The difference is that LLCs have a required course whereas TCs don’t: Living Learning & Theme Communities – Housing & Residential Education
The required course option is particularly relevant for Honors (where you need to take a certain number of Honors specific general ed courses). But the reservation process is the same (application by March 10, earlier choice of rooms).
If he wants Kahlert then I assume he is in Honors. I think most Honors students pick an LLC in the first year and it is unclear to me if you could get Kahlert without it, given the priority registration for LLCs: Honors First Year Communities – Housing & Residential Education
We were on a webinar Saturday where they discussed the Mar 10 housing and deposits. They said that everything was refundable as long as you let them know by May 1. You should confirm but this is our understanding.
The reservation fee ($200) is refundable until May 1. But the application fee itself ($130) doesn’t appear to be:
THE APPLICATION CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
STUDENT INFORMATION
AGREEMENTS
FEE
Fill out contact information, view and agree to the Housing & Residential Education policies, sign an electronic agreement and pay the $130 non-refundable application fee. Students must complete these parts of the housing application and pay the application fee by the priority housing application date in order to receive a reservation time.
I doubt we’re going to make a decision before mid April on where D will attend. She did not apply to any honors programs for Utah - I think there was a 2/1 deadline for that so that may be too late to even try now that it’s 3/2.
We are OOS, D has a 4.5 W GPA.
Lastly, any strange things we need to know or do about the in-state after one year program? My understanding is that merit may only be for freshman year? Not sure. And then, to be in state, you have to live there summer after freshman year (with proof), and in that scenario, does it kick in for sophomore year?
Thanks. We’re not that familiar with U of Utah since we’re East coast, but D was super interested in the programs. We had been waiting for merit to see if it’s in play for us.
Answering my own question here, thanks for the link above @Twoin18 , that was helpful.
I skimmed the LLC options, but Lassonde sounds like an amazing option, since she is looking to go into games & simulation + Art & design.
The key criteria is not more than 29 days out of state in a 365 day period. That limits what you can do at Christmas/New Year (i.e. staying longer and going back early for skiing is recommended) and at fall/spring break, as well as in the summer. You also have to do things like changing voter registration and drivers license (“relinquishing domiciliary ties”) by a given deadline. And you can’t be claimed as a dependent on an OOS parent’s tax return for 2021 (even though you may be eligible to be) if you want to file for reclassification in summer 2022, which means giving up the $500 dependent tax credit.
I am struggling with this too. I don’t even know if it is option until we hear about merit. My DD was accepted to Honors college and will need to have a deposit in for the priority date, but I am not sure I want to throw $130 away when we don’t even know if the school is an option. I am praying they are overestimating time and we will hear by the 10th.
The $130 is a non-refundable “application fee” payable on application (ie by Mar 10th) and not applied to your room & board costs. The $200 refundable “reservation fee” (credited to the fall room & board costs and refundable if you cancel before May 1st) is paid on top when you reserve the room (late March/early April for LLCs).
Neither requires you to have accepted your place beforehand, you have until May 1 to do that (in a normal year, not sure if this year will be different).
I just paid the $130, and I am a little bitter about it if its non-refundable, since they aren’t giving us much time to decide on schools. For us, as OOS, we can’t justify flying out to visit (with Covid, we can’t visit anyway) without knowing what the merit situation looks like. And it’s hard to commit to a school when you haven’t visited.
Having said that, my daughter would be very interested in that LLC, so if she did choose Utah, she would want that option. So we are essentially paying $130, just in case. I will likely ask for this back if we (a) don’t get worthwhile merit or (b) can’t visit - since I presume we would not choose to go to this school blind. I anticipate I may not get that fee back, but this is a rock and hard place situation.
I assume that once you establish residency after that initial 365 days, you no longer have any restrictions - meaning you can then go back to your home state the following holidays, summer, etc,. and work. Is that correct?
Yes that’s correct. Also note that official university organized summer programs count towards residency, even if they are held out of state or outside the US (such as the Ecology and Legacy minor Ecology and Legacy – Honors College).
I think they have to let us know before the 10th. Well, if they don’t their housing situation is going to be a mess.
During normal years most people won’t spend the housing deposit if the merit money isn’t enough, so that helps cull their housing list to people who are likely to come. If they wait until after the 10th the list will be full of people who spent the $130 just incase and it won’t have a lot of people who are likely to attend but don’t want to waste $130.
There is a reason the deposit to be in the reservation line is non-refundable but the deposit to hold your actual room is refundable.
I think the person in charge of housing better go motivate the person in charge of merit awards.
