<p>To the OP, You are not “officially a citizen of New Jersey” just because you registered to vote there. Unfortunately, it seems like you are one of those American citizens who have no home state for college tuition purposes. </p>
<p>As others have pointed out, each state sets its own rules as to what constitute a “resident” for tuition purposes, and for New Jersey, legal residency is governed by New Jersey Administrative Code 9A:5, which requires that individuals be domiciled in the state for 12 months before becoming eligible for in-state tuition. Domicile is defined as the place where a person has his or her true, fixed, permanent home and principal establishment, and to which, whenever he or she is absent, he or she has the intention of returning. Dependent students under the age of 24 are generally presumed to be domiciled where their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) are domiciled. So New Jersey would consider your domicile to be London and you would not be eligible for in-state tuition in NJ.</p>
<p>If you are determined to attend college in the US, you will need to look at lower-cost schools that fit your budget (remembering that you will have to pay the out-of-state tuition at any public schools). You might also consider private schools where you might qualify for generous merit aid (i.e., you are in the top 10 - 20% of the applicant pool). Your family’s financial need will likely be considered on the same basis as a US-based family with similar income and assets.</p>