My parents are retiring this year and are considering moving to California beginning my first year of college (2017-2018). I am already looking at various private schools and state schools that are assured to be affordable, but I’m wondering what the process of establishing residency in California in order to obtain in-state tuition at a UC campus looks like - given my parents would be tagging along with me. I would attend a community college before transferring through a guaranteed transfer program or by other means, and I may live with my parents or with my brother and sister who already live there.
My primary questions are: how long it would take to establish residency, what would we have to do to accomplish this, what would the cost of 1-2 years at a community college and 2-3 years at a UC look like, and is there any additional information/advice you have to share? I mention 1-2 years at a community college because I will have taken 9 AP classes and am wondering if I could qualify as a sophomore during my first year, and 2-3 at a UC because I am wondering how the current impaction problem would affect me.
The costs would need to ultimately come out to be less than $30,000 a year, though if my AP credits would check out at a CCC, that number may be somewhat flexible.
Bottom line: You need to be in California for non-college purposes for a year before you start. Living with your brother & sister would mean nothing. If your parents retire to California, and you get a job … maybe. But the financial folks at UC will still be suspicious. And are your parents aware of the cost of living in California? There’s a reason why a lot of residents retire to other states.
Undergraduates: If you’re a nonresident undergraduate student with nonresident parents, obtaining California residency for the purposes of tuition is extremely difficult (this includes transfer students from community colleges and other postsecondary institutions within California). Virtually all nonresident undergraduates with nonresident parents remain nonresidents for the duration of their undergraduate career at UC.
Establishing physical presence and intent
To meet these requirements, you must be continuously physically present in California for more than one year (366 days) immediately prior to the residence determination date (generally the first day of classes) and intend to make California your home permanently. You can demonstrate your intention to stay in California by relinquishing legal ties to your former state and establishing legal ties to California.
Here are some ways you can establish intent:
Remain in California when school is not in session.
Register to vote and vote in California elections.
Designate your California address as permanent on all school and employment records, including current military records.
Obtain a California driver’s license within 10 days of settling in California. (If you’ve never had a driver’s license in any state, then obtain a California identification card.)
If you have a car, obtain a California motor vehicle registration within 20 days of settling in California.
Work in California and file California resident income tax forms from the date of entry into the state. Income earned outside of California after that date must also be declared in California.
Establish and maintain active bank accounts in California banks and close out-of-state accounts.
Surrender all out-of-state identification (including driver’s license).
Establish a permanent home where your belongings are kept.
Obtain a license for professional practice in California.
You’ll need to relinquish out-of-state ties and demonstrate intent while simultaneously meeting the physical presence requirement.
So if your parents move here and establish permanent California residency, you would probably pay OOS fees at a community college or UC for the first year. CCC costs can range from $17-22K/year for OOS fees and the OOS fees for a UC would be around $55K/year. You and your parents have to follow the steps outlined above to make sure you qualify after a year + 1 day (366 days).
If you attend a California CCC, then 6 of the 9 UC campuses offer TAG (Transfer Admission Guarantee) where as long as you maintain a specific GPA and complete the required classes, you are guaranteed admission.
Having your parents buy a home in California will negate that $55K per year and instate residency because they will be paying a LOT more in costs to buy a home, and pay our famous property taxes with horrendous Cost of Living increases.
So in the end, they will pay a crazy amount more for retiring here than your OOS fees. Those fees will seem like chump change.
Thanks everyone for your help, and that’s something to consider aunt bea. My parents will be made aware of what the costs really look like if they look into this further and can tell me what my options are realistically then.