Establishing California Residency? Is it possible, special circumstances.

[jc09jr]

<p>I'm a student who is going to transfer to California, because I want to attend schools over there, but also because my parents are moving out of the country. The country is Mexico and they basically don't file taxes over there so a FAFSA is out from them. I was wondering since I'll be by myself with relatively 0 help from my parents can I lets say:</p>

<ol>
<li>Get a Driver's License </li>
<li>Register my car in California</li>
<li>Attend Community College for 2 years</li>
<li>Register to Vote in California</li>
</ol>

<p>I will be moving to California with my Aunt who will provide a place for me to live. Yes, I will be paying rent. My parents said that after this up coming year they will no longer claim me as a dependent, but this year 2009-2010 tax year they have to because I am still a minor. If I become financially independent which I will have as my parents will stop supporting me and I need an alternative to paying Out-of-State tuition which as you can see I will not be able to afford by myself. </p>

<p>BTW I do intent on staying in California, its been my dream to move over there. I'm not just doing this to get In-State tuition. I plan on going to UCI, UCLA, UCB, or UCSD and become a doctor.</p>

[Batllo]

<p>Will your job pay for all your expenses without assistance from your parents?
Your car insurance costs will be killer, IF any company will take you as an independent adult under 25 years old.
If you have proof of 40K in an account, then you can bypass CA liability insurance.
Until you establish residency, it’s OOS tuition no matter what your intentions are.
Keep all your records, checks showing you paid your Aunt rent. If one dollar comes from your parents then its tax fraud if you claim to be financially independent.
Lots of details you need to be aware of to establish residency in CA.</p>

[jc09jr]

<p>What the? You can’t even receive gifts from your parents or else it’s tax fraud? What if I pay for a room at my aunts which will be relatively cheap since of course she is family? My brother claims himself independent and files his own taxes and stuff but when he is in a huge dilemma, my parents step up and help him. Can that really be considered fraud? Also the insurance can be found relatively cheap in some areas. They have to accept people for insurance or else that’d be discrimination due to age. They have to offer me insurance not negate it just because I’m not 25 years of age. I’ll establish a bank account and yeah I’ll keep records of who I paid and what not. I can probably sustain myself with a part-time job if I live with my aunt. She said she would help me out with food. What is that illegal?</p>

<p>I do however remember reading that a gift of sorts from anyone can not be considered student income but not that if was fraud. I suppose the entire US is fraud. LOL</p>

[ucsd_ucla_dad]

<p>I see no reason why you can’t do 1-4 but I’m not sure of whether that will qualify you as in-state for college purposes. You probably need to go to the UC website linked below to be more clear and if nothing else, contact the admissions department at a couple of the colleges you’re interested in to get their advice. The different campuses may have different rules for residency (linked on the page I linked below).</p>

<p>Regarding car insurance - both of my Ds have car insurance on their own and both are under 25 with one being under 21. It wasn’t any problem at all - they were quite happy to take their money but it’s not cheap. </p>

<p>You say your parents are moving to Mexico. Are you American? It makes a difference if you’re here on certain types of visas.</p>

<p>[University</a> of California - Admissions](<a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/ca_residency.html]University”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/ca_residency.html)</p>

<p>Some key info from the above link -

Students holding nonimmigrant visas (F1, J1, etc.) may not establish California residency for purposes of fees.
…
an out-of-state student must have lived in California for more than one year preceding the residence determination date
…
Unmarried undergraduates from other states qualify as financially independent if they were not claimed by their parents or others as dependents for tax purposes for two preceding tax years and if their annual income is sufficient to meet their needs.

</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

[jc09jr]

<p>Yes, I am a US born Citizen. I’m currently 17 and I’m a college student at one of out local CC. I want to transfer to a CCC, and yes I will contact the CCC I will be attending and also the UC I would prefer to attend. WOW UCSD<em>UCLA</em>DAD, Thanks for sounding and giving a much nicer response. The previous answer was really pretty absurd and frankly rude.</p>

<p>The one thing I might have information for is the Self-sufficiency amount they require. If I can prove I was able to maintain myself with a job with the slight assistance of home due to my aunt but other then that my expenses were covered by myself, will that work?</p>

[Batllo]

<p>jc09jr- Didn’t mean to be rude or absurd but wanted you to be aware the complexities of declaring yourself financially independent from your parents. Car insurance and liability for adults under the age of 25, not included on a family plan, is expensive. You will be offered coverage but it will be very pricey.
You obviously don’t want anymore of my help so I’ll leave.</p>

[HImom]

<p>My S is getting auto insurance. He’s 21 & it will be just under $500 for 6 months; a friend’s S is about 18-19 & he is paying about $700 for 6 months. My friends kids are added to their policy & they’re paying over $1400-1600/child/year (their kids are 16-19).</p>

<p>I suggest also that you read the websites of the specific schools you’re interested in & speak with their admissions people if you have questions, as they are the ones who will make the decisions.</p>

[jc09jr]

<p>Well I guess a conversation can be taken out of proportion when done over the Computer, I believe that you weren’t trying to be rude or insulting and by all means all the help you can offer would be GREAT! and really appreciated. XP. Sorry for assuming things. Around how much would insurance be for a teenager on their own policy? Anyone have and Idea? Also how about if my aunt added me to her policy? Will that affect my dependency status?</p>

<p>Just saying, what if I happen to take money with me and it happens to be quite a bit of money to get me started? Will that seem suspicious? And BTW $500 for a 6 month period really doesn’t seem bad. My parents already have me on their policies and that’s what they pay for me. Well for my car at least.</p>

[hmom5]

<p>

If I can prove I was able to maintain myself with a job with the slight assistance of home due to my aunt but other then that my expenses were covered by myself, will that work?

</p>

<p>Even if it works, you could not be going to school in CA while you work to establish residency. </p>

<p>This has been discussed many times on this site, you can try searching for other threads. The bottom line is you are usually a resident of wherever your parents live until you’re 24.</p>

<p>There have been those who say it’s possible to establish residency in CA, but I think all agreed that you have to live in CA, work, fully support yourself and not attend school for at least a year before you even try. Then I believe your parents can not have claimed you for 2 years as a dependent. </p>

<p>Whether this works at all, I don’t know. CA is in crisis and the state schools seem to be looking for any way possible to shed students and get full paying OOSers. I can tell you it won’t be easy or half the world would be in CA.</p>

[jc09jr]

<p>What if my mother moves with me and we live with my aunt and my father leaves to Mexico? How does that work? Just because my father is in Mexico I will have to pay OOS? My mother will be in California with me. But come on, well you could be right. They are just doing this to weed out people. But. IDK I have to contact them. Maybe they will see the circumstances and decide differently. Also seriously I would have to cut school completely? What the, Im pretty sure I will be able to maintain myself on a part time job living with my aunt.</p>

[swimcatsmom]

<p>[Establishing</a> California Residence for Tuition Purposes, Office of the Registrar](<a href=“http://www.registrar.ucsb.edu/residenc.htm]Establishing”>404 - Page Not Found)</p>

<p>

Financial Independence: Students who will not reach age 24 by December 31 of the year in which classification as a resident is requested, and who are not dependent upon a natural or adoptive parent who satisfies University requirements as a resident for tuition purposes,will be required to satisfy the University’s self-sufficiency requirement in addition to the 366 day physical presence and intent requirements. It should be noted that this requirement makes it extremely difficult for most undergraduates who do not have a parent domiciled in California to qualify for classification as a resident at a University of California campus.

</p>

<p>

Financial Independence Summary
In order to be classified as a resident for tuition purposes, a student must satisfy the University’s financial independence requirement in addition to physical presence and intent.</p>

<p>A. A student is considered to be financially independent if he/she meets all of the following criteria:</p>

<pre><code>1. Is single;
AND
2. Was not claimed as a dependent for income tax purposes by his/her parents (1) or any other individual for the two tax years immediately preceding the term for which classification as a resident is requested;
AND
3. **Has been self-sufficient for two years **(2). Self-sufficiency is defined as the ability to support oneself financially without the help of others. When determining self-sufficiency, money earned by the student through his/her own employment, financial aid and other loans (3) obtained on his/her own credit, without a co-signer, will be considered acceptable student income. Loans or gifts from relatives, associates, or friends, regardless of the terms, are considered financial assistance and cannot be included as student income when determining self-sufficiency; non-institutional loans or gifts made at or near (4) the time the student is enrolled in an institution will also be considered financial assistance. Funds that are given to the student by a relative, associate, or friend, through a college fund, savings, trust, or other financial vehicle, will not be considered an acceptable form of student income if the funds were established after the student’s 14th birthday (5). “Bartering” for free room and board, or other services or necessities is considered financial assistance. A student who receives free room and board from a relative, associate, or friend is not deemed totally self-sufficient.

</code></pre>

<p>It is quite difficult to prove the self sufficiency element. You must be able to prove that you have a certain amount of income of your own - this can not include any gifts or loans from family or friends - to be really considered self sufficient. It is unlikely a part time job and living with your aunt would enable you to qualify as you would not have a high enough income to prove you are self sufficient, and the living with your aunt would also make you not self sufficient. </p>

<p>Yes their purpose is to make it difficult. This is because the instate tuition is primarily for students whose parents have lived in the State and paid taxes in that state. It is those taxes that subsidize the instate tuition so naturally they are not going to make it easier for others to gain it. And I am sure their current economic crisis will not make them ease up on this.</p>

[jc09jr]

<p>Hmmm to conserve money I could just ride the metro to college, I assume it isn’t that far from where my aunt lives. and with Californian traffic the way it is. it might be Better. There are thousands of people who get by off of minimum wage and are able to maintain themselves.</p>

<ol>
<li>Yes they do plan to stop claiming me on their income tax. I will not apply for residency until 2 years after they do.</li>
<li>I will work part-time to full time and attend community college.</li>
</ol>

<p>If I receive loans and what not then I’m automatically out? or How does that work? IDK Im confused with that section were it states the students income.</p>

<p>If I live with my aunt, will that not count?</p>

[hmom5]

<p>If your mother went, it would still take a year for her to become a resident and you would have to pay OOS tuition for that year. Other than that, it would work.</p>

[jc09jr]

<p>Even if she doesn’t work? Is she still eligible to become a resident? And living with my aunt?</p>

[hmom5]

<p>Sure, but she would have to take all the proper steps. Register her car there, get a CA driver’s licence, get some utilities put in her name, receive mail, register to vote…</p>

[jc09jr]

<p>Well that sounds kool. I have to talk to my parents and see what they think.</p>

<p>I do have a question though. If my parents filled me on their 2010 income tax for the 2009 year and not again the years after that, does that mean the 2 years of un-filed income would be after the 2009 year until 2011? and could I use the 2009 taxes to file a complete a FAFSA and get FinAID for the 2010-2011 school year?</p>

[happymomof1]

<p>Taxes are one thing, the FAFSA is another.</p>

<p>If your parents are US citizens or hold Permanent Resident status, they are obliged to file tax returns every single year no matter where they are living in the world. Read all about this at FAQs for Foreign Income at <a href=“http://www.irs.gov/faqs/faq13-3.html[/url]”>http://www.irs.gov/faqs/faq13-3.html&lt;/a&gt; Given the income range you describe, chances are that they won’t owe the US government any taxes. Just exactly how not owing taxes in the US could affect your FAFSA, I don’t know. You’d have to run the numbers with one of the calculators. Try the one at [College</a> Calculators - savings calculators - college costs, loans](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>How Much Will College Cost – BigFuture | College Board)</p>

<p>It looks like your best bet is to move to California with at least one of your parents, so that parent can establish in-state residence for you. Other than that, you might just want to consider staying put and finishing your education where you currently live.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

[ucsd_ucla_dad]

<p>The rules are somewhat different for a minor versus an adult. Here are a couple more pertinent points (from UCB’s website) - </p>

<p>

If you are an unmarried minor (under age 18), the residence of the parent with whom you live is considered your residence. If you have a parent living, you cannot change your residence by your own act, by the appointment of a legal guardian, or by the relinquishment of a parent’s right of control. If you live with neither parent, your residence is that of the parent with whom you last lived. Unless you are a minor alien present in the U.S. under the terms of a nonimmigrant status which precludes you from establishing domicile in the U.S., you may establish your own residence when both your parents are deceased and a legal guardian has not been appointed. If you derive California residence from a parent, that residence must satisfy the one-year durational requirement.
…
Parent of Minor Moves from California - If you are a minor U.S. citizen or eligible alien whose parent was a resident of California but who left the state within one year of the residence determination date, you are entitled to resident classification if you remain in California after your parent departs, enroll in a California public postsecondary institution within one year of your parent’s departure, and, once enrolled, attend continuously until you turn 18.
…
Two-Year Care and Control - If you are a U.S. citizen or eligible alien and you lived continuously for at least two years before the residence determination date with an adult who was not your parent but was responsible for your care and control, and who, during the one year immediately preceding the residence determination date was a resident of California, you are entitled to resident status. This exception continues until you become 18 and have resided in the state long enough to become a resident, as long as you continuously attend an educational institution.

[Legal</a> Residence Information - Office Of The Registrar](<a href=“http://registrar.berkeley.edu/Default.aspx?PageID=legalinfo.html]Legal”>http://registrar.berkeley.edu/Default.aspx?PageID=legalinfo.html)</p>

[Singersmom07]

<p>S2 had to wait out a year in CO to establish his in-state residency. He had not been on our taxes for several years but he had to wait until he was 24 and had lived there for a year before he qualified in-state and could get financial aid. Are you ready to move and work until the time periods are met? If your Mom moves without your Dad and takes all the steps for residency, you will have to have that discussed specifically with the financial aid offices. It still would take a year to get residency, if that is allowed.</p>

[jc09jr]

<p>So I basically have to wait until I turn 24 to become a legal resident? That’s kind-of unfair. If my parents move out of the country I will basically become an out of state resident here where I live because financial custody will transfer with my parents. This is really turning out to be a disaster.</p>