Hello! I got into UCSD for this upcoming fall (even though many on this site said it wouldn’t happen), and I am an out-of-state student. I am completely on my own when it comes to paying for college, unless I take my father to court to pay for his share of my tuition. This being said, how easy would it be for me to become a California resident for my second year, if I did end up attending UCSD? It’s my dream school, as I’ve posted before, and I’m honored that I was accepted, so I would love to go. I have $15k saved right now and I am willing to take out loans. I just need to know what I should do so I am able to achieve my dream of going to school in California. I did apply for FAFSA, but I still don’t know what UCSD will be offering me. If you are/were an OOS student at the UCs or a parent, please help me out!
It will be almost impossible for you to establish CA residency while you are attending college in CA. Your state of residency is the state in which your parents reside.
CA voted NOT to give any need based aid to OOS students, and I believe this is starting in this admissions cycle.
At the very least, you will be expected to pay the $23,000 differential between in and out of state rates, plus your student contribution plus your FAFSA EFC. Unless you receive merit aid, you will likely be full pay at this college.
If you want to become a CA resident for tuition purposes…have your family move there at least 12 months before you plan to enroll in college.
ETA…in one of your previous threads, you say your mom is married to a fellow who earns $120,000 a year. That being the case, the only aid you will get for filing the FAFSA is a $5500 Direct Loan for your freshman year.
You also mention that your dad is a physician. Have you spoken to him about helping to pay for yoir college costs?
And lastly, while I understand you may want to go to college in CA, did you apply to any affordable colleges either in your home state of Iowa, or elsewhere?
I’ve looked at that @Gumbymom , I just wanted to see what other people have done. I could get in-state my second year, but I don’t know how to handle the first year.
How will you satisfy the Financial Independence Criteria for establishing instate residency. This would mean you would need to FULLY fund all of your exoenses, including OOS costs to attend UCSD for your first year (about $50,000)…with NO financial help from anyone.
Can you do that? As they not…this is particularly difficult to do.
@thumper1 yeah, I read that. I could take out the maximum of $27,000 in loans per year, use my $15k saved which leaves about $10k to figure out, so I could take my dad to court for that amount or possibly get scholarships or something. I have talked to a few of current UCSD OOS students who have told me that it’s doable, but I need to be prepared to be debt. Everyone seems to be telling me to go to Iowa because it’s cheaper, and I’m not entitled to anything in any way, but I feel as if I worked really hard to achieve this goal and getting into the school, and I want to take advantage of it. Future me may not appreciate all of the debt, though.
I think you are misunderstanding. You will need to demonstrate your financial independence BEFORE you will be granted in state status. In other words…if you go to UCSD for your first year…you will have to show full financial independence for THAT year…you will need to pay all of your loving exoenses for that year…and be able to,show,that you earned enough income to do so. No help from anyone else.
In other words…you would have to earn enough money to fully find your tuition. Fees, books, room, board, and all personal expenses from your OWN income for that year.
You would need a lease in your name only, all bills would need to be in your name only…and you would need a tax return that showed that you earned enough money to pay your bills (maybe minus that $5500 Direct Loan that you could get in your name only).
How would you work enough to earn that much money while also attending college?
OP, there’s not a snowball’s chance you will get instate tuition for year’s 2, 3 or 4 under the facts you have presented. You will be full pay at UCSD for all four years.
Take comfort in the fact that you are not alone; many thousands of students have to make these hard choices every single year.
There are many students who would consider Iowa their dream school. It’s all relative.
You wouldn’t get in-state status for the second year. Perhaps you could ask the current OOS students again the specifics of the plan they are suggesting.
I am going to be applying for financial aid in January, and I'm very paranoid that I won't receive any. My parents are divorced, the decree states that my mother only has to pay 1/3 of the tuition of the University of Iowa (where I am from). My father is agreeing to pay 1/3 of wherever I go, which leaves a lot on me
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okay my mom is only covering seven thousand but honestly my dad will cover whatever else so let’s just pretend that any place is affordable because realistically he will pay for whatever. I’m looking for a large school with som
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It appears that each parent is under orders to pay 1/3 the cost of instate Iowa.
@mom2collegekids actually the law in Iowa is he HAS to pay at least 1/3, and he makes over half a million a year so if I took him to court, the judge would look at my academic record and his income, and see that he spends NONE of it, no alimony, barely any child support. The man has two Porsches sitting in his garage. So the judge would most likely grant me more than 1/3 of the in state tuition. A lot has happened in the last few months that is my personal business but if it came down to a court case, the judge would understand my predicament with my father. My mother can’t afford the $7k and I have to go to college somehow.
I don’t pretend to know the laws governing divorced parents in Iowa. But a judge isn’t going to award you any more than the statutes require. It doesn’t matter what your parent income is, or what kinds of cars he drives.
The time to have set aside money for your college costs was when the divorce settlement was crafted. Your mom could have asked for a fully funded 529…or something like that. She also could have asked for higher spousal and child support…and saved some of that for your college costs. Your mom could take your dad back to court herself. Is she planning to do so?
I’m not trying to be a Debbie downer here, but I think you need to be realistic. Even IF you found the resources to hire a lawyer yourself, this issue would likely drag out in the court system until long after you plan to enroll in college.
You need to have a plan…and I’m not sure going to an OOS public university is going to end up being an affordable plan for you this year. And unless you take a year off, and you and your mom Move to CA, you will not gain that instate resident status for tuition purposes.
Please…just be realistic. Look at your options. Look at what is affordable. Then go from there.
Don’t make decisions based on pipe dreams. Make them based on your current reality.
Sorry to tell you this bud but look else where. The UC has locked it down nice and tight because residents (such as myself) got tired of having our tax dollars pay for non-resident expenses, it is the University of CALIFORNIA after all. Sorry to tell ya but you’re going to have to look elsewhere. It’s time to adult about it and realize it ain’t gonna happen.
Just as a side note, I haven’t been too happy with the UC financial aid awards my students have received this year. all are in-state with EFCs of 0 and the UC’s have included between $8-11K of loans in their package which represent about 1/3 of the total COA. Each also got about $3K in work study. So for the original poster even IF you somehow were considered in-state and qualified for financial aid- you still would be “gapped” and not received enough aid to make it affordable for you. Just two years ago my students that are in-state and with EFC’s of ) got much better aid packages from the UC’s.
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actually the law in Iowa is he HAS to pay at least 1/3, and he makes over half a million a year so if I took him to court, the judge would look at my academic record and his income, and see that he spends NONE of it, no alimony, barely any child support.
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How come the judge for this divorce didn’t order higher child support if his income is half a miliion?
Since that didn’t happen, why would you expect a judge to order that your dad must pay more than 1/3 of the cost of a state school??
Do you have money to hire an attorney? Keep in mind that your dad can afford a better lawyer than you can.
Here’s the thing:
1.) The government doesn’t loan large amounts of money to students. A $5500 loan in Freshman year; and that is it. How will you pay 10x that amount the first year???
2.) If you come to California “for educational purposes” you will be considered a full pay student for all 4 years. The residency requirements are super strict. The big red flag is your high school transcript. If your parents don’t move to California, then it is assumed you are coming for your education, and. . . . the State, along with the rest of us Californians, will happily await your money. http://www.ucop.edu/general-counsel/_files/ed-affairs/uc-residence-policy.pdf
3.) You cannot support yourself in California on minimum wages for full time employment, let alone part time. The cost of living is horribly expensive, especially in San Diego where you NEED a car. Where would you find an open and affordable rental in San Diego?
Your income has to match your expenses and you cannot receive outside help from anyone. This means market rates for your rent, without any form of discount.
4.) I don’t know about you, but the last time we went through a courtroom, it took months for every little action and postponement. You won’t be seeing ‘dear old Dad’s’ mula until well past your expected date of graduation.
Unless your parents have a formal divorce agreement that stipulates that he will pay for college, he’s not legally obligated to pay a dime for college, any more than married parents are legally obligated to pay a dime.
So what??? If life rewarded people for hard work, brick layers would earn more than bankers