Hampshire, when our grandson attended, followed the same rules as outlined by Knitknee… If either parent had been living there and paying taxes, kid qualified for in-state tuition.</p>
<p>But as thumper and others have said… every state has its own rules and maybe even different rules for different institutions.</p>
<p>Get the application/rules for in-state residency for your exact situation. No other way.</p>
<p>I have to agree with MDMom. Many here can offer opinions on how we think it should be, or tell OP stories of residency at other schools. But it is the college itself that can definitively tell you the official school policy.</p>
<p>^Yes! And the rules are changing, so what applied before this year may not be true now.</p>
<p>As an example, the University of Texas has lots of helpful info on its website. They’ve made it harder to get in-state tuition, but it’s not impossible, and there are people who are happy to answer questions.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if this helpful (probably not) but I had to establish residency in NC to attend Community College as a middle-age student. I moved to NC and didn’t want to wait a year to attend community college so I could get the in-state rate. I was able to legally show that I had moved to NC to permanently live and work in the state and this was enough to establish legal residency without having to wait a year to get in-state status. I showed the school my apt. lease and that I was employed full-time and that was enough, even though I hadn’t resided for a year.</p>
<p>I looked at the case law regarding establishing NC residency for in-state tuition (I’m also a lawyer) and the main issue is whether a person moved to the state for the purposes of going to school or whether they moved to the state to settle and permanently reside there. Most out-of-state students whose parents also live out-of-state and who want to go to school at Carolina or State can’t prove that they moved to the state to live there, but rather their circumstances show that they are ONLY there to attend school. This is why they have to pay out-of state tuition. Obviously, a kid who has been in the state and lived with their parents has no problem showing that they permanently live in the state.</p>
<p>Maybe since you already reside in NC, you could make the case that your daughter is moving to NC to live with you and reside in the state, thus allowing her to qualify for in-state tuition immediately.</p>
<p>I would add the caveat that this happened about seven years ago and the law may have changed since then. You may want to check with an NC lawyer and ask him/her to research what the current state of the law is.</p>
<p>I also want to emphasize that I was absolutely honest in everything I represented on the residency forms that I filled out and I also brought all of my documentation to the registrar’s office and went though it with the registrar. As an attorney I would never risk falsifying forms and I would always say that no one should ever do that to establish residency.</p>
<p>We had a situation that we needed clarification with. I spoke to Chapel Hill and NC State. Chapel Hill gave my son IS, NC State said they would not. They are free to interpret the rules how ever they want.
If Chapel Hill is the school you mean, please call the school, they will be happy to speak to you about it. The person to speak to is Ni-Eric Perkins or email at <a href=“mailto:nperkins@admission.UNC.edu”>nperkins@admission.UNC.edu</a>.</p>
<p>I would also call because it does get tricky. We will be moving after our kids start college, DH will be working in a new state for over a year before they start. They are considering colleges in several states and it can be a mess, especially if you add reciprocity into the mix. Several of the schools said because WE moved for a job, the kids would qualify for instate but in one case we don’t want them to establish residency in the new state because they lose reciprocity with another state. In that case they consider where they went to high school as their “home” state as long as they don’t establish a residency in the new state-rent their own apartment. It’s worth a call.</p>
<p>Helpfulmommy was… helpful 
You can get different rulings from different campuses, so most of what we tell you here will be “possibly applicable” at best. What worked for me might not work for you. As I recall it is easier to get the in state status if the kid is not yet 18 and moves with a parent, but once 18 it is more difficult. </p>
<p>My son paid out of state community college tuition for 1 year, then they granted in state status, then transferred to UNC Charlotte of course as in state student.</p>
<p>oh, and calling is a good idea, but I won’t be surprised if they don’t give you a definitive answer over the phone. They will likely tell you to submit all your documentation (and the right form) and then they will give you a ruling.</p>
<p>yes, the rules vary from state to state, and may vary between admissions purposes vs. tuition purposes. Some states even have a waiting period before you are eligible for in-state tuition after you move into the state. Some states are very permissive about parents in the foreign service or military.</p>
<p>From the UNC official web site:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.unc.edu/ugradbulletin/appendix.html#residence[/url]”>http://www.unc.edu/ugradbulletin/appendix.html#residence</a></p>
<p>So claim the child this year, OP, if you do not already</p>
<p>How can I claim my kids? If my wife and I file tax as joint account, how can I claim my kids as NC residents? Do I have to file tax separately? Really got confused. Thanks.</p>
<p>Newtarheellover
Did you ever get any resolution on the issue. I got a job in NC summer of 2011. I have done everything to move to NC. Filed taxes individually, lease, now buying a home, tags, lic everything is NC.</p>
<p>My son is in TX. I did not move him as it would have ruined his sports and friends and academics etc. Can he apply as a NC State resident?</p>
<p>Does anyone know an attorney near NC-CH or elsewhere that has experience in these issues.</p>
<p>Would appreciate some advise.</p>
<p>p321…you do NOT need an attorney and one will likely not help. You need to talk to the folks in admissions in NC at the school your child plans to attend. They will know the RULES for establishing instate residency with YOU being an instate resident. </p>
<p>Read post 16 again…it seems that if YOU the parent have established residency, your kid has it too…but I would definitely check this with the university.</p>
<p>Also…is your son going to be a college freshman in Fall 2012? Did he apply and get accepted as an out of state student or did you clarify this BEFORE he made his college choice. OR are you planning ahead for fall 2013?</p>