<p>Most states make it pretty darn hard to qualify for residency status after you have already started attending a school. Let's use Calif. as an example - you have to have lived here for one year before applying as a resident, during that time you have to prove that you have been working, made plans to stay permanently, etc....but there's another catch:you also have to be financially independent from your parents for TWO years - that means if they have listed you as a dependent on your tax records in the past two years, you are out of luck. Most state systems have very similiar requirements. Every state system lists them on their web site. Here's the UC requirements in detail: <a href="http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/ca_residency.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/ca_residency.html</a></p>