<p>You need to sit and talk to the folks at UT and find out how feasible your plan is. You don’t want to get stuck there only to find that they will not let you become in state and that there are few, if any monies for any student other than incoming freshman and returning recipients.</p>
<p>My son as a junior got some departmental funds for outstanding and extra work in his major, but the amount was not that big, and there are only a few of such awards given. Nothing to really count on; just a bonus to work towards.</p>
<p>I looked over the requirements to establish residency and have talked to several people who have gone this route successfully and it certainly can be done. </p>
<p>Anyway, why are there no scholarships for people other than incoming freshman? Thats kinda lame.</p>
<p>Since only freshman fall admission statistics count for most of the college ranking systems, many colleges/ and universities focus their scholarships to attract incoming fall freshman whose test scores and GPAs will help lift the institution in the rankings. Most scholarships can be renewed for all four years, so it is a good deal for those kids that the college/university wants. Unfortunately for everyone else, it means that if you didn’t get much money your first year, you probably won’t get much in future years.</p>
<p>Once you start at a school, it is a major event to transfer, and you can lose whatever fin aid you have as a freshman. So you are kinda stuck. Also if your grades are not great, you are kinda stuck if you want to transfer to a selective school. So the bait is on the freshman hook. You upperclassmen are just extras to fill in those who did up and leave. </p>
<p>I would not depend on stories others are telling. They are not always reliable. My friend was assured up, down and all around, how her son could get in state tuition living with her sister in another state. Nope. Had to swallow the big amount for OOS. Maybe there are kids who are able to slip through the system but he did not. Admissions pounced on him and billed him for OOS and that was the end of that. He transferred to his own state school the next year.</p>
<p>Now if your parents are moving into the state, that is a reason that usually gives you in state status . Do check carefully and do not take any chances. With all of the hoopla about illegal immigrants getting in state college rates, some states, and Texas looks like a prime candidate, are really getting out the magnifying glass to catch all OOSers.</p>
<p>Oh I’m not talking about scholarships from the college, I’m talking about outside scholarships from companies, organizations, etc I’ve seen some of those flying around and they seem like a good place to try to get some money (fastweb.com, *****.com, etc). </p>
<p>Anyway, about the whole residency thing, our family talked it over with both our personal CPA and the school’s admissions office and it looks like I’m set for next year and I shouldn’t have any issues. We set up a plan of action so that our residency application will be very strong and they will find few reasons to deny it. (a few loopholes were utilized)</p>
<p>Nope,not many out there from what I could see. But you can always look. Also look at opportunities at the college on the departmental level. Sometimes there are grants out there. Make it a regular pilgramage to go to financial aid and check out what is there that might benefit you. The fin aid director should know you and you should meet with him regularly so that it makes it more difficult to turn you down,and so that you come right to mind if any goodies show up.,</p>
<p>Interestingly enough, I am in the same position as you also. UT is horribly stingy with money. My freshman year I got a $500 scholarship from some random UT scholarship that I am pretty sure I never applied for. Needless to say it was virtually useless. I am instate tuition, and my entire financial aid package consists of a unsubsidized Stafford loan. I applied for financial aid and UT’s scholarships. I didn’t get any scholarships since 99.9% of them are also need-based, of which my EFC claims I am not (even though I am).</p>
<p>One thing that will improve next year, is that your individual school (McCombs/Business, Engineering, Natural Sciences, etc) will possibly give you a scholarship. Some are fully merit based, and sometimes your department (e.g. accounting department in McCombs) will also give scholarships to the top % of students based on GPA and course difficulty. I’m still waiting to hear back from McCombs (I’ll know in mid august) to see if I got anything from my freshman year. At this point even that $500 would look pretty good.</p>
<p>I have been looking for external sources of money, but I haven’t come up with much. My 529 account will run dry after this year after paying the remaining tuition not covered by the loan and then the housing bill. Most scholarships either require you to demonstrate financial need, or else the odds of winning even $1000 are at least a million to one.</p>
<p>Ahh ok thanks for that info whytwokay! In my case, I am entering as an undecided into UGS but next year I’m looking to transfer into something like Computer Science or Computer Engineering. When I transfer in, does the specific school (for example Cockrell) evaluate my need/merit or award me qualifying grants or is that up to the financial department?</p>
<p>Also I think I have made a plan of action and if anyone can comment on it, it would be appreciated:</p>
<p>Ok basically for the first year, everything is going to cost me 46k and I have received no significant aid (well a 1k grant i suppose, but thats pennies relative to 46k). I have taken this amount out in loans.</p>
<p>For the next 3 years, I will be classified as an in-state resident so I would pay lower rates for everything. This means tuition for the entire year is only 10k while the room and board is another 10k.</p>
<p>However, my awesome uncle is more than happy to let me stay in his quite large house for as long as I need free of charge and its only 15mins away from campus. This would effectively cut out the room and board entirely. I plan to take advantage of this and thus for the last 3 years of college, the cost will only be 10k a year (total 30k). </p>
<p>My mom and dad are both more than happy to help pay for college so if my dad pays half of the cost, I could be responsible for the other half (he had offered to pay my way through VA tech which, after 8k scholarship was only 8k a year). </p>
<p>A 40k burden on an engineering major with a 50-60k starting salary and being single wouldn’t be that much of a burden now would it?</p>
<p>Also, I kinda want to cut out the room&board for the first year too, but that would mean I wouldn’t ever get to experience the “full college experience” and I kinda want to have that as a freshman. Is this too selfish so should I go ahead and live at my uncle’s for this year too?</p>
<p>Are you ABSOLUTELY SURE you will receive in-state status after your freshman year? Has someone in the registrar’s office (or whichever office makes the final determination of residency) actually signed off on your plan? Otherwise, it sounds kind of risky to me.</p>
<p>Yes I’m really confident because I’m doing several things to build my case. I have also had talks with our personal CPA and the people at the admissions office. </p>
<p>1) texas bank account
2) texas drivers license
3) registering to vote in texas (first state that I will ever be registered in)
4) parents not claiming dependency
5) using uncle’s address for all correspondency
6) I’m listed as working for my dad’s company which is redirecting its pay so that its classified as operating out of texas (i will be paying my texas taxes on it, this year and every consecutive year).
7) I can also open a PO box if necessary</p>
<p>all of the things above build a REALLY strong case.</p>
<p>how can you deny someone who has all of the above and lots of documentation to back it up?</p>
<p>And this isn’t just an ulterior motive, I really do want to live and work in Austin after I graduate. Thats why I even chose to come to this university. I’m not just going to randomly come down to texas for college if I don’t want to live here…</p>
<p>I mean that my parents aren’t claiming me as a dependent when they file their taxes. I will have to file my own taxes to Texas. It is a Texas residency rule that if the parent is living in another state, they can’t claim me as a dependent for me to get my texas residency classification.</p>
<p>The financial aid that I received isn’t from the School, I got the aid from the government in the form of loans so I’m guessing that wouldn’t really matter. The loan is in my parent’s name.</p>
<p>Zoosermom, in CA one of the tests to determine residency is that your (out of state) parents cannot have claimed you as a dependent on their taxes for the two previous years. I expect it’s that kind of thing the OP is taking about. In CA there are quite a few other hurdles to get over, too, but that is one of them.</p>
<p>Yeah thats exactly what I’m talking about 'rentof2. </p>
<p>However, Texas residency laws are really lenient (one of the easiest to get residency in) and I don’t think that its as bad as California’s 2 years test. If i remember correctly, its only 1 year in Texas (which would be this year, in my case).</p>
<p>I agree that you should look to departmental scholarships in subsequent years. My daughter has found some success doing this. They’re competitive and go to top students, and they are not huge… but can be very helpful sums nonetheless.</p>
<p>Regardless of whether or not your parents actually claim you on their tax returns, will they not still be providing at least 50% of your support (including tuition) so that you are still ELIGIBLE to be claimed as a dependent? This is one of the “Residency Core Questions” you must answer to change your status from non-resident to resident:</p>
<p>Or are you going to claim a high enough salary through your father’s company that it will cover your living expenses? If so, there will almost certainly be some legal issues that will need to be addressed regarding your “in Texas” employment.</p>
<p>Thats a very good question worried_mom and I do have a plan for that as well. </p>
<p>I am currently underage (17) and as soon as I turn 18 this november, the tuition loan will be transferred to my name. Also this January, I will be independently filing my own taxes based on the paychecks that i receive from the company. </p>
<p>So no, they are not technically providing any support at all and thus I will be legally independent. </p>
<p>I think it might also help that we had lived in Texas previously for around 2 years when I was younger, although I don’t know if they take that into consideration.</p>