I think this should work out. I suspect whatever checklist they initially use, you are missing something that would make instate nearly automatic. Find out how you prove out and it should be fine.
@Gumbymom is this true? That an instate resident would be charged OOS rates if they exceeded 4 years worth of units?
@“aunt bea” something isn’t right with your story. Many Cal students take longer to finish their degrees than four years. I seriously doubt they are all charged OOS rates.
Losing a state grant would certainly increase costs to the student…but they should still be paying at the instate rate if they are instate residents…unless their parents moved OOS, for example.
@thumper1: I have not heard that if you exceed the a specific # of units or run out of eligibility for any state grants, that a student would be charged OOS tuition rates, however my knowledge is limited. I reviewed the Cal grant information guide and I agree, after a specific period of time, a student could lose funding but not revert to OOS rates.
@thumper1, this was according to my brother, so I don’t really know if what he told me was true. He took every “fun” class he could take and I think the university’s registrar must have mentioned something because he was there taking classes for ~8 years(?) when he suddenly mentioned he had to graduate or pay OOS rates.
When we took a tour of CSU Long Beach (~5 years ago), we met with the engineering dept dean. He also mentioned something to the effect of the CSU’s charging full fees to students who had exceeded units (our son had 13 AP classes). Don’t know if that was at OOS rates.
I had to look up Colorado out of curiosity. They give a stipend to in-state students ( College Opportunity Fund - currently about $85/credit) that expires once you hit 145 credits. (No limit on number of years you attend) After that point, you have to pay the in-state tuition rate, plus the stipend rate. In-state is listed as around 11-14K/year depending on the program and if you had to pay the stipend on top it would be an additional $2720/year…assuming a full load of 32 credits. Max of less than 17K/year. Out of state tuition is 36-40K/year depending on the program. So you have to pay more, but definitely not out of state rates.
At 145 credits you should be pretty close to being done anyhow even if you switched your major a couple times in there.
eta: I pulled my tuition numbers from UOC - Boulder
Many colleges and universities change in state residents out of state tuition, for excessive credit hours. NC charges a surcharge over 140 credit hours. If you have 140+hours without completing a degree, then this could be the issue of an instate resident being charged out of state rates.
Like Aunt Bea’s info, my comes from a sibling who could be, (GASP) wrong! (but my sister is never wrong, at least according to her). However, that’s what she said. I figure she got that info at a presentation, orientation, or maybe in a warning letter.
The ~$2700 opportunity fund, which is a state grant (more like Bright Futures, is not added to tuition but subtracted from, so if tuition is $14k, you get $2700 off that. I know a lot of people who have run out of those funds because it is not all that hard to exceed 145 credits (and I think they count high school DE courses because those I know who have lost it had a lot of DE credits; the state was paying for those too). You do not then pay more in tuition than the listed price. CU’s tuition is a lot higher than the other state colleges. It’s quite a bit less to go to Mesa or Northern Colorado, both for tuition and housing, sometimes as much as half the cost, and you get the same $85/credit no matter how much the credits cost. Your state fund dollars go a lot further at a cc or directional college.
There is a difference between a surcharge and paying full OOS tuition
@Thelma2 - NC is a 50% surcharge on the in-state rate. after 140 credits. Hefty increase, but still not close to charging out of state rates, especially since even with the surcharge Charlotte tuition is only 3K/semester. Out of state is 9K/semester.
https://ninercentral.uncc.edu/billing-payments-refunds/tuition-and-fees/tuition-surcharge-waiver
If they’re really calling the OP out of state, I’m pretty sure it was just a mistake.
In Texas, in state residents will be charged in state costs per hour for your degree plan hours plus 30 additional hours. These hours do not include AP hours, dual credit or community college hours. If you exceed that limit, you will be charged OOS rates even if you are an in state student. Maybe NC has something similar to that.
The TX one is legit! Full OOS tuition. Ouch.