US citizen but not a resident of any state?

<p>^If the student or parent have never established prior residency in that state then you will not be considered in-state. If you read the rules for each state, they are written for state to state move. But if you move out of the country, you are still considered resident of that state based on federal law that is the controlling authority on this issue and supercedes state law, for tuition purposes or not Each case is evaluated individually as the circumstances are unique as it pertains to US citizens living overseas. There are exceptions and loopholes on every state and the rules are not rigid.</p>

<p>It is like child support and tuition for children after 18 yrs old. For some states, when the child becomes 18 everything stops. For others, child support and tuition continues until they graduate for college. Even though the child custody law says that the rules applied are based on the state the child lived the prior six months, there is an exception based on the state that the initial case has originally been adjudicated and the family can petition for that state court to continue having jurisdiction, even though the child has not been a resident in that state for years.</p>

<p>Ana1,
The OP has already been classified as a non-resident of Arizona for purposes of ASU tuition when he previously applied and was admitted. The university’s rules are clear: because he is his father’s dependent, his residency follows his father’s residency. And it’s also clear that ASU doesn’t give a hoot about the legal classifications you are citing, which they are not compelled to follow. The only way to get resident tuition is to be a resident as determined by the university’s interpretation of the Arizona Board of Regents Residency Guidelines. Those guidelines are not, as you state, “written for state to state move.” It’s one set of rules that apply to everyone, as is clear if you read the Guidelines. And just because the OP is domiciled in and a “resident of” Arizona for some purposes—like getting a driver’s license and voting–does not mean he is automatically eligible to be classified as a resident under the ABOR Residency Guidelines. There is no second set of rules; federal law on the subject of residency is simply irrelevant to the question of in-state tuition. You’re just making things up here, and you’re doing the OP, and potentially a number of others who may be following this thread, a serious disservice by putting out such misleading information.</p>

<p>Having been initially classified a non-resident for tuition purposes, the OP needs to petition for reclassification. The university will make that reclassification decision based on its policies, which in turn are based on the ABOR Residency Guidelines. There’s a good chance the OP will be deemed an Arizona resident for tuition purposes if his father has been living and working legally in Arizona for the past year. But there’s no alternative route for him to get that status, contrary to the misinformation you’re dispensing here.</p>

<p>Thank you all for the information. </p>

<p>Yes, my dad has been working and living here legally for 2 years actually, so he has 2 years of tax. His vehicle is registered in Arizona, he does have a bank account( don’t know if that helps), and as for students loans, since I am dependent of him, he has to sign my FAFSA. </p>

<p>Another thing is that when I applied to ASU, I put that I was dependent of my uncle (who is an illegal) because my dad did not want to help me out during that time. However, we made peace, and so when I applied to community college I put my dad as my dependent and got in state tuition. But I still don’t know if my dad is considered a resident of Arizona, since ASU has more strict Guidelines.</p>

<p>Check the ASU website, and then call about this. I expect your dad is a resident. You don’t have to say that you had applied before, just ask about the situation now.</p>

<p>You probably weren’t considered a resident earlier because you listed your uncle. You can’t be his dependent for residence unless he is your court-appointed legal guardian. And that wouldn’t have been possible because of his immigration status.</p>

<p>Whether your dad helps you financially is immaterial for establishing residence in most states. All you need is enough information that can confirm that the parent is a resident.</p>

<p>Dear bclintok, you are the one making things up as you think they supposed to be. I bothered to read the actual forms and statutes which state that ABOR guidelines are based on the AZ statutes, which in turn state they are based on both state and federar law (aka the enumerated rights of the federal government as assigned by the US constitution). We are a country of laws, not street law or jungle law, or do you know who I am law. ASU does give a hoot about the legal classifications and the school is mandated by both state and federal law to follow. That’s also the beauty of our legal system, if someone is ignorant of the law and applies it incorrectly, the affected individual has a legal venue to go and appeal the original decision. </p>

<p>At the end, we find out that the issue was because the OP put his uncle as a guardian. As I said before, the different CC threads about the issue in question rarely have all the facts stated and we can only comment on the limited information presented.</p>

<p>BTW, it does not matter whether the guardian is a resident/citizen of a foreign country in order to be awarded guardianship of a minor. The issue is only which court has jurisdiction and this is determined based on where the child had lived the last six months, and whether there is a standing order from another court that initial custody was determined. That’s in both federal law and the Hague Convention that the USA both signed and ratified so it is the law of the land. The issue here is that his uncle, as an ilegal citizen could not go to court, if he wanted to stay in the USA and not be arrested and deported. If the OP’s parents were not divorced, it did not matter whether his dad supported him financially or not. He could have put the dad’s name as the law assumes that custody is shared equally among married parents. If his parents were never married and neither had never been in a court to establish custody, the mom is assumed by law to have sole physical and legal custody. (Just for the father to sign the birth certificate does not confer upon him any custody rights.) If the OP’s mother had been in the USA legally while residing in AZ, then the OP could have claimed her as his legal guardian and as long as she had not remarried or obtained a job with the Mexican government, then she would have maintained her AZ status, as would the OP because they never established a domicile anywhere else. Also, the ASU form that lists which documents can be used to prove residency and legal status, also state that these are “the most common ways” not that they are the only documents accepted. The form has an option that just requires for the applicant and his resident parent to file an affidavit that they have never established “domicile” anywhere else and have never abandoned their AZ domicile. (From ASU residency guidelines “Absence from Arizona alone will not result in a loss of Arizona residency once established, unless the absence is accompanied by actions which indicate intent to establish a new domicile.”) If the OP had listed the parent and was denied, then he could have appealed the initial decision. </p>

<p>As happymomof1 has suggested, the OP needs to go and see either the residency coordinator to advice him on how to complete the forms, or to a Hispanic student advocacy group to help him. </p>

<p>Masta2ska, if you are denied, you should appeal, not just accept it as the final decision. Always know your rights and read original documents, not how it is summarized and distilled. Frequently there are many exceptions, left and right. Just because nobody had requested the exception to be applied at his status before and the employee has not been familiar with it does not mean that you do not have that right. You did take good steps by registering to vote and obtaining a driver’s licence. They are not absolutely needed, but they do make it easier to prove residency.</p>

<p>It might be better if you go to the ASU coordinator, since he would be the person who will determine residency and tell him that you were born and lived only in AZ, no other state and then your mom had to live temporarily for personal reasons, but you never intended to live and establish domicile there. You should add that because you had issues with your dad, you did not put his name on your initial application, but only your uncle’s name. Tell the person that because you did everything yourself you were not aware that your uncle could not be your guardian and that your dad was still your legal guardian, but your dad is a resident of AZ. Do not volunteer information on where your dad was before. They only care about what is happening now. Just have all these documents with you-his tax returns, your voting info, driver’s licence, US passport, copy of your dad’s green card/or whatever visa status he has. Ask the coordinator whether you have to apply for reclassification, or a new application as you have never been a student at ASU. Then ask the coordinator how to complete the forms-the form will be available as of April 1. Do not wait for the last minute and go in the middle of the week, like April 6.</p>

<p>An excellent starting reading material on how the law has evolved and what each term means is the NC manual of state residency classifications for tuition purposes. It explains how each statute has been established and how SCOTUS decisions and federal law -eg, IRS guidelines- affects state residency classification. It also bolds for emphasis areas where the stated documents are just an illustration but not all the evidence that can be taken under consideration. Obviously there are some different requirements per individual state but this manual would be a great guide in understanding terms for states that do not explain in fourth grade level.</p>

<p>(in case the link is deleted, search for
North Carolina<br>
State Residence Classification Manual
A Manual to Assist the Public Higher Education Institutions<br>
of North Carolina in the Matter of State Residence<br>
Classification for Tuition Purposes )</p>

<p>registrar.unc.edu/ccm/groups/public/@registrar/documents/content/ccm1_042786.pdf</p>