<p>Okay guys, here's my story i'm an African American male attending community college for mechanical engineerng in NC and I want to attend U.C. Berkeley's school of Engineering. First I plan to finish up my year here in NC and transfer my credits over to a community college somewhere near Berekely that offers the same prerequisite credit classes. This should take about a year, right in time for me to obtain residency in California to attend Cal. But I'm hearing its hard to claim residency in Ca, and that you need a reason other than attending school to be consider a resident. Is this the case? I've also heard that colleges sometimes cut students slack, if they show proof of residency via mail and Driver's licenses. Another thing is, some people say they go by your parents residency until the age of 24 regardless if your independent, file your own taxes, and live on your own. Is this true? I know this sort of thing would take a miracle to pull off, but I working hard and believing everything will workout. Any other advice will be helpful.
P.S. yes I know I have reputable engineering schools in my state, I just have Cal on my heart.</p>
<p>OP, I just speak from knowledge I have learned from multiple OOS friends and as a California resident. It is VERY, and let me stress the word, VERY hard for someone OOS to “earn” residency in California for the sole purpose of getting in-state tuition. The California legislature is very much aware of OOS students who want to come to California because of our great, albeit expensive, public university system. While I in no way discourage you from trying to attempt this, I must tell you that you have a hard mountain to climb. From my OOS friends who have attempted this I have learned that you pretty much have to not only move to California, but establish a significant "presence"for at LEAST a year. This does not mean simply rent an apartment and use a copy of a utility bill, this means live here, work here, get medical treatment here, pay state taxes here, etc. I have not heard about the parents residency requirement before but it would certainly not surprise me if it were to be true. </p>
<p>The best piece of advice I can offer you is to transfer here to a CC near Cal and stay for at least 2 years before trying to transfer. This shouldn’t be too hard as the overcrowded California CC system will almost certainly keep you from completing the extensive requirements that a school like Cal demands in less than 2 years.
GL!</p>
<p>Thanks for the encouragement and further detail about acquiring residency. Do you think if I were to use job re location as one reason. Since the company I work for is opening more stores in Ca. </p>
<p>What does being black have to do with your story?</p>
<p>@JIMMYofW it has absolutely nothing to do with anything lol. I just forgot to erase it. </p>
<p>but I think I’ve found the requirements for state residency. <a href=“Fees”>https://students.ucsd.edu/finances/fees/</a></p>
<p>Here are the requirements: <a href=“Criteria to Establish Residence for Tuition Purposes”>https://students.ucsd.edu/finances/fees/residence/criteria.html</a></p>
<p>The financial independence requirement will be the most difficult to prove. Not only can you not have been claimed on your parents taxes for two years (if under the age of 24), but you have to prove that you have been financially self-sufficient for two years.</p>
<p>LOL it doesn’t count as job relocation unless they ask you to relocate…if you request it that kind of changes things. Not that I think they would care about that anyway. But honestly unless you parents are moving here or you can prove financial independence (maybe you can) you are probably going to need to wait until you are 23 or 24. Good luck!</p>