<p>My friend's son was accepted to one of the SUNY schools. The family lives in PA, and has no ties to NY, as far as I know.</p>
<p>When they visited, they were told that the kid can establish NY residency after one year, and be eligible for in-state tuition. This sounded strange to me, so I checked the SUNY web site, and it does not look all that simple, so it is surprising to me that a college official would imply that this is a common thing to do. </p>
<p>Does anyone have any personal experience with it, or knowledge about this process?</p>
<p>Maybe they were told that if the FAMILY moved to NY for one year, the kiddo would have instate residency. That would be true…if they did it one year PRIOR to enrolling in college. People ask questions about this and hear what they want to hear.</p>
<p>I do not think this Pennsylvania resident can establish residency as an instate student WHILE he is attending one of the SUNY schools. </p>
<p>Simply put…if it were that easy, there would be NO upperclass out of state tuition payers.</p>
<p>I think the family asked how long it would take to establish residency…and they were told a year…but it’s not the college student who needs to do this…it’s the FAMILY.</p>
<p>I think there your friend only heard one part of the explanation regarding residency.
Yes, one can apply for residency after living in NYS for 12 months, but there are a number of additional factors that must be met.</p>
<p>I’ve heard that NY is more lenient than other states about who is a resident. The difference between instate and out of state tuition isn’t that great and not many out of state kids want to go to a SUNY.</p>
<p>There was a student who posted the other day who had lived in NY most of his life and his parents moved (to PA I think, funny coincidence) before his HS senior year. He stayed in NY with other family to complete HS and had just discovered he was not considered a NY resident any more because his parents were no longer residents.</p>
<p>So somehow I am thinking these parents got the wrong end of the stick if they think their kid can easily get instate residency…</p>
<p>swimscatmom, That’s interesting because I had always been told (by someone whose job it is to know) that NY state law for public school (meaning K-12) is that residency is determined by where a child sleeps at night. So even if the parents live out-of-state, the child can continue living with someone and is legally entitled to continue attending ps. I guess it ends with high school graduation. I could see how that would cause some students confusion.</p>
<p>The student wasn’t having a problem with HS, it was the residency issue for college and TAPS that had just come up. Actually now I think of it, it may have been that he had been denied eligibility for TAPS and it was a shock financially.</p>
<p>Right. That’s why I’m thinking it would come as a shock. Because I know of other states, for example, where once the parents moved, the student would have no right to attend ps. But if NY allows them to attend ps, then it may come as a surprise when they are no longer instate for college.</p>
<p>The SUNYs often give that advice…but to grad students! I’ve seen it listed on various graduate program websites, but never for undergrad. And it is true that grad students can usually qualify for instate tuition after one year. Maybe the discussion involved a combined program, ie. BS/MS?</p>
<p>People hear what they want to hear. Lots of folks who have grandparents who live in Florida or have a two week timeshare in Orlando think their kid will qualify for instate tuition in Florida. Until they don’t. Or people who commute to CT but who get their mail sent to their office in NY think their kid will be in-state for SUNY. Except that NY will then collect NY State taxes (not just the payroll portion) for the privilege of living in your midtown office.</p>
<p>I’d stay out of it. Most States have rigorous requirements and they are very good at monitoring fishy situations.</p>