State Residency

<p>Hello, I am new here and have a question that is haunting me-My son (21 Yrs Old)has been accepted to UMBC as a junior and we are Maryland residents.He is going to live on campus for the 2 years.Here is the hard part my new husband is from Virginia and has lived in Maryland with us for the past 2 years and claims my son on his taxes as a dependent.We have decided to sell the home here in Maryland and move to my husbands house we still own in Virginia over the summer.Will this effect my son's situation at UMBC? Will he still be our dependent ? His biological father lives here in Maryland too but it is a limited relationship will he have to use his fathers information and address to attend school? Who do I need to talk to Financial Aid office (we do have Fasfa forms submitted) CPA, financial advisor?</p>

<p>I think you need to call the school and ask… there are always ‘grey zones’ when it comes to state residency and it sounds like this could be one of them. It could swing either way. </p>

<p>Generally, for undergraduates, the parents home address will be considered as the child’s home address (unless you can show that they’re fully independent and have been living in the state on their own for a while). So in that sense, moving out of state could be an issue… but again you really just need to call the school</p>

<p>Call the school and ask. Policies vary. At some schools, residency would change if the student’s family moves. At others, the student will remain as an instate student for one year, and then change. At others…the residency the child has as a freshman carries through for all four year. AND my guess is there is variation in between those options too at some places. The only way to know is to contact the school and ask.</p>

<p>It may also matter whether you move in August, before your son officially begins school, or in September, after he’s already registered & started classes.</p>

<p>The Registrar’s Office is probably the place to contact.</p>

<p>Thanks for all the great response! I think it will be best to call the school in the morning and just ask how this will work I bet there are some grey areas like rocketman08 said.
Thanks again everyone!</p>

<p>Here is a UM Residency Office site: [UM</a> Residency Classification Office |](<a href=“http://www.testudo.umd.edu/rco/]UM”>http://www.testudo.umd.edu/rco/) While there is alot of info if you read the various pages, no where does it mention someone who is clearly an instate resident when they are admitted, but whose parents move out of state after they matriculate. It is worrisome, as they continually repeat the need to maintain residency status. You will need to call. It looks like you will need to involve your ex-husband in this as he is clearly a resident. I agree that for the time being, you might not want to sell the house and move before the fall term starts, at least until you can get his dad involved.</p>

<p>Here is another link. <a href=“http://www.usmd.edu/regents/bylaws/SectionVIII/VIII270.html[/url]”>http://www.usmd.edu/regents/bylaws/SectionVIII/VIII270.html&lt;/a&gt; It states “a student may demonstrate that he or she shares living quarters in Maryland which are owned or rented and occupied by a parent, legal guardian or spouse.” </p>

<p>If he were not living on campus, and went from your home to his own lease it appears he would be OK. But if he lives on campus, then a parent has to be a resident. </p>

<p>Call them to clarify and work through this before you officially move.</p>

<p>Definitely ask how to make a change and not foul up his residency. My DD’s school goes by the state of residency at admissions as long as you go straight through, but since we moved a year later, had she taken time off she would have had to qualify again for in state tuition.</p>

<p>Scarily enough it seems if you are not really careful you could end up a resident of no state for tuition as the various rules are different!</p>

<p>Wisconsin lets students who finished HS instate while their parents were residents stay instate, like all states they get very picky about people who move to acquire residency status. Strange how we thought we’d raised our kids and could factor them out of decisions once they leave for college- but then these issues come up.</p>

<p>This was written in the link sunnyflorida sent me(Thank You) does this sound like to anyone else that it is at the time he is registered that is important?
To qualify for in-state tuition, a student must demonstrate that, for at least twelve (12)consecutive months immediately prior to and including the last date available to register for courses in the semester/term for which the student seeks in-state tuition status
It does look like in the link that he will have to maintain an address in md like his fathers .</p>

<p>I think I found it! Under the continuous enrollment-it states
Undergraduate Student - An undergraduate student who is enrolled at a USM institution for consecutive fall and spring semesters, until completion of the student’s current degree program or unless on an approved leave of absence or participating in an approved program off-campus.
I hope this one applies to our situation!!!
So strange wis75 my sediments exactly!</p>

<p>I would still suggest calling the school to determine what “enrolled” means. Does it mean you sent in your deposit? Does it mean you paid first semester’s tuition? Does it mean you registered for classes? Does it mean classes began?</p>

<p>You need a definitive response, and only the school’s admissions office can give you one.</p>

<p>OK here it is- I called the school after being transferred to all the important offices Admissions and the Registrar’s Office said as long as my son maintains an address in Maryland it wont make a difference but Financial Aid is where he will have a problem he is a dependent until the age of 24 so he will have to use his fathers information for the 2010/2011 school year because he is a Maryland resident and we will be residents of Va.
Thank You all for your help it definitely was a interesting situation but will all work out just as I thought !</p>