<p>Hello, I am a citizen of USA but I left the country when I was only 5 years old. I was born in New York and was a resident of the state. Now, I am in India for 13 years. Will I be eligible to pay in-state tution fees in a college of New York, preferably - the Stony Brook University?</p>
<p>Here are the residency requirements for SUNY Stony Brook. You can contact them for more info, but the website is pretty clear.</p>
<p>[Establishing</a> New York Residency - Bursar/Student Accounts - Stony Brook University](<a href=“http://www.stonybrook.edu/bursar/residency/]Establishing”>NYS Residency | Student Financial Services)</p>
<p>Thanks HImom for the link, but I cannot still understand what will be the case for me.
Will I consider the twelve month residence requirement to be satisfied with my presence for 5 years after birth?</p>
<p>No.</p>
<p>Your family would have had to live in NY for the last 12 months. </p>
<p>You lost your residency after you moved.</p>
<p>The fact that you once lived there is irrelevant. A person could live in 10+ states during his life…he wouldn’t have residency in each state.</p>
<p>You’ll be considered OOS for all public univs. You’re not a resident of any state.</p>
<p>But I have found that once I am 18, I can elect in NY State Elections even from India on grounds that it is the last state of my residence in the United States. So, the in-state issue should also have something like this. Does anyone know it?</p>
<p>No, it’s clear from the link that you won’t be able to get in-state residency status.</p>
<p>For in state tuition purposes, it does not matter that you once lived there. You could have lived ther for 16 years, but unless you (and your parents actually, as residency for tuition is based on them) live there for the year immediately preceding the school year, you are not considered in state for tuition purposes.</p>
<p>You are not a resident of any state for instate tuition purposes. You haven’t resided in any of these states. You are in the same boat as many expats who send kids back to the states for college. You are OOS everywhere. Just voting in a state does NOT establish residency…sorry. Your parents would need to reside in the state for 12 months prior to your enrollment for instate residency status. And in most cases, they would need to stay there for all four years of your college education or you would lose that in state status.</p>
<p>But I think you already knew all of this…and we’re hoping for some kind of loophole. There isn’t one.</p>
<p>Actually my parents are going to continue staying in India since they are Indian Citizens. So, I think I am going to run life there on my own as it is not possible for rupees to help my expenses in dollars. And this is the reason why I am so concerned. I just don’t know how I can pay the in-state fees, and out-state fees are too far. And the financial aid is not enough. Is there anyway I can financially survive?</p>
<p>Election rules have NOTHING to do with state residency for college. Election rules are probably federal rules, so that expats have a state to vote with.</p>
<p>What are your stats? </p>
<p>How much can your family pay?</p>
<p>It’s very difficult for any student (even those living here), to get most/all costs covered. It’s even more difficult for a citizen abroad because you have int’l costs, insurance costs, and you’re not a state resident.</p>
<p>What are your stats? What are your test scores and GPA?</p>
<p>I haven’t still taken the SAT Tests. I am in class 11. I scored 92.4% in ICSE(Class 10 Board exam in India). By the way how is the GPA calculated? Is it only on Class 12 results or class 10 is also considered?</p>
<p>Are there good part time jobs for me to support living?</p>
<p>Who knows if you would get a good part time job. We don’t know where you’d be going to school. </p>
<p>Without a car, your job prospects will be limited at many locations.</p>
<p>Typically, students only have the time to earn “pocket money” during the school year. You can’t let a job interfere with your education, which happens when kids try to work too many hours. </p>
<p>Many kids work 8-12 hours a week. After taxes, etc, that may bring in $60-100 per week. Not enough to live on, but enough to pay for daily stuff, transportation, shampoo, some entertainment with friends, etc. </p>
<p>Your GPA is based on all of your high school grades.</p>
<p>How much can your family pay each year?</p>
<p>I am from a middle class family. They may be able to pay $500 per month. Is there any student loan system available?</p>
<p>Because you are a U.S. citizen, you are eligible to take the Direct Loans. That would be $5500 for freshman year. Beyond that, you would likely need to secure loans in your home country with your parents as either the ones taking the loans or as cosigners. </p>
<p>You WILL need to complete the FAFSA to be eligible for these loans. Included will be your parents’ incomes and assets, as well as your own.</p>
<p>If you are in class 11, does that mean you finish high school in June 2015? As a US citizen you should be eligible to enter the National Merit Scholarship competition. For most American 11th grade students, this means taking a test called the PSAT in about 2 weeks- 10/16 or 10/19. I am not sure if the test is offered at any international schools. You should contact the NMSC: [National</a> Merit Scholarship Corporation](<a href=“http://nationalmerit.org/index.php]National”>http://nationalmerit.org/index.php)
Call and talk to someone there. They are very helpful. But you don’t have much time. Do it now and be sure to follow instructions and carefully keep to deadlines. There is an option to substitute an SAT score for the PSAT if you cannot take the PSAT for a valid reason but you can’t ask to do it a year from now. You have to find out now if you are eligible to substitute SAT. If it turns out it is offered near you but you didn’t know to take it, that probably wouldn’t be a valid excuse. They can tell you if PSAT is offered near you and how to sign up, or how to apply to substitute the SAT. Most schools had registration the past week or 2 and some through this week, though guessing intl. schools would have earlier deadlines. If you sign up to take PSAT, you get a booklet with a sample full length test to practice . It is very like SAT but shorter and no essay.</p>
<p>You need a score of about 225/240 on PSAT to qualify as NMSF as an international student. This year it was 224, varies from year to year. That would be 2240 on SAT. You should ask them how the essay part of SAT is included in calculating your score for NMSF, since PSAT has no essay.</p>
<p>There is a National Merit subforum on CC under Financial Aid which has many useful threads with lots of good info. In particular look through <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation-55.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation-55.html</a> where many guaranteed NMF scholarships are organized. My D attends an OOS school and her NMF scholarship pays for ALL her tuition and fees. There are many American universities that offer similar large scholarships to NMFs(not Stonybrook, though they do have something small, maybe $2K/yr or so.) Not the very top schools, but many fine schools and a few even have full rides that pay for room/bd as well.</p>
<p>It’s not a sure thing, only 1% of test takers . But a chance at least. Are you good at tests?</p>
<p>Another possibility is to look at particular schools that offer a way around residency for tuition. Texas A&M waives OOS tuition for students who can secure a scholarship of $1000/yr or more. Has to be competitive scholarship with Texas residents going for the scholarship. So your parents can’t set up a scholarship fund and then award it to you to get this waiver. If nothing else, they have Corps of Cadets scholarships that qualify if you aren’t opposed to doing something militaryish. All this stuff is laid out clearly on their website if you browse around. UNC-Chapel Hill has something similar, but scholarships from them are much harder to secure. There may be others also, not Stonybrook:(</p>
<p>Utah and New Mexico are relatively lenient about establishing residency. If you stay a full 12 months with no extended visits home over the summer, parents don’t claim you as dependent and a few other things, like get a part time job, it is possible that you could pay resident tuition starting 2nd year. There may be other states like this, but many are very strict and looks like NY is a strict one. Google ‘Utah residency for tuition’ and similar for exact info. Call universities to see how the guidelines work in actual practice.</p>
<p>I am from a middle class family. They may be able to pay $500 per month. Is there any student loan system available?</p>
<p>You need to ask your parents to get a figure from them. Don’t guess.</p>
<p>You can borrow $5500 as a frosh, not much at all.</p>
<p>Once you have test scores, then you can look at schools that will give you large merit for your stats.</p>
<p>If your parents can pay $6000 per year, and you borrow $5500, and you work over the summer in India, and you get a large merit scholarship, you may be able to afford to pay for a financial safety school…if other schools don’t work out.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the information.</p>
<p>Thanks for all. It looks like there is no PSAT over here. My father has the consent to come to USA, but VISA may be an issue. Can I help it anyway as an US Citizen? (I will be 18. But 21 is required for sponsors.) Will this make me in-state for the second year? Otherwise how much chance of surviving do you think I have by making some Android apps or what else can I do based on Computer. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>You need to check the residency requirements for EACH college to which you apply. At some schools, if you start as an OOS student, that is your status until you graduate. At others, your PARENTS (note…not just YOU, but your PARENTS) must reside in the state where you wish to have residency for at least 12 months prior to being able to have this status.</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter that YOU are a U.S. citizen. There are many U.S. citizens who reside abroad and do NOT have instate status when it’s time to apply to college.</p>
<p>You will only become an instate resident of NY IF your family relocates to NY state.</p>
<p>And as I wrote in the fall…I think you KNOW you do not have instate status, and are hoping for some loophole. There is t any loophole.</p>
<p>Thanks thumper1. On judging my circumstances, I think that I will be going to a community college in NY, complete Associate’s and then transfer credits towards BS after finding some job. Anyway, will that make me in-state. (I really don’t know, thumper1).</p>