My daughter will be in her Junior Year at VCU next year and we would like to apply for in state tuition. My husband and I live in Maryland. We have read the domicile guidelines - how you are supposed to live there one year etc. She has been renting an apartment off campus and has a Virginia driver’s license and she will file her own tax return and we will not declare her as a dependent . However I am somewhat unclear about the timing for the student being able to provide their own support. Does the student have to have provided 51% of their support through loans/scholarships etc a year prior to applying or for the year in which they are want to have the instate tuition?
Most likely she will not qualify for in state. She’s going to have to prove that she is actually independent (can provide herself financially, etc) AND that she is not in Virginia for the purposes of education. Assuming she is under 25 (not married, has no children, and not active military) the government still considers her a dependent regardless of the tax return.