I was accepted to UT Austin for CS out of state with only financial aid in loans. I wasn’t too thrilled about my other options, so I was considering taking a gap year to live and work in Austin in order to establish residency and lower the cost. I’ve emailed UT about deferring admission, but they won’t let me defer for a whole year. I’ve applied to the Communities in Schools of Central Texas Full-time Americorps program for next but haven’t been accepted yet. Does anyone else have any experience in taking a gap year and establishing residency in Texas. I know all of the qualifications and what I would need to do, just want to see if anyone else has gone through this. Thanks!
Have you asked Admissions about establishing Texas residency? I have no personal experience with this, but I’ve heard they are very helpful.
http://admissions.utexas.edu/residency#fndtn-residency-establishing-domicile-requirements
My son established residency back in 2011, but they’ve tightened the requirements since then. It’s not easy, but the UT office IS very helpful. I would recommend talking to them often! One tough requirement is that your parents can’t provide more than half of your support - is that your case?
Okay, so I was actually in the same spot as you last year. Basically what I did was spent a year in a Texas community college and worked a minimum of 20 hours each week. You will have to reapply, but in most cases, community college out of state here is the same as UT austin in state, so you’ll basically pay the same prices as if you went to UT 4 years. I was fortunate because I had family that let me live with them while I was doing this, but unless you plan to buy property or open a company, working in Texas for a year is the best bet. When I filled out my application this year though, there is a part under the residency section that asks about your circumstances. I listed that by the time the fall semester started, I would have worked and lived in TX for the 12 months required (this was in January) . Because I listed that on my app, the residency office (that reviews the apps before decisions are made) listed me as in-state even though I didn’t fill out paperwork of send in tax info. I was told that they use the honor system. Once the office lists you as a resident, you don’t have to do anything else. Sorry this is mouthful but I hope this helps.