Hi there, so my issue has to do with the fact that I can claim two domiciles during my application to grad school. The issue of domicile is relevant for FAFSA deadline/scholarship opportunities. The subject concerns two states in the USA; of which I am a citizen.
At this point in time I am assumed to be domiciled in State A. That is good because the deadline for submitting the FAFSA in State B has already passed. However, State B, where I also fit the criteria for domicile, offers a scholarship to residents.
Is there any way that I could both, submit my FAFSA as per Sate As deadline, while attempting to petition the financial aid office in State B for resident tuition consideration?
Please explain how,you can have a domicile in TWO different states.
No. You are a resident of one state for voting, drivers license. To qualify for instate tuition benefits, usually a time living in that state is required.
You are not a “citizen” of a state; you are a resident. You can only be a legal resident of one state at any given time. (Citizenship has to do with countries, and it is possible to have dual citizenship.)
Which state you are a legal resident of depends on the totality of the circumstances and is sometimes a judgment call. And being a legal resident of a state and qualifying for in-state tuition in that state or another state are not necessarily the same thing. In other words, you could very well be a legal resident of a particular state and yet not qualify for resident tuition in that state. You could also be a legal resident of state A and yet qualify for in-state tuition in one or more other states.
If you are not old enough to be independent for the FAFSA, then yes, you might be in-state for two states if each of your parents maintains a primary residence in different state.
If that is your situation, you need to check the residence policy for each of the states, and for each of the target colleges/universities separately. You may find that you need to file the FAFSA with the parent in State A (because that is where you live the majority of the time), but that you also qualify for in-state fees in State B because your other parent is a resident there.
^^ Follow the advice of @happymomof1. “Domicile” is a tricky term.
Do any of the application forms actually use the word “domicile”?
Doesn’t each state publish its own criteria for qualifying for resident tuition?
This student is a GRAD student, not an undergrad. The grad student domicile is NOT based on the residency of the parents.
Good catch @thumper1. You are correct.
And @PrimeMeridian
In just about EVERY residency requirement I have read, the student must establish a domicile in that state…and yes, they use that word “domicile”.
Domicile is tricky, you could end up resident in NO state for tuition purposes if you are not careful. If you are in university in one state and your parents moved to another state, you may have a choice of states, but in general you must pick one. Look at the schools for each state, view the exact forms which must be completed for residency. It is possible that your parent’s state of residency could be allowed to be your state, if you are careful in your execution. Or you might want to remain in your original state, again, you must follow the rules of that state.
Even if the forms were loose enough and different enough that you could technically qualify in both- your state with DL, voter registration, actual time spent, etc., and in your parents state, based 100% on their residency, you still have to put YOUR address in FAFSA, it forces you to pick a team. You don’t file FAFSA twice, with two different state’s addresses.
@somemom
This student is a grad student. Domicile and residency of the parents aren’t used to determine grad student residency or domicile.
The student is applying to grad school so might be a senior undergrad, in which case, he/she could be a dependent on the tax return and still be a dependent for the transitional time.
Maybe! But being a tax dependent might not establish domicile in parent state.