I’m an american citizen living abroad in the middle east. im a resident of california and may go to study in the US. I’m finishing high school here and was wondering can I still pay in state tuition in cali because im a resident? and is it still possible to get scholarships? i dont want them to think that because i go to a private school my family can afford the tuition, because we’re getting financial help for me to even finish high school here. it’s really complicated but i just want to make sure not all hope is lost in applying to the US because if i cant get scholarships i cant study there. 
any help would be appreciated (P.S. im not applying to any ivies or top schools).
Unless your parents live and work in CA, the UCs won’t consider you a resident for admission or tuition purposes. And starting this year, out-of-state students receive no financial aid from the UCs.
You won’t be eligible for ANY in state tuition(at least for 1st year, some states schools will help you get in state tuition).
But don’t worry, your FA eligibility is same as domestic US students
If you are living abroad, and going to school abroad…and your parents are living abroad with you as well, what would make you think you are a CA resident?
She probably (and mistakenly) thinks that because (probably) CA was the state she used to live in, that she would be considered a CA resident. OP?
yeah @CTTC you’re right. I’ve lived there most of my life, i’ve only lived in the ME for 2 years.
Well…you are no longer a CA resident.
Military family? If so if your home of record is CA then you are still CA residents. We’ve lived all over the world and always been FL residents.
It is possible,
Especially if military or missionary. But not likely, especially with California.
I recommend you send an email to the the school and specifically explain your situation and ask if it’s possible. You may be required to have your sending agency write a letter explaining your family’s intention to return to your home-state (This was a success for us in Texas).
I assume you’re parents still file Cali state returns and file with the IRS as Cali residents? (even though living overseas and possibly paying foreign taxes)
We’re not a military family
Agree with @lz57c4 … send an email and ask. The rules for residency will be online, but even then, you might fall in a gray area. My S wrote directly to the state uni to which he was applying, laid out his situation directly, and asked if he’d be able to apply as a resident. He was advised that, yes, he should apply as a resident, and ended up being accepted with in-state residency. However, rules for each state are different, and people also have different contexts. (We’re not military either FWIW.)
Anyway, hearing all of the “you’re not a resident!” answers is probably making you anxious; we were quite worried, too, when we found out that residency wasn’t necessarily automatic, because in-state was our financial safety and really seemed to be the only option affordable out-of-pocket. But having gone through this process for a year now with my S, I want you to know that you really do have options.
Even if you end up with a worst-case scenario and CA doesn’t see you as in-state, you will still be eligible for scholarships elsewhere in the US, both public and private, that should level the financial playing field to something that is at least close to in-state. I see from another post that you’ve got UW GPA, stats, etc that are all pretty similar to my S. You will be eligible for significant merit aid at a number of schools even if you’re not in-state in CA. And Saudi Arabia? How cool is that? You definitely add to diversity, and a lot of schools really do seem to care about that, so write a thoughtful essay that highlights the perspective you’d bring!
Incidentally, you also asked on that thread about NYUAD; I don’t agree that it would be such a stretch for you. Remember you’re an IB student and the GPA you gave is UW. That means your W will be a lot higher. So c’mon, relax, you’re doing well.
And you don’t lose anything by emailing a CA uni of your choice and asking about residency in your case. Even if the answer is discouraging, you seem to be in good shape 
@MomOnALaptop thank you sooo much for your reply, i’ve been stressing so much about college lately and your response really lifted my mood. I appreciate your (and everyone elses) help!!
Residency for voting purposes, residency for tax filing purposes, and residency for in-state tuition and fees at any given public college or university, are all defined differently. You need to contact the public colleges and universities you are interested in, and ask whether or not you meet their requirements.
In state tuition rate policy varies from school to school even within the same state. You should look it up on their website.
This student will NOT be considered a resident of Calif, or qualify for Calif aid, for at least two reasons:
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parents don’t live in Calif and they don’t live elsewhere for a reason that would retain residency (military, or govt employee with an overseas assignment, for instance).
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student won’t have graduated from a Calif high school, nor will he/she have attended a Calif high school for 3 years.
Calif has probably the strictest residency rules for education purposes simply because their schools are highly desirable to non-residents.
Actually, typically all the states that have public schools that are very popular with OOS students tend to have very difficult requirements to get residency for tuition purposes.
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Well, if we weren’t considered residents, basically no one abroad would be. Geez. We have a house, voting registration, driver’s license and storage locker filled with our stuff in Maryland; husband is long-time overseas but a W2 employee of a DC-based INGO, paying taxes in Maryland; son is also getting his diploma from a Maryland school as an independent dual-enrolled learner, specifically meeting all Maryland graduation requirements. Literally the only box he couldn’t tick would be physical presence. I’d hate to have him need to take his gap year in the US and support himself 50 percent just for that reason. I mean, he theoretically could, but geez!
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@queensaraaa the above is MomOnALaptop’s situation. I can see why her son qualified for instate tuition.
Do you have a situation like above?.
Regarding your original question on the title, you are eligible to FA and you may get merit scholarships if qualified. You would be considered domestic but OOS student.
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P.S. im not applying to any ivies or top schools).
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^^^ This is often the problem when a student has no “home state”. The top schools are the ones that give the best aid.
State residents also often get add’l aid at their public univs, but this student has no home state.
What are your stats?
How much will your parents pay?
Run the Net Price calculator on Dickinson and St Olaf, two colleges that really value international experience.
Have you discussed costs with your parents? “I need a scholarship” is very vague but there’s a difference between “my parents can only afford the plane ticket to whatever college” and “my parents can’t afford full tuition”.