<p>My daughter knows that she want to go to CU-Boulder but we are out-of-state and really need to rely on financial aid. Should we wait for the package before she puts a deposit down or go ahead and commit?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Wait to make sure you can afford it</p>
<p>check on the dorm situation -- I am not sure, but I think that the best housing at CU-Boulder goes fast, so you might want to see if you can put a housing deposit down. Even if it isn't refundable, it might not be that much and you might be willing to lose it.</p>
<p>Just a head's up from a Colorado parent -- the FA at CU-Boulder isn't good, even for in-state students. Don't expect a fantastic package -- lots of loans are the standard, plus they do gap out-of-state students.</p>
<p>Thanks for the information about the dorms, I guess we will have to sit down this weekend and make a final decision. Out of state tuition is kind of like buying a nice car for cash!!!!! </p>
<p>We have family in Longmont and Denver. I think since financial aid packages aren't going to be that helpful, we will start looking into having her stay with her sister in Longmont to start to establish residency for the year after. </p>
<p>Again, thanks for the heads up on dorms and FA...you lit a fire under us.</p>
<p>I don't think it will work to establish residency by having her stay at her sister's -- they are very picky about establishing residency here! I had a heck of a time -- and I am an adult. I lived here for 1 1/2 years, attended the local community college as an in-state student, had driver's license, etc -- and I was still label out-of-state for the first semester. It took weeks to appeal.</p>
<p>My understanding is that a student that is dependent as far as FAFSA goes, has the same residency as their parents -- so unless you move, wherever you live is her state of residence. I do know that if you move to Colorado in order to attend school, you cannot establish residency while you are in school. You would have to live here for over a year without attending school (this is what tripped me up -- they claimed that I moved to Colorado in order to attend college. Ridiculous, since it involved moving from Kentucky, relocating my husband and two kids -- all so I could take two classes at the local commuter college?)</p>
<p>Anyway -- it is best to understand how the system works going into it. What usually gets kids tripped up is there high school diploma -- if you don't graduate from a high school in colorado, you are automatically an out of state student and have to appeal. </p>
<p>"UNEMANCIPATED MINORS
If you are less than 22 years old and depend on your parents for financial support, you are an unemancipated minor.</p>
<p>Unemancipated minors must qualify for in-state tuition through their parents or court-appointed legal guardians. </p>
<p>As an unemancipated minor, you qualify for in-state tuition if either of your parents, regardless of custody, has been domiciled in Colorado for the one year prior to the first day of class, even if you reside elsewhere. The parent-child or guardian-child relationship must also have been in effect for one year."</p>
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<blockquote> <p>I think since financial aid packages aren't going to be that helpful, we will start looking into having her stay with her sister in Longmont to start to establish residency for the year after. >></p> </blockquote>
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<p>Before you do this, you need to check CO's policy's on establishing instate residency for tuition purposes. In MOST states, you cannot do this WHILE you are attending college. In MOST states, the student's state of residency is the place where the parents reside. And in many cases (check CO's policy), if you are OOS as a freshman, the only way you can gain instate tuition is for your family to MOVE to that state. It is not enough for the student to live there. Otherwise every family having a student attending an OOS school would simply set up an apartment and that would be it. The reality is that you (the parents) are not paying taxes to support the CO higher education system. It is NOT easy to change residency for gaining instate tuition...nor do I think it should be.</p>
<p>I agree that the out of state residency should be strict. </p>
<p>My husband and I are planning to move to CO in October of 2009. We had not anticipated daughter falling in love with CU and have been paying for Florida prepaid college for years (thought everything was going to be pretty affordable)</p>
<p>I think the best thing I can do is gamble the money on the deposit for admission and dorm and spend the time in between looking at residency. </p>
<p>We were planning on buying a townhouse in CO before she decided to look at CU and fell in love with the theatre program. Now we are in a position where we can either send her to CU for her 1st year or buy a townhouse but not both! With my husband having 5 grandchildren out in Colorado we really want to move as soon as he retires.</p>
<p>You all have been a great help. Thanks.</p>
<p>If you have definite plans to move to Colorado, give the school a call and discuss the situation with them. The worst that could happen is that they say, Sorry. But they may be willing to work with you, since it's not just the student moving.</p>
<p>It sounds like you might be able to make the residency thing work if you are planning on moving (changing your residency automatically changes hers). The timing is going to be the issue -- I suggest you read over the residency rules very carefully, then contact the admissions office with any questions. Then -- do a follow-up in writing to clarify everything (that was you have something in writing if it comes to an appeal). ask about your plans to retire, sister in area, etc -- who knows, they may have some type of exception.</p>
<p>Also make sure she pursues any scholarship possibilities -- they have a bunch of little ones that can add up and they also usually have a few for out-of-state kids with good stats.</p>
<p>CU Boulder is a great school!! Just very expensive for out-of-state students.</p>
<p>I agree -- If you are 75% sure she will go to CU, it is worth the gamble to put down a housing deposit.</p>
<p>Thank you all so much for the information and insights into the out-of-state/residency issue. </p>
<p>I will contact the school with the specific situation and see where things fall.</p>