<p>I'm a dual citizen - US and UK, and I live in the UK, but I've had to apply to universities as a US student.</p>
<p>I'm officially a citizen of New Jersey.</p>
<p>I live in London now, where house prices are extortionate at the best of times, and I live in a fairly well-off area (but my parents bought our apartment 30 years ago when it was cheap)</p>
<p>My house is now worth $600,000. My parents bought it for $200,000.</p>
<p>As I'm registered as a citizen of New Jersey, it must look to university FA people as though I live in a mansion or something - a $600,000 house in New Jersey is probably pretty big, whereas here it's an average-sized apartment.</p>
<p>Also, my parents obviously weren't expecting me to go to the US for university, so they've saved up enough for me to go to university here in the UK, but it only costs like £3,000 a year here, so I'm VERY short on money for that. </p>
<p>What do I do?! How do I make sure the schools know this? Especially as I'm filling out forms as a US citizen, not as an international student...</p>
<p>First…there are MANY homes in NJ that are worth $600,000 that were purchased long ago for $200,000. You might have had the same issue IF you were living in New Jersey.</p>
<p>Second…if your parents were expecting you to attend college in the UK…and have money saved in that amount, you might want to consider that option. </p>
<p>Third…your family contribution will largely be based on your parents’ incomes. Yes…for some schools the equity in your home will be counted at least some. But mostly…it’s income.</p>
<p>Fourth…I’m not sure exactly what you think the schools won’t understand. You are applying as a U.S. citizen but you live overseas. There are lots of student who do the same. </p>
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<p>I don’t understand the above comment at all. You HAD to apply as a U.S. student? How else would you have applied? You are a U.S. citizen.</p>
<p>I think you need to have a very serious discussion with your family about your college education and costs. The reality is that the schools will compute an expected contribution from your family. You can use an EFC calculator and run the numbers. Be sure to convert into U.S. dollars when you do this. This will give you a guestimate of the amount the colleges HERE will expect your family to contribute ANNUALLY. If your family can assume that financial obligation, you are fine. If not, you need to discuss with them your college options.</p>
<p>You are at an advantage applying as a US citizen. </p>
<p>As far as your house value, yes, that is a very common situation in the states which you’ll find among applicants living around metropolitan areas such as NY/NJ/CT/CA/Boston/Chicago/DC. </p>
<p>Here’s some perspective: Colleges determine need either through FAFSA alone or FAFSA + College Profile/their own form. FAFSA does not use home equity in its equation. College Profile does ask about it and those schools can determine how to use it (but often use 5% of assets above a certain amount – an asset protection-- based on your parents’ marital status and the age of the older parent). So, first off, you can look at FAFSA only schools-- except that most FAFSA-only schools don’t guarantee to meet your need anyway. </p>
<p>So, really, your first step is to go to an online calculator and see what the schools may think your parents can afford. If your parents can’t afford that, you would need to apply to a school to get merit aid. If your parents can afford that, you will need to find a school that meets need. (Many top schools do.) Honestly, if you’re living in a $600,000 house and your parents have typical income for that level house, you are unlikely to end up with need based aid that approaches £3,000 (which is probably around $5.8K). The state schools in NJ will probably charge you over $20K/year. Really, I think you are in the enviable position of having an affordable, excellent college education available to you (by staying in London) and perhaps a good compromise would be to ask your parents to allow you to spend a semester in the US.</p>
<p>I’m not sure what you mean by this. Do you LIVE in NJ? Does your family own a HOME in NJ? If so, you have two residences…one in the UK and one in NJ and that WILL affect your need based aid.</p>
<p>If your family does NOT own a home in NJ, you very well might NOT be considered an instate resident if you live in the UK…and have not resided in NJ for the year prior to your matriculation in college. Oh…and it doesn’t matter if you are registered to vote there or hold a NJ drivers license.</p>
<p>We know some expatriates who OWN a home in one of the states and the whole family has driver’s licenses in that state. They do NOT have instate status there because they LIVE in another country…not in that state.</p>
<p>I do not know what NJ’s policies are regarding this…but in most states, if you are not LIVING in that state for the year prior to enrolling in college, you are NOT considered a resident of that state. I’m not sure how you think you are a resident of NJ. Please explain.</p>
<p>You need to find out what your EFC is…use the above link to get an estimate. Either way, it’s doubtful that you’ll be able to go to school here if your parents can only pay a few thousand dollars.</p>
<p>My “legal state of residence” is New Jersey - sorry if I used the wrong terminology.
I am applying for schools here, but the education system here in the UK is very narrow and doesn’t fit me at all - the US is a much better fit for me.
We only own one home - the one here in London.
Between what my parents are willing to pay and what we have saved up, I can pay around $140,000 for college. If I work, it could go up to maybe $180,000, but that last $20,000 will be almost impossible without FA.
Do they take medical situations of family members into account when calculating FA?</p>
<p>If you don’t currently LIVE in New Jersey and your parents don’t own a home there, you may be in for a BIG surprise regarding your residency for college tuition purposes. Please check and be sure that you are considered a resident of New Jersey if you are planning on applying to public universities in New Jersey. My guess is that you are NOT eligible for instate tuition at the public universities in New Jersey. You don’t live there. Your family owns a home YOU live in in the UK and you are currently attending high school in the UK. You are a resident right now of the UK (who is an American citizen).</p>
<p>And to be honest…I’m not sure how your “legal state of residency” can be New Jersey if you are not living IN New Jersey at the current time. Your family does not maintain a residence in New Jersey. When was the last time you lived there???</p>
<p>We have family members who are expatriates. They used to live in one of the states. They live overseas now. They own a home overseas. They also have dual citizenship. Their kids applied to college as citizens BUT they did not have instate status in ANY state, even the one where they own a home (which is rented) because THEY didn’t live in any of the states the year prior to enrolling in college.</p>
<p>$140,000 is about $35,000 a year. Do you have colleges on your list that would fit this criteria? In addition you would be eligible for a Stafford loan in your name. That would begin at $5500 for your freshman year…bringing your total cash available to $40,000.</p>
<p>Re: medical situations. Those are considered special circumstances and are considered on a case by case basis by the colleges. You would need to provide significant documentation for out of pocket (not covered by insurance) expenses. This would include receipts for the care as well as any documentation from health insurance providers that they did NOT cover the medical costs. The school MIGHT consider this as a special circumstance and they might not. The school makes the decision. If you live in the UK and have UK citizenship, wouldn’t you be participating in their social health care system? There are not out of pocket costs.</p>
<p>I will say…there are many colleges here that DO cost $40,000 a year…or less for the full cost of attendance. The SUNY schools would fit that criteria, as would places like U of South Carolina (even with OOS tuition).</p>
<p>P.S. I find it amusing that you don’t think the “options” in the UK are variable enough for you when many students from the U.S. WANT to study abroad in the UK. Look around there…those schools are a wonderful bargain for residents of the UK.</p>
<p>I am not applying to any NJ schools. I have never lived in the US, but I am registered to vote in NJ. Therefore on all my forms, I must state that I am registered in NJ.</p>
<p>The “options” in the UK are not right for me. I do not want to only study one subject from now onwards. I don’t know yet what I want to study at university, and I see no reason why I should have to decide now. I have applied to schools here, but they’re my back up back up back ups.</p>
<p>If a person is a US citizen and living abroad temporarily and they have ever lived in their state, it could be possible (depending on the state) to still be an instate resident whilst living abroad.</p>
<p>But, to do that, you need an address in the state plus other auspices of living there- voter registration, driver’s license, car registration, medical insurance, banking, etc. You need to have been a bonified resident before going abroad.</p>
<p>You also need to be filing taxes as a resident and paying taxes in the US. From what I have seen, if your parents are filing US income tax returns stating they are non-residents and thereby not paying taxes in the US (and your state) then you are not going to qualify for in state tuition.</p>
<p>Where in the US are you applying? If it is a FAFSA school, your primary home does not count against your financial aid. For a FAFSA school, the formula can be seen here:</p>
<p>Can you pursue university in Scotland where it is a 4 year programme and has a more US style set up at cheap UK resident fee levels? Can I give you my in state US tuition and you give my DD your in UK tuition levels ;)</p>
<p>dreaming, If you’re not applying to any New Jersey publics, your residency won’t come into play. Just please understand that the definition of “residency” for public college tuition purposes is different from what may constitute “residency” in other places. And if you were able to apply to a public college as an instate resident, you would be able to afford it without loans or worry (because I think all public colleges have tuition/room/board fees under $40K/ year for instate residents).</p>
<p>If your family can afford $40K/year, you can get a Stafford and work and attend most colleges. What you may want to do is target schools that give merit. There are colleges pinned on this forum that give merit. You may also want to look at this list that names schools where lots of students get merit aid. These schools routinely “discount” the tuition to attract students: </p>
<p>There are some very good colleges on that list and you can still get a couple of applications out. Make sure the scholarship deadline hasn’t past. (Warning: I suspect the public colleges on the list-- like U Florida-- are including merit scholarships that their state offers to instate residents so they may not be as generous for out-of-state students.) </p>
<p>By the way, I am basing this on what you wrote and assuming you don’t qualify for need-based aid other than unsubsidized Stafford loans which everyone can get. If you fill out the calculators as we suggested, you may find out you could qualify for need-based aid.</p>
<p>I’m not sure that Dreamin would be considered a resident for In-state tuition rates if her parents haven’t been paying NJ taxes. But, if she’s not applying to any NJ schools, then the point is moot. :)</p>
<p>Dreamin…SUNY schools are a good choice for your budget. What are your stats?</p>
<p>Free financial aid from the gov’t is for low income people. Dreamin would not qualify for any free aid. She might get a scholarship, etc, depending on her stats.</p>
<p>Most middle/upper middle class families don’t get ANY aid that is free money. You’re mostly going to be looking at loans…which most FA packages include.</p>
<p>Dreamin…you say you have never lived in the U.S. Are your parents U.S. citizens also…or just you? I believe this would have an impact on whether THEY needed to file a U.S. tax return. Also if you have lived abroad for over a certain number of years, you lose expatriate status…in other words you are a resident of the country in which you reside (but you can still maintain your citizenship here).</p>
<p>That doesn’t matter a speck for college applications purposes, but it might with regard to filing tax returns for your parents. You need to find out if they are required to file a U.S. tax return…if they are, and they haven’t, they will need to reconcile this before you apply for financial aid here.</p>
<p>BUT as others have mentioned, it sounds like with your EFC, you would not qualify for federal aid in excess of the Stafford loan (unsubsidized).</p>
<p>Another little school that is not spoken of often and has great cost is York College in Pennsylvania. Cost of attendance is modest and they do offer merit aid. It’s a LAC.</p>
<p>My son was born in Europe. He had American citizenship based on his Dad being a American citizen and we got an American born abroad birth certificate within days of his birth and an American passport for him when he was 12 days old. He also has British nationality based on me. You do not have to ever set foot in the US to have US citizenship if you have a American parent. Nor do you have to be a military brat.</p>
<p>If she was born in the United States, she is a citizen automatically. Maybe she was born here…but never “lived” here. If that were the case, she could be a U.S. citizen without having parents who are.</p>
<p>However, she says she has NEVER lived here. That being the case, she would have to have one parent who is a citizen. Her situation is a little different than most. For all intents and purposes, this gal or guy is a resident of the UK and has been all their life. It seems that now they wish to invoke their U.S. citizenship (which they can do) for college purposes. My gut feeling, however, is that this kid’s family doesn’t pay taxes to the U.S. </p>
<p>I’m not an international finaid expert my any measure or means. There is an international board on this forum where someone may be able to be helpful. Or perhaps someone with more experience with folks who have never lived her…but are citizens…can speak up.</p>
<p>This family has owned a home in the UK for 30 years…kid has never lived here. Family clearly has its roots in the UK for all intents and purposes…but the kiddo has dual citizenship.</p>
<p>There was a student who posted he was born in the US, but lived his whole life in China, and his parents are not American citizens (hence never paid any US tax). Could he apply as an US citizen therefore get more favorable aid?</p>
<p>True…but the OP says she’s never lived here. I thought that meant that she wasn’t born here. I guess it’s possible that she was born here and her parents immediately moved abroad as soon as she left the hospital.</p>