If my sons (twins) got accepted an out of state school, would we gain in-state classification from year 2 after 12 months, if we (Parents) move to that state? I work from home and as long as I am inside the US the company doesn’t have an issue. Planning on buy/rent a home and change all documents Driving License, Voter registration, Pay stubs etc. etc. Only thing is we won’t be selling the house in the current state.
Or is that a risk? The reason is that in UF (First choice) OO Tuition is ~$36K and Instate is ~6K. We have 2 children. Difference will add up to a lot (2 children * $30K difference * 3 years = $180K). Other states will be similar if not that much. (NC: $150K, IL 120K, TX = $150K)
You need to move BEFORE they register at a university or they’ll be classified as “moving for educational purpose”. So, if they’re admitted to, say, UF in December, you need to be ready to move right away/ ASAP to establish family residency for them before they accept their admission.
@Mom22039 Yes, GA house will be an asset and that is not that important if we need to get rid of it as our long term goal is to move to FL anyway.
@MYOS1634 : Is that before they register for classes OR before they accept admission? There can be as long as 7 months between those two events. I understand that I have to be there for 12 months before we are even considered.
What If I let company officially transfer us there ? Would that help no classifying as moving for tuition purpose? Our intention is genuine to move to FL and stay in FL even after their graduation.
The Florida form is pretty straight forward. It asks what date you received a driver’s license, rental contract, utitilities, etc. I would plan to move in June/July after graduation (most Florida schools start in early Aug) and keep very good records of the dates you change things over.
yes, if the company officially transfers you to Florida and you can produce a Florida address that would help.
However I’m not sure whether it should be for the moment they deposit, enroll, or register for classes, since you’re right there can be quite a few months between each of these dates. @Gator88NE@SouthFloridaMom9 ?
You need to read the residency requirements for the colleges VERY carefully.
At some schools, if your kid matriculated as a non-resident...that is their residency status until they graduate.
At MOST schools, there is a requirement that you establish residency for a certain period BEFORE the child starts college. Usually this is a year prior...but some places, it’s two years.
3.some states will ask that younsever ties with your previous state. Not sure how they would view keeping a home in the old while renting in the new. That might not be viewed as “intent to reside in the new state”.
There is no question you will need to show that your move is NOT for tuition purposes only...which might prove difficult for you...since in your post here..THE reason you want to do this is because it will lower your tuition costs.
Even IF you move to FL, just keep in mind that your kids will not be eligible for FL based aid like Bright Futures.
MOST IMPORTANT it sounds like you don’t plan to make this move until AFTER you see if your kids get accepted to these OOS schools. That being the case, you will need to petition for a change in residency status...as your kids will have been accepted as OOS students.
Your best bet would have been to move to the new state prior to the start of your twins senior year in HS...but it’s too late for that. That way, they would have graduated from a FL high school. Right now...that’s not the case...and it will be a huge uphill ticker to gain instate residency when your kids graduated from a HS in another state.
My opinion…it’s a risk.
Just have to ask…are your kids eligible for Hope in GA? If so…what’s wrong with the Georgia colleges.
Some states will not change residency for tuition purposes if the student starts as an OOS student, especially if the parents still own property in the home state. Some will insist seeing that all ties have been cut from previous state.
In-state status is only for those residents who reside in the state permanently with established legal domicile in Florida. Permanent Florida residency is demonstrated by the absence of ties to any other state and establishment of a bona fide domicile in Florida.
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Living in or attending school in Florida will not, in itself, establish legal residence. The 12 month qualifying period must be for the purpose of maintaining a bona fide domicile rather than for the purpose of maintaining a mere temporary residence or abode incident to enrollment.
Thank you - This is what I understood from the discussion (Thank you so much for taking time):
A student can be re-classified after Parents move and reside 12 months with the genuine intent to stay.
To prove intent, severe all ties with other state and move permanently.
There is still some risk.
** Unknown whether the patent has to move before acceptance by the student, or before depositing fee or before the actual start of classes. **
References I found on FL state law:
A student who is classified as out-of-state and wants to request “reclassification” to in-state status must complete a Residency Declaration at the Florida public IHE and submit to the appropriate office for consideration prior to the term for which reclassification is sought.
(6)(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a person who is classified as a nonresident for tuition purposes may become eligible for reclassification as a resident for tuition purposes if that person or, if that person is a dependent child, his or her parent presents clear and convincing documentation that supports permanent legal residency in this state for at least 12 consecutive months rather than temporary residency for the purpose of pursuing an education, such as documentation of full-time permanent employment for the prior 12 months or the purchase of a home in this state and residence therein for the prior 12 months while not enrolled in an institution of higher education.
(c) If a person who is a dependent child and his or her parent move to this state after such child graduates from high school, the child may become eligible for reclassification as a resident for tuition purposes after the parent submits evidence that he or she has established legal residence in the state and has maintained legal residence in the state for at least 12 consecutive months.
The key word in the above citation is “MAY”. The student may be reclassified. Not WILL.
In other words…it is NOT a guarantee.
Schools see this all the time…ALL the time. Your documentation will need to be VERY solid to show your intent isn’t for tuition purposes or educational purposes…at…all.
Keeping your primary residence and renting in Florida could be your Waterloo. That doesn’t exactly show intent to stay in Florida.
Have them apply to University of Missouri in Columbia. They allow OOS students to switch to in-state status beginning sophomore year if they stay in Columbia over the summer between freshman and sophomore year. Otherwise, you best bet is the state colleges and universities in Georgia.
@thumper1 - My kids will be eligible for Zen Miller Scholarship and am sure at least one will get into GaTech and other to UGA, unfortunately, our health is one of the reasons. GA has been cold lately and causing issues for me we are staying put not to disrupt their high-school education.
I did find out that once they start college in GA as in-state residents they can stay instate as long as there is no break in education. That’s an option as well, for us to move to FL after they start college in GA.
When my son applied to UF (and other Florida institutions IIRC) there was a fairly extensive page where I (as parent) had to fill out car registration info (like when was your car first registered), Voter ID #, and other info to verify residency (we have lived in Florida since 2001).
As I understand it (and I don’t have direct experience so take this with a grain of salt) - it is possible to establish Florida residency for in-state tuition purposes even if the student did not attend high school in Florida. Most of the time it will involve a parental move to Florida and will take time to establish (there are a couple of exceptions). I.e., it is not virtually impossible to achieve in-state tuition in Florida for recent OOS’ers like it is in some states.
Also as mentioned above, the student would not be eligible for Bright Futures. That being said, in-state tuition at UF is a great value imho, even at full price.
Personally I would not want to give up the Hope Scholarship or Zell Miller or GA Tech in-state (and I am a big fan of Florida and UF!).
Since they are twins, if Georgia schools are off the table for sure by May, how about you all move to Florida, and the twins take a gap year? You can finance it with the $26,000 a year savings x 2 = $52,000 and still have some money leftover for your retirement. ($32,000 tuition OOS versus $6,000 tuition instate).
But I agree, the Florida schools are not better than the Georgia choices, to justify giving up free tuition with Zell Miller.
we are staying put not to disrupt their high-school education.