In-state tuition fees/Out-of-state tuition fees

<p>Hi everyone!I live in the UAE and will be heading to the US for undergraduation in 2011.Yet the tuition fees is extremely high in the US which is a major apprehension.
However,I will be entitled to be a permanent resident i.e green card holder before my college starts.So does that make me eligible to pay in-state tuition fees or i'll still have to pay out-of-state tuition fees?
This is very important to me as it makes a significant impact on my decision.I hope i get a convincing reply!</p>

<p>You pay in-state fees, bro :)</p>

<p>Even for the freshman year?</p>

<p>Most states will never consider you in-state for tuition and fees if you move to that state specifically to study. You would need to be living and working there for a certain period of time before you started classes. Usually you need to be a resident for 12 months, but some states require a shorter term of residence if you are studying at a public community college.</p>

<p>Are you moving to the US with your family, or by yourself? If your family is moving to the US, and your parents will be working here, their state of residence will determine yours.</p>

<p>No,I am moving by myself.So you’re saying that being a resident for 12 months will make me eligible for in-state tuition fees(being an american citizen) i.e, i’ll have to pay the out-of-state tuition fees for my first year and then the in-state for the rest of the course?</p>

<p>manav77, it varies from state to state. In many states, you aren’t considered a resident unless you lived there 12 months PRIOR to enrollment. So you would continue to be considered OOS in your later undergraduate years as well. If you are financially dependent upon your parents, your residence is considered to be the same as theirs even if you are living somewhere else.</p>

<p>Check with the schools in the states where you plan to apply, and they will be able to tell you what their residency requirements are. If you know that, say, you are interested in California schools and you have a choice where to live, you could presumably come here this summer, get a job/achieve financial independence from your parents, and be able to claim resident status by the time you enrolled in fall 2011.</p>

<p>You will have to check with the specific universities you are applying to. As happymom noted, each state sets its own rules, and some states are more lenient than others about granting in-state “residency” for tuition purposes. Other states will NEVER give it to you while you are an undergraduate if the reason you came to the state was to attend college – i.e., non-resident for first year = non-resident for all 4 years. So be sure to investigate this issue thoroughly before you accept an admission offer.</p>

<p>In most states you will never be considered a resident if you don’t move until you start school. In most you would never be considered in state before you’re 24 if your parents do not live in the state. The states that have the best state schools (CA, VA are two) make it hardest.</p>

<p>franticpizza is 100% mistaken.</p>

<p>manav77,</p>

<p>Once you get your green card, you need to move to the state where you would like to study. Then you need to get a job, and a place to live. You need to live there and pay taxes there for a year in order to establish residency. Then, once you are a resident, you can start college at in-state rates.</p>

<p>With a green card, you can apply for federally determined (FAFSA) financial aid, and get student loans. To become a citizen you normally need to be a permanent resident for five years, and take the citizenship exam, etc. You do not need to be a citizen to qualify for federally determined financial aid.</p>

<p>@happymom,all these residency pre-requisites need to be fulfilled before i get enrolled right?But i am currently in 12th and will be graduating from high school only next year.
But are you sure that i cant start paying In-state from the 2nd or 3rd year if i establish residency during the first year?</p>

<p>I don’t know of any state that will allow you to establish residence while you are a full-time student.</p>

<p>In-state tuition and fees are less expensive than out-of-state tuition and fees because the people who live in that state have been paying taxes that support the public colleges and universities. Each state, and sometimes each public college or university in that state, determines the length of time necessary to establish residence. That is why you have to find out more about the specific regulations in the state where you want to study.</p>

<p>If you know where you want to be, it might be possible to study part-time (one or two classes each semester) during the year that you are establishing residence. Or, the time required for residence might be shorter if you will begin at a community college. For example, Maryland requires only three months of residence for in-state tuition and fees at the community colleges. You could move here in May, work during June, July, and August, and start at a community college in September as a resident.</p>

<p>I don’t know what the rules are for the other states. You need to check this out.</p>

<p>Are you comfortable sharing the name of the state where you plan to move? It’s actually fairly easy to verify each individual state’s residency requirements; it’s often placed on the website of all of the state colleges as well as on the state’s Department of Education (or equivalent agency).</p>

<p>However,I will be entitled to be a permanent resident i.e green card holder before my college starts.So does that make me eligible to pay in-state tuition fees or i’ll still have to pay out-of-state tuition fees?</p>

<p>Are you sure that you will be immediately able to get green card status here all by yourself? Don’t you have to demonstrate economic support to get green card status? Will you be supporting yourself?</p>

<p>You won’t be a resident of any state at least for one year (maybe more - depending on the state’s rules). It may be a “gray area” if your family in the UAE is the one that is supporting you. A state may not believe that you’re a resident of “that” state since the family is not paying taxes in that state.</p>

<p>Right now, do you know what state you’ll be in or will that depend on the school that you’re accepted to?</p>

<p>manav: I don’t think any state would grant you residency status in 2-3 years because you’re attending college in that state. It’s just not done. Unless you want to delay entering college, make residency and find a job: this is not an option for you.</p>

<p>Thank you all very much for the information.Many misconceptions cleared out now.
The state I will be in will depend upon the school I get into but I’m looking primarily at Texas,California,Illinois,Georgia,Indiana and Michigan.Can any of you let me know the residency requirements in these states?
T26E4:Delaying college isn’t really an option but thanks anyway.</p>

<p>[Texas[/url</a>], [url=<a href=“http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/ca_residency.html]California[/url”>http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/ca_residency.html]California[/url</a>], [url=<a href=“http://www.usp.uillinois.edu/residency/residentreg.cfm]Illinois[/url”>University of Illinois > University-Wide Student Programs > Residency Status Regulations]Illinois[/url</a>], [url=<a href=“http://www.admissions.uga.edu/article/residency_for_in_state_tuition.html]Georgia[/url”>http://www.admissions.uga.edu/article/residency_for_in_state_tuition.html]Georgia[/url</a>], [url=<a href=“http://registrar.indiana.edu/resiinfo.shtml]Indiana[/url”>http://registrar.indiana.edu/resiinfo.shtml]Indiana[/url</a>], [url=<a href=“MSU RO: Error 404: Web Page Not Found”>MSU RO: Regulations for Qualifying for In-State Tuition]Michigan[/url</a>]. </p>

<p>That should get you started. You can even catch the residency requirements for individual state colleges [url=<a href=“Your Guide for College Financial Aid - Finaid”>In-State Tuition and State Residency Requirements - Finaid]at</a> this website](<a href=“http://www.admissions.txstate.edu/future/residency.html]Texas[/url”>Pay for College : Undergraduate Admissions : Texas State University), which links to each college’s relevant page. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>@Gardna…Thank you very much indeed.This is all that I could ask for and I’d also like to thank everyone else for helping me out.I dont see my chances very bright but atleast i’ve got that cleared out.I will be looking into all of this for some time now and if i have any further questions I will make sure that post on this thread.Thank you again!</p>