moving: in which state is my child eligible for in-state tuition?

<p>It would seem logical if the student was a resident of NJ and graduated from a NJ HS s/he should be able to maintain NJ residency for college. This would work in Wisconsin, which makes it difficult to become a resident for tuition purposes (those who vote as WI residents while students need to have 12 months of fulltime work- not compatible with going to college full time). The worst time to move is during senior year of HS- won’t have 12 months in the new state or a HS diploma from the old state.</p>

<p>To meet the letter of the law your presumably adult student could “move in” with a friend or relative for the summer months for a post office address- and visit you for a couple of months before starting college. I’m sure you know someone willing to let your HS grad do this. From then on s/he could maintain a NJ address 12 months a year and spend time with you on vacations, if desired.</p>

<p>You need to check the residency requirements at EACH public university you apply to as the requirements for instate status vary from school to school in many states. </p>

<p>At some schools, if you are instate when you enroll, you maintain that status as long as there are no interruptions in your schooling (in other words, you can’t take a semester off). At other schools, you LOSE your instate status a year after your parents move.</p>

<p>Re: the post above…about moving in with friend’s…or even other relatives…in the very vast majority of cases that will NOT allow you to establish or maintain residency in a state. Your PARENTS have to be the ones to have that domicile, not just you, and not some other relative or friend.</p>

<p>So…it looks like Rutgers will allow a student who STARTS as an instate resident to maintain that residency for all undergrad years. That would mean that the student and one parent would need to continue to reside in NJ UNTIL the student begins college…or at least that is the way I am reading their requirement.</p>

<p>But this might NOT be the case in other states for other public universities.</p>

<p>I would highly recommend you speak to Undergrad admissions. I did just that today and they were very helpful. Many of things pointed out in the previous comments are correct but you may want to clarify for yourself. </p>

<p>Yes he is a resident and can maintain status for 4 years even if his parents move BUT:

  • He must maintain a NJ address (I understood it as HE must maintain a NJ address and my husband/I can live elsewhere).
  • He must continously go to Rutgers for 4 years to maintain in state status. That is he can’t take off a semester. Summers off are fine.
  • He must begin school (the first day of school) as a NJ resident and residing in the state. The assumption is the home and address he was admitted to Rutgers should be where he is living up to the first day of school.
  • If the July tuition bill is received at ANY address other then the address they have in the system when he was admitted — that will be a BIG read flag.</p>

<p>I know that draws attention to a lot more questions like having the house in NJ till after the first day of school (means it can be sold prior but just not closed on??), a continous NJ address, etc. It definitely seems doable and Rutgers defintiely doesn’t want to penalize the student for the parents move. If this is the school my son is attending…I will be having a face to face with admissions to make sure we are all on the same page. There is too much money at stake to find out later that OPPS he is out of state.</p>

<p>Good Luck.</p>