I’m an independent McKinney Vento (homeless student) US citizen that had lived in South America for 16 years. I moved to Texas in October 2021 and I have been living, attending high school, paying taxes since then (1 year 5 months). Texas A&M has labeled me as out of state because I’m unable to show my rent nor 12 consecutive months of not out of the counter work. But obviously I’m unable to prove this because of my homelessness.
I will really appreciate any advice on what to do next.
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Where did you stay ? Can your school counselor help you ? They must be able to ori use some background etc.
Hiw will you pay for A&M?
I stayed with friends, no my school counselor doesn’t know what to do. I only have my McKinney Vento Liaison paper. I have saved some money and plan to work this summer and during school too. I also got all the FASFA money and a 4000 grant but I think I need a 5000 grant to qualify for in state waiver (but I should be looked as out of state).
TAMU is my dream school but RIT is offering 70000+ per year, Texas Tech 36000+, LeTourneau University 42000+, University of Houston 28000+
There is no dream. There are bad profs,
Bad roomies, etc.
The dream is one you can afford.
There must be someone at A&M who can help you navigate this. Someone in their residency group. I mean you have an instate transcript.
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Exactly, and for example I talked with UNT and they changed it to in state. But tamu is asking for proof of gainful employment for 12 consecutive months
You said rent.
Are you in high school etc ?
Something seems off. You need to speak with a residency specialist.
Worst case choose a school you can afford. But something is off.
Are you saying that you have essentially a full ride package from RIT? If so, that’s an amazing opportunity! TAMU is an excellent school, but so is RIT.
What major(s) have you been accepted to?
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Texas A&M engineering at Blinn (hopping to get into Industrial engineering) and on RIT industrial engineering and offered combined accelerated pathway
Apparent cost comparison in this post in the other (closed) thread:
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Your high school transcript should be enough for TAMU, I’d think. You’ve been at the same high school since 2021?
Yes I have been attending the same high school and I’m also a full IB student
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Have you contacted the residency team at TAMU and explained that you are homeless. Unfortunately, they have likely seen this situation before. https://registrar.tamu.edu/Catalogs,-Policies-Procedures/State-Policies/Residency-for-In-State-Tuition/Residency-Contact-Information
I would call and ask to speak to someone who can explain next steps.
OP- find the closest law school to you, look up “clinics”. These are legal offices staffed by law students, supervised by professors and experienced lawyers, and they either charge on a sliding scale (what you can afford) or will help you free of charge.
An experienced lawyer who has dealt with McKinnney Vento will know which form/piece of paper or affidavit you need. An affidavit will be a statement by an adult who knows you (a teacher, your principal, guidance counselor) who will verify that what you are telling them is truthful and accurate. A lawyer at a law clinic can help prepare this statement for you and get the right signature.
Good luck!!!
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Contact the people at the link below and see if they can help. I think this org primarily helps k-12 students, but they should be able to direct you to the resources you need (if they aren’t it). Scroll down to see the contact info of the Mckinney Vento liaisons.
Your HS GC is likely a member of TACAC, they should contact this org to see what he/she can do to help you. Your HS GC SHOULD be helping figure this out, it is not ok for them to say they don’t know. https://tacac.memberclicks.net/
This is the contact info for TAMU residency questions:
For questions about residency for tuition purposes, please contact:
The Office of the Registrar State Policies team
residency@tamu.edu
(979) 845-1085
Are you considering the RIT offer? I am not going to say you should, because I don’t know your whole situation, but clearly that school wants you and supports you. And it is a very good college, from where you can achieve all your goals.
Good luck and keep us updated.
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OP, I would urge you to consider the RIT offer very seriously.
Even if you can get TAMU to reclassify you as a TX resident, the difference in tuition would bring the net cost down to equal with RIT at best… and that’s if the grant amount stays the same, which isn’t a foregone conclusion.
And, at RIT you have direct-admit to your desired major. As a student on the Blinn alternative pathway, you have to earn a 3.75 GPA to be guaranteed your first choice major. That’s a very high threshold for challenging first-year engineering classes. The early acceptance to RIT’s accelerated BS/MS is a very nice option to have as well - you could get grad coursework under you belt while still covered by your undergrad financial aid package.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t pursue the residency issue with TAMU; it’s definitely worth looking into. But even if you can get reclassified, RIT may still be the better option - I hope you look closely at what RIT is offering, and weigh the pros and cons carefully.
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I agree, “virtually free” RIT would allow you a great debt-free fresh start in life. Hard to pass up.
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Thank you so much I truly appreciate your advice 
Thank you so much I will try to do this. I will keep you all updated.
I really appreciate all the support
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Yes you are right. I will look into it, one thing I know is that in general the cost of living in Texas is a lot less than in New York.