So…how will this student be relinquishing all out of state ties if he takes online courses at the instate AZ rate?
Yes, California is one state where taking the tax deduction MAY be the difference between instate and out of state tuition if one parent lives instate. The following is from an ‘Ask the Dean’ old post: http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/california-in-state-tuition-for-tx-resident-with-mom-in-ca/
(emphasis mine)
@twoinanddone It’s not a $4000 dependent credit, it’s a $4000 dependent exemption.
Right, I meant deduction (and told OP that in a PM), usually just a few hundred off the custodial parent’s tax bill, although there are other credits that do require that dependent deduction so the mother might be out a few dollars if she would qualify for those credits too. Not nearly the $100k for the OOS fee at California schools over 4 years. Well worth it to transfer the deduction if that would help the OP qualify for instate tuition, especially since if the OP is going to become independent for tax purposes, we’re only talking one year.
Would,someone please answer my question in post 20?
I wonder how OP is going to rent an apartment, buy a car, pay for CA car insurance and registration, without any parental help?
Maybe if dad helped with all of that he could claim him as a dependent on his taxes.
Correct me if I’m wrong but I think divorced parents can agree to let the other parent claim the child on the tax return.
My dad will pay for almost everything when I am in California, I would just need a part time job for residency purposes.
Thumper, I don’t think California cares what benefits Arizona gives to a California resident. California cares that the student is a California resident, that he lives, votes, drives under a Cal license, etc. If that student happens to get a benefit like instate tuition because of a second parent living in that state, good for him. My nephew had in state status in Florida because his mother lived there and in Colorado because his father lived there. Florida didn’t revoke his instate status because Colorado gave a benefit. Florida didn’t care as long as he met the Florida requirements for instate tuition. His mother moved to CT, he didn’t maintain his FL residency, so lost his tuition status (but gained CT, so it all worked out) What AZ does is up to AZ, and even if the student lived in California and graduated from a California high school, AZ may grant him instate tuition based on a parent being a resident. Why would California care?
I also don’t think California would even know if the student was paying instate or out of state tuition. He transfers credits, but does a school ever ask how much you paid for those credits?
why don’t you just call UC Irvine, explain exactly what you have in mind, get their feedback, and then do exactly what they tell you in order to establish residency and attend there with no speedbumps to mess you up?
Then your dad should pay the out of state CA tuition for you.
If this student is using the instate tuition rate to take online courses through a AZ community college…HOW would,this show he was “relinquishing out of state ties”?
Like I said, a California resident can take courses online at an AZ school and California doesn’t really care what AZ charges that California resident. The question is whether the student does enough to become a California resident.
What if someone moves to California and still owns a house in AZ or raw land? California can’t require that they sell it and sometimes that would be impossible. What if he inherits property in KY from a relative, and he’s never even been to KY? I’m sure many California residents own property in other states or have bank accounts in other states.
You can tell the list of items is old. One is to “close the bank account in the old state.” I’ve had the same bank account for 35 years and have lived in 3 other states during that time, including California. My paychecks were automatically deposited, and I could make other deposits at an ATM. I was a California resident even though I had the old bank account and didn’t have an account in a California bank at all. My kids also only had their old bank accounts, but went to California schools.
But OP is not going to qualify as a independent person for tax purposes if his father is paying his expenses.
I don’t think you’ll be considered independent for tax purposes if you can’t show you are self supporting.
Yes, and dad lives in CA, so wouldn’t OP be considered to be a CA resident at least for one year? I wonder if he would have to live with dad.
And agree independence would be hard to prove if working part time and dad supporting OP.
Thank you all for the comments/suggestions. I am going to give Irvine a call on Monday and I will update what they inform me of.
If this goes as it has for previous posters, UCI will give a generic response.
Anyway, I’m with thumper. UC not only requires layers of proof, they reserve the right to say No and halt discussions. UC can hardly keep up with expenses as it is. The kid will have an AZ hs diploma, which may very well start a closer examination. I’m not obsessed with all this, but went through it, ages ago, and I was truly legit, working a professional job, still had to provide addl info.
This is the master doc http://ucop.edu/general-counsel/_files/ed-affairs/uc-residence-policy.pdf
“To satisfy the union of physical presence and intent, indicia of intent should be acquired and all out-of-state indicia relinquished at least 366 days prior to the term for which a resident classification is requested.” And AZ in-state tuition is an oopsie… I don’t think we can assume online ed at in-state rates is going to slide.
The document goes on and is an easy read. Under the separation or divorce section, “A minor student will derive residence through a California-resident parent only if s/he begins living with the parent prior to reaching the age of majority.” And “…convincing evidence that s/he changed their domicile to the California resident parent’s home prior to the student’s 18th birthday.”
If he wants to go the “independent” route: “…a student who is not dependent on a California-resident parent must demonstrate financial independence (total self-sufficiency) for two, full years immediately preceding the residence determination date of the term for which a resident classification is sought.” And, “Parents’ tax returns may also be required to verify the student was not claimed as a tax dependent within the two year period.”
OP needs to read the document and plan carefully. Imo.
@LordGB Is your 18th birthday before or just after you graduate from high school?
Read this:
From http://ucop.edu/residency/index.html
That site and the UC Residence Policy and Guidelines (pdf) posted there has all the details.
A minor student will derive residence through a California-resident parent only if s/he begins living with the parent prior to reaching the age of majority. The parent must satisfy all applicable residence requirements. The student must provide clear and convincing evidence that s/he changed their domicile to the California-resident parent’s home prior to the student’s 18th birthday.