<p>My wife and I are split.</p>
<p>I live in PA. She lives in CA.</p>
<p>My son has decided that he wants to finish high school in PA (our home before the split).</p>
<p>He is a sophmore, so has this year plus two more years before college.</p>
<p>What state will my son qualify for in-state tuition? PA only or PA and CA?</p>
<p>How do colleges handle the in-state tuition when parents don't live in same state? </p>
<p>Do they only qualify the student for the high school they attend?</p>
<p>In Georgia, it would largely hinge on which parent claims the student on their taxes and the state in which that parent files state income tax. I would imagine that PA and CA would be similar.</p>
<p>Generally it is the state the student resides in and/or finishes high school. The best advice is to look at the residency requirements for the public universities in California and Pennsylvania. In my opinion, if he lives with you junior and senior year of high school he would be considered in-state for Pennsylvania and unless circumstances were unusual you would also be considered the custodial parent for financial aid.</p>
<p>You must read the regulations for each state. They vary from state to state. There are states in which you can qualify for in state tuition even if the student does not live in that state. If a parent living in that state provides at least half of the support of the dependent student and the parent has lived in that state for a stated period of time, the student may be eligible for in state tuition even though the student does not live in the state. Virginia is an example of this.</p>
<p>From the link below:</p>
<p>III. RESIDENCE REGULATIONS FOR PURPOSES OF TUITION AND FEES
A. General Rule: To be classified a California resident for purposes of tuition and fees, an adult student and/or parent(s) who are not precluded from residence due to immigration status must have established a primary and permanent domicile in California and relinquished all ties to their past place(s) of residence for more than one year (at least 366 days). The 366 days must immediately precede the residence determination date of the term the student proposes to attend the University. Students may have to demonstrate financial independence.</p>
<p><a href=“UC Legal - Office of the General Counsel | UCOP”>UC Legal - Office of the General Counsel | UCOP;
<p>You actually need to read the residency requirements for each SCHOOL. Some states allow the schools to interpret how to apply the laws, like establishing residency while in school. Looks like Lakermom has the link for a UC school. Here is one for a CSU: [Schedule</a> of Fees - California State University Channel Islands - Acalog ACMS?](<a href=“Schedule of Fees - California State University Channel Islands - Acalog ACMS™”>Schedule of Fees - California State University Channel Islands - Acalog ACMS™)</p>
<p>Here is a link to UC Santa Cruz that cites to the UC Board of Regents rules. Be sure to read carefully and page down all the way. One provision near the end indicates that even if S is classified as a non-resident for the first year, there is a mechanism for obtaining an exemption for the requirement of paying out of state tuition. Ya gotta jump through some hoops, but it leaves the option of California open at least.<br>
We moved to Texas from California last summer and I was very careful to follow the rules for my S, who started as a resident at a UC this fall.<br>
[url=<a href=“http://registrar.ucsc.edu/catalog/appendixes/index.html]Appendixes[/url”>http://registrar.ucsc.edu/catalog/appendixes/index.html]Appendixes[/url</a>]</p>
<p>If your son would graduate HS at 17 and moves to CA before 18, he may be able to become a resident as your dependent, but I think it would still take a year to establish that. Prior posters are correct, different schools have different rules in CA</p>
<p>As others have said, it can depend on the school. However, in my experience in the many years as a mom, those kids who are in the situation as your son is, have always gotten the benefit of being residents of the state of either parent when it comes to college. Most every college I have seen in that situation does give leeway for kids of divorce. PA will be easy. CA will be the second state and that is where you will have to focus your attention. Where there may be issues are with scholarships and financial aid that is in place for those kids who graduate from a CA high school. CA does have aid for families making under $80K, for example. I don’t know the particulars of all of the programs there, and you should research them so you know them well in terms of what your son can get and take advantage of in either state.</p>
<p>Be aware that it doesn’t matter in financial aid, who claims the kid on the tax returns or even in the divorce documents. For financial aid purposes, FAFSA defines the custodial parent as the one with whom the student lived with more. Depending on financial situations, there could be aid available if one parent is the custodial one for financial aid over the other. Unless either parent is in a very low income situation, it may not matter for auto federal aid (PELL) but for state aid, it could be a whole other story. Look for what the requirements are for UC (Blue and gold?) financial aid awards as well as what the Cal States have available and what the cut offs and amounts are as well as what PA has available.</p>
<p>In reading the rules and regs others above have cited, be aware that most of the UCs do have some specific provision for in state status to be bestowed on children of divorce that does allow them in state admissions and tuition status. This came up in an earlier thread on this board. But you do need to research and understand the provisions for the system in general and then hone in on individual schools. Many schools make their own rules on this and they do not have the same standards for considering someone a state resident for admissions, tuition, certain financial aid eligibility. You can be a state resident for driving, voting, tax, college admissiion, tuition and not for scholarship or for all the rest and not for any one of them. It is not a consistent and automatic thing. But I do now that there is some leeway and provision usually for those kids with divorced parents.</p>
<p>Thank you for all the replies.</p>
<p>I have a lot of work to do.</p>