I wouldn’t joke about moving to state for education purposes.
A temporary job doesn’t prove my intention to move permanently here. Other factors will prove my intention to move permanently here.
No WI driver’s license? Do you have a passport? If you intend to vote in WIsconsin, they just started enforcing voter ID in the last election. If you don’t have a passport, you need to get a state ID. They are issued by WI DOT and are free so long as you check the box that you need the ID to vote. Presidential primaries and judicial electiona are 4/5, so not much time left. IDs are mailed, but you can use the receipt you get at time of application if your ID doesn’t arrive by election day.
We are WI residents with a S at UW. We will likely be moving out of state soon, and were thinking about the move already S’s senior HS year. At that time I contacted the UW registrar to ask about maintaining his residency status. Our situation is different from yours since S graduated from WI HS and we have been residents for some years. But I wanted to say that the registrar was extremely helpful in explaining how they interpret and apply the statutes in making a determination. The financial independence is in the statutes, but for our case at least we were assured that would not be scrutinized and instead the important things would be his staying in WI during summers and other markers of residency such as driver’s license, some kind of part-time employment, etc.
It seems to me that the factor on which the determination could hinge is whether or not your Americorp assignment is considered by the registrar to be full time employment. If so, then you should be fine as you fit within the statutes for that, not applying to the school prior to your assignment here in WI, and so forth. Have you asked the registrar about this? Of course you might get residency anyway based on other evidence of being a ‘bona fide resident’, but the job would be the most straightforward way to establish it, using the other evidence as corroborating and not primary.
You see from the statutes that obtaining WI driver license is one of the ways to establish intent to establish a permanent home. Getting a state ID card is equivalent, and then you can vote too.
Thanks for the information @celesteroberts .
I thought I wouldn’t be able to get a WI Drivers License with my FL permit but I just looked into it again because of you and it seems like I will be able to get a WI license!
I think I job will establish my intent to come here, for my position and not for education, but my actions while I am here will demonstrate my intent to make Wisconsin my permanent home.
- I'd have lived here 12 months by the start of School.
- On Wisconsin BagderCare and FoodShare
- Filing independent on taxes
- I'm getting a WI driver's license on Friday
- I established my GP relation here
- I am registered to vote in Wisconsin
- I have a UW Credit Union Credit card only in my name
- Wisconsin bank accounts
- The electric bill is in my name for my apartment.
- A library card here
- I plan to volunteer at least once a month and will get letters of my involvement here.
I can’t see why a residency advisor wouldn’t call me a Wisconsin resident by August.
I really want others’ experiences with this and the problems/dilemmas that that they encountered.
Some of the items you list will not be qualifying events for residency purposes- such as credit cards, bank accounts and volunteering. It sounds like you landed in Wisconsin for your job, like the state and want to stay, especially since we have a great flagship U. Finances for affording UW could be an issue as you need to maintain your self supporting status, including mandatory health insurance. There was a thread regarding health insurance eligibility for students some time ago. Be sure you check on your eligibility for your current policy once you are no longer working for the same place and become a student. Likewise you need to be sure you are not getting other “welfare” types of help you may no longer be eligible for. You need to consider that if you can afford college you can afford to not be a financial drain on charities and government programs for the poor. Budget for everything.
Actually the stautes list ‘involvement in community activities’ as establishing intent. See 36.27(2) (e) in
https://registrar.wisc.edu/wisconsin_statute.htm
So volunteering may well count for something.
Also, it says ‘including, but not limited to’, so who knows what else might help?
Once more…with vigor.
You might …MIGHT get instate residency for tuition purposes…which will make your cost of attending Wisconsin about $25,000 a year.
I do NOT think you will get independent status for financial aid purposes (we know other Americorps kids who tried this…and it did NOT fly).
Is your current EFC including your parent info? If not…what dependency question did you answer YES to on the FAFSA to skip their info? You are not 24. You are not married. You do not have a dependent child. You have not been a ward of the state or in foster care. You are not a military veteran.
Therefore…your parent info would have been REQUIRED on the FAFSA.
But let’s play along. Suppose you did get a $4000 Pell and the $5500 Direct Loan. How will you pay the additional $15,000 per year for Wisconsin? How?
The school is not likely to give you any grant money.
I think you misunderstand @thumper1 .(Or maybe I missed something)
I am dependent for FAFSA purposes.- I am required to put my parent’s information, which I did.
I am independent for Federal Tax Return purposes.- This means I provide myself with my own support.
Being dependent for FAFSA purposes does not affect me being/becoming a Wisconsin resident. I imagine that you can think of scenarios of why this makes sense.
My EFC is 1794. THe Financial Aid Calculator for Madison estimated that I should get about 9k in grants.