Hi! I’m from Idaho and looking to go into Biomedical Engineering. No in-state schools have that program, so I’m looking to go OOS. The closest school with a biomed program is University of Utah. Out of state is expensive, but I’ve heard of some people doing WUE for their first year and getting residency their sophomore year. Apparently you can only do this in Utah and Missouri. Would this be a good option?
Thank you so much!
You don’t do WUE the first year, because time spent as a WUE student doesn’t count towards residency. But the U is fairly generous with merit scholarships to offset some or all of the first year OOS tuition, especially for high stat students. And you can be a paid orientation leader over the summer after freshman year when you are staying to earn residency.
Oh, I didn’t know this. Thanks for the advice. 
Also consider that you cannot be a dependent for tax purposes, so that means that your parents
will not be able to claim you on their taxes for the year that you begin as a freshman.
Example: Matriculating for the class of Fall of '19, means that your parents can claim you through 2018,
but not for all of tax year 2019.
Because of the tax changes that have gone into effect for tax year 2018, this may be problematic,
so be sure to check with your parents (if you’re currently a dependent) about the tax saved vs. tuition spent
prior to making any tuition decision based on residency.
Please note that Utah requires both 12 continuous months in Utah AND financial independence. May mean that, at a minimum, that your parents cannot claim you as a dependent on their tax returns. May also mean that you might not be able to remain on their health insurance. Also, one may be required to show sufficient income to support yourself.
I am not sure about these requirements, but these are areas that you need to check out.
Also, check out Colorado.