<p>My daughter is a junior in high school. We have started our college search. One thing that I was wondering about:</p>
<p>What is the difference between in-state and out-of state; if i live out of state, what should I do to be qualified as in-state? In order to pay in-state fees, we were considering relocation...will that help?</p>
<p>If you relocate...do it NOW. Most states (but not all) look at one year of legal residence for the PARENTS (note...not the student) as being the benchmark for in state status. However, it does vary by state. The expectation is that you will work and live in the state, thus contributing to their tax base which supports in state student tuition.</p>
<p>Related:
Let's say my dear child starts college as in-state (very long-term in-state), but I want to move out of state while she's in school. Will hanging on to some property in-state in my name be enough to continue to qualify her as in state? Or would she need to declare herself independent to stay in state?</p>
<p>The in-state school isn't necessarily going to be cheaper, so that about that before you move. In my experience, private schools (who's tuition doesn't vary between in and out of state) give more scholarships. My most expensive option was the in-state public school. It was the University of Michigan, but still. University of South Carolina gave me an in-state tuition rate as part of my scholarship.</p>
<p>You really need to go directly to the in-state school in the particular state you are considering. There is considerable variation in what individual states require to establish residency for the purposes of in-state tuition.</p>
<p>The states with the most sought after schools (the "Public Ivies") tend to have seen it all, and have established very rigid guidelines, which I'm sure you will find on their websites.</p>
<p>They may or may not address your secondary issue of what happens if you eventually leave the state while she is still in school.</p>
<p>Be aware, also, that "declaring herself independent" will not necessarily suffice for in-state tuition. The criteria will be very specific, usually relating to such things as whether/when last claimed as a dependent for tax purposes, where voted, where car registered, how long lived in the state (other than in campus housing or 9-month-only off campus housing), earnings in the state, sources of financial support etc. etc.</p>
<p>You can't just "declare yourself independent". The criteria for financial aid independence are very stringent and are not the same as for tax purposes. To be independent for finaid purposes, the student must be one of the following: an orphan, over age 24, a ward of the state, married, a parent who supports their own dependent children (note THE STUDENT needs to be supporting the dependent children, not their parents or someone else), a veteran, or someone who already has a bachelor's degree. If you do not meet one of those criteria, it is virtually impossible to be declared independent for finaid purposes...and it relates not at all to where you file taxes, where you vote, where your driver's license is, etc. For finaid purposes, you will be a dependent of your family unless you meet the requirements outlined. Now...having said that, some student have successfully appealed this...but that is not the norm.</p>
<p>From the University of California re "Establishing Residency for Tuition Purposes"
[quote]
Demonstrate through objective documentation that your physical presence was coupled with the intent to make California your permanent home. Intent is evaluated as an independent element of residence, separate from physical presence, and is demonstrated by establishing residential ties in California, and relinquishing ties to the former place of residence.
[/quote]
When I started at UC-Berkeley, as a 22-year old, among the things I was asked to provide as indicators of "intent to make California my permanent home and.... relinquishing ties to the former place of residence" were voter registration, car registration and driver's license. None of them are sufficient conditions, but some of them may enter into play in a given circumstance in a given state.</p>
<p>Again, every state is different. The over-arching theme, I believe, is that there is no easy path to becoming a state resident for tuition purposes <em>after</em> you decide that the state is where you'd like to go to college.</p>
<p>I don't know the details, but I know that one of my S's classmates went off from her h.s. in New York state to Berkeley and was able to pay California resident fees, not out-of-state. But her family planned it for years, including buying a small apartment in California more than a year in advance. She had extended family there, so I have no idea if she -- or they -- made family visits through h.s. to begin to develop some of the documentation necessary to indicate "intent" such as registering there to vote. It was the family's longterm plan.</p>
<p>I believe the difference is something like $5K rather than $40K, so yes, with that difference you can buy a wall of a condominium somewhere in the Bay area...</p>
<p>At Univ of CA, if your student begins as a resident and you then move out of state (as a parent) your student remains a resident at UC as long as they are continuously enrolled. </p>
<p>I moved and established residency in a new state after Ds freshman year and my D is still paying residency fees, though she is also fully maintaining residency in that state- including not spending summers in my new home (as if she'd want to where she knows no one!) just because it seems smart for her to maintain residency in the old state, that is where she sees herself, so she can stay there until she finishes undergrad, then decide her choice of state.</p>
<p>You should check with YOUR school about the move, as each state may handle it differently.</p>
<p>It would be unusual for a student (as mentioned above) not to be a resident of the state where she gradauted HS, but I think the residency office is reasonable and will considered unusual circumstances. We know several kids form families abroad who maintained CA as their legal state of residence whilst spending most of their time abroad. It was all the nitty grityt details- votor reg., auto reg., driver's license, bank location, etc. that went to prove intent to be a CA resident, though one must explain any absence from CA for more than 6 weeks cumulatively.</p>