Gaining California Residency Status?

<p>I was accepted to Berkeley this year and my entire family moved from Utah to California in May (not because of my acceptance). I'm currently 17 years old, and I plan to stay in California for a while after I graduate to work here and the like. I've traded out all of my Utah identification for California and I'd like to save on the out-of-state tuition since my EFC is 0 (hence the family moving for a job opening here). How difficult would it for me to become a California resident for tuition purposes? Any help will be nice, especially from someone who's done this before.</p>

<p>You will either need to defer admission and wait one full year for your parents to establish residency, or pay OOS tuition for one year and then petition for a change of residency status based on your parents’ domicile.</p>

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<p><a href=“http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/faq/residencefaq.htm#Anchor-What-47857[/url]”>http://www.registrar.ucla.edu/faq/residencefaq.htm#Anchor-What-47857&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>[Residency</a> for Tuition Purposes - Office Of The Registrar](<a href=“http://registrar.berkeley.edu/residency.html]Residency”>http://registrar.berkeley.edu/residency.html)</p>

<p>Hi, I also have a question about this. I am going to be paying OOS tuition this year, but if my parents transfer custody of me over to my Aunt, who is a California resident, can I just submit my SLR for the next school year with her as my “adoptive parent?” </p>

<p>Any help would be appreciated; thanks :)</p>

<p>^if you’re over 18 then you can declare yourself an independent</p>

<p>@Hellothere5: In that case you’d also have to be entirely self-sufficient right? So pay your own tuition, etc.</p>

<p>You can’t just “transfer custody” like that. Your aunt will not be your “adoptive parent” unless she literally legally adopts you through the courts. Just living with your aunt does not make her your legal custodian.</p>

<p>And no, you cannot “declare yourself independent” unless you can prove you are self-supporting and that there has been a complete severing of parental ties through neglect, abuse, abandonment, incarceration, etc.</p>

<p>But as a legal adult over 18 you wouldn’t need to prove neglect or abuse right? I get that you’d have to be self sufficient but by living away from your family for the year and (presumably) working you could probably become self sufficient after a year or two? Idk obviously I’m interjecting based on myself, my (in state) tuition and my family situation so I’m sure it’s different for everyone.</p>

<p>Under California law, until you are 24, you are considered to reside where your parents live, unless you can rebut that presumption by showing complete financial independence from your parents for two full years. That means in the two years prior to enrolling, you cannot be claimed as a dependent, you file your own taxes, document your means of support and residence, etc.</p>

<p>@polarscribe: Yes, I know, and my parents have already conferred with my aunt and her lawyer. I just don’t know want them to go through with the process if it wouldn’t help.</p>

<p>So does anyone know if it would work if a California resident was legally given custody of me?</p>