I currently go to college in the US as an international student with an F1 visa. I have been here just under a year and was wondering if anyone in the same situation has applied for an I-485 and got accepted and is now a resident of the state your studying in? Are you able to continue studying within the US and able to pay in-state tuition?
The instate tuition is up to the state, not the federal immigration status.
The rules for in-state tuition classification is largely up to the states, though all states seem to use immigration status in making that determination.
F-1 status precludes in-state tuition eligibility based on residency in all states as far as I am aware. That would no longer be an obstacle for you after a successful adjustment of status. However, there may be other rules preventing you from qualifying for in-state tuition status, such as:
- A rule that says that students who are initially classified as out-of-state students remain out-of-state students while they are continuously enrolled.
- A rule that says that dependent students are presumed to have the same domicile as the parent who provides the most financial support, if that parent of yours lives in a different state or a different country.
- A rule that says that students who moved to the state primarily for the purpose of education do not qualify for in-state tuition, if you enrolled at a public university shortly after you arrived in the state.
You’ll likely get the best answer from whichever office is responsible for residency classifications at your university. If you don’t like their answer, feel free to share the state and the name of your university for a second opinion. (The name of the university is important because rules can vary between universities in the same state. For example, CA has different residency rules for community colleges than 4-year universities.)