How to secure In-State Tuition

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Topic Author
rightdecisions
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How to secure In-State Tuition

Post by rightdecisions »

Curious if anyone has run into this situation before.

Family and main house is in Texas. Homestead, driver licenses, voting rights are Texas. We have a 2nd home in Colorado. Curious if Daughter can claim Colorado residency to receive instate tuition. How would she explain or do that?

I do pay Colorado State Income Tax, property tax, utilities, etc. I have been reading up on eligibility for instate tuition for Colorado and others. None of them mention 2nd home as an exception.

She would attend college Aug 2023.
fabdog
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by fabdog »

You're Texas residents. Having a second home and paying taxes does not make you a resident of Colorado.

To become Colorado residents, move there. Move your voting, drivers license, Co version of homestead, etc, and give all that up in Texas. Most states want to se that at least a year before school starts to get instate, although if you don't make that window you can apply later for an adjustment

Universities are quite savvy on this as you're not the only one looking for a workaround. Some states specifically go so far as to say the student can't claim residence even if they live their full time after starting attendance, if coming to the school was the driver that got them to the state

edited to add link to Colorado requirements for instate tuition

https://financialaid.colostate.edu/in-s ... uirements/

Mike
RetiredAL
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by RetiredAL »

Daughter at age 23 decided to go to Grad School at Montana State Univ starting the spring semester. Her program included being paid as an research assistant. Their criteria was 1 full year of MT residency.

I had her leave CA on Dec 26 so she could arrive and change her DL + truck License to MT before year-end. It was shared housing so she wrote a check in Dec for partial Dec + the upcoming month's rent.

Spring semester a year later, she was considered a resident. Their check item was her DL's issue date. She still lives in MT, coming on 20 years now.

It was a whirl-wind acceptance. She discussed going the Grad School with us at Thanksgiving, I told her to contact her under-grad advisor at Colorado State, who sent a recommendation to the Montana Program Director. Within days she had an E-mail offer saying "if you can be here by Jan 5, we have an opening for you". Her application was after the offer.

We did pay out-of-state fees the entire time she was at Colorado State. At that time, CO used parents residency unless the student was 21+ and emancipated.
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rightdecisions
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by rightdecisions »

I think she is the one that needs to become a resident, not me.

I know I am stretching....Couldn't she get a CO driver's license, register car there. Use 2nd home as a renter for residency. Currently she is not legal to vote, not working so no tax, does not need homestead, etc. ?

She would need to live there 90 consecutive days to meet residency at state level. University is 12 months but of that 12 months, I am not sure how many days you need to stay consecutive if that is a rule.
Mike Scott
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by Mike Scott »

Read the university fine print. They know how to play this game.
Journeyman510
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by Journeyman510 »

Nobody has ever thought of this....
Normchad
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by Normchad »

Mike Scott wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 8:41 pm Read the university fine print. They know how to play this game.
Yep. They will also know where her high school that she graduated from is located…..
Topic Author
rightdecisions
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by rightdecisions »

Normchad wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 8:49 pm
Mike Scott wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 8:41 pm Read the university fine print. They know how to play this game.
Yep. They will also know where her high school that she graduated from is located…..
I was waiting for someone to mention this. Yes, this is the issue I cannot solve.
Journeyman510
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by Journeyman510 »

Over many decades, colleges have seen every trick imaginable. You will not be able to pull the wool over their eyes.
CFM300
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by CFM300 »

rightdecisions wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 8:34 pm I think she is the one that needs to become a resident, not me.
Nope.

"The domicile of a nonemancipated student is the same as that of a parent or legal guardian. Students over the age of 22 years, second-year graduate students, married students and emancipated students are qualified to determine their own domicile."

https://www.colorado.edu/registrar/stud ... bility-504
DoubleComma
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by DoubleComma »

rightdecisions wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 8:34 pm I think she is the one that needs to become a resident, not me.

I know I am stretching....Couldn't she get a CO driver's license, register car there. Use 2nd home as a renter for residency. Currently she is not legal to vote, not working so no tax, does not need homestead, etc. ?

She would need to live there 90 consecutive days to meet residency at state level. University is 12 months but of that 12 months, I am not sure how many days you need to stay consecutive if that is a rule.
She needs to be the resident, correct. To be a resident of different state than one parents you can no longer claim her on your tax return.

Establishing residency in a new state is faster and easier than being a qualified for in state tuition. For example, Utah is one of the most liberal states with allowing non-residents to become residents and qualifying for in-state tuition. After living full time for 366 days they can apply for in-state consideration. The UofU actually use it as a recruiting tool for out of state students. Beyond having housing, drivers licenses, car registration if one owns a car and filing tax returns for over a year; the student also can't leave the state for more than 30 days a year. The University is required to make sure the student is living permanently. When in question, a student needs to prove they were there, not the other way around. The easiest way to do this is for the student to show traceable purchases made over the time in question...things like gas and groceries made on a debt or credit card.

I don’t know CO rules specifically, but I’m sure its similar.

I for one am happy schools make this challenging. In CA we have fantastic colleges and universities, I don’t need out of state students gaming for local kids spots in schools my taxes have supported for decades.
secondcor521
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by secondcor521 »

rightdecisions wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 8:34 pm I think she is the one that needs to become a resident, not me.

I know I am stretching....Couldn't she get a CO driver's license, register car there. Use 2nd home as a renter for residency. Currently she is not legal to vote, not working so no tax, does not need homestead, etc. ?

She would need to live there 90 consecutive days to meet residency at state level. University is 12 months but of that 12 months, I am not sure how many days you need to stay consecutive if that is a rule.
The University of Washington rule was that if the child was a dependent for FAFSA purposes (and your child almost certainly is), then it was the residency of the parents that mattered, not the residency of the student. They've seen parents try this game before.

Each state is different, and I know you're looking at CO and not WA. Take a look at the specific school's rules or call their business office; they'll be able to answer your questions.

I would *guess* that the 12 months is the 12 months immediately prior to your daughter asking them for in state tuition. If she's starting in August 2023, then they probably mean September 2022 through August 2023. Or perhaps a month or two earlier if she needs to ask for in state tuition before the semester starts.
123
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by 123 »

My impression is that some schools may use a different criteria to accept out-of-state students for the purpose of increasing "diversity" (their political excuse) and the higher revenue from out-of-state tuition. If a student is no longer an out-of-state student perhaps they would no longer qualify for admission.
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Watty
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by Watty »

Mike Scott wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 8:41 pm Read the university fine print. They know how to play this game.
+1

Also don't think that you will be able to get by with not being completely honest about the details.

It was a long time ago but there was a guy in my dorm that was getting ready to graduate and the university did a final review of everyone's status as a routine part of granting the degree. He had apparently done something like use a relatives address to get in state tuition. The university was insisting that he pay the additional out of state tuition to graduate.

I never heard how that turned out.
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unclescrooge
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by unclescrooge »

So if my kids become legally emancipated at 16, I don't have to pay for their college, right? 🤔
Dregob
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by Dregob »

rightdecisions wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 8:52 pm
Normchad wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 8:49 pm
Mike Scott wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 8:41 pm Read the university fine print. They know how to play this game.
Yep. They will also know where her high school that she graduated from is located…..
I was waiting for someone to mention this. Yes, this is the issue I cannot solve.
The real issue is this is theft. That's a great lesson for your daughter to learn!
CFM300
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by CFM300 »

DoubleComma wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 9:03 pm She needs to be the resident, correct.
Nope. See my post above.
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rightdecisions
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by rightdecisions »

Dregob wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 10:01 pm
rightdecisions wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 8:52 pm
Normchad wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 8:49 pm
Mike Scott wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 8:41 pm Read the university fine print. They know how to play this game.
Yep. They will also know where her high school that she graduated from is located…..
I was waiting for someone to mention this. Yes, this is the issue I cannot solve.
The real issue is this is theft. That's a great lesson for your daughter to learn!
Sigh....there is no theft here. Just trying to understand options.
RetiredAL
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by RetiredAL »

rightdecisions wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 10:40 pm ...... Just trying to understand options.
Your option comes under the category of being the "Bank of Dad".

-- Been there, done that! --
marcopolo
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by marcopolo »

rightdecisions wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 10:40 pm
Dregob wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 10:01 pm
rightdecisions wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 8:52 pm
Normchad wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 8:49 pm
Mike Scott wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 8:41 pm Read the university fine print. They know how to play this game.
Yep. They will also know where her high school that she graduated from is located…..
I was waiting for someone to mention this. Yes, this is the issue I cannot solve.
The real issue is this is theft. That's a great lesson for your daughter to learn!
Sigh....there is no theft here. Just trying to understand options.
It seems the options to get in-state tuition is to go to one of the many excellent in-state schools in your state of residence?
Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.
BrainDrain
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by BrainDrain »

Colorado public universities, particularly CU Boulder and Colorado School of Mines, depend on out of state and international students in order to help subsidize their budgets through additional tuition fees. CU in particular is well known for attracting students from Texas, Illinois, and California to fill its coffers. Almost half of the undergrad students at CU are from out of state, in contrast to most Texas universities that are 90 percent or more in-state. Colorado is among the most strict states in terms of qualifying for in state residence for purposes of higher education.

One positive is that the University of Colorado does offer merit aid to many out of state students, unlike many other flagship public universities. It used to be more straightforward before we entered the world of test-optional admissions. You would look up the chart and use your SAT/ACT score and GPA to determine how much aid you're likely to qualify for. Now the scholarship review is more nuanced and holistic. Admittedly most merit aid packages don't do much to reduce the approximately $60,000 annual cost of attendance (includes room, board, travel, books, and other expenses) for CU out of state students.

There are other, more affordable options in Colorado. Mines will be lower than CU in part that it's cheaper to live in Golden than Boulder. Colorado State in Fort Collins has lower tuition, less of an out of state surcharge, lower room and board costs, and tends to be more generous with merit aid than CU or Mines. Fort Lewis College in Durango has a COA for out of state students that's lower than what many students would pay in their home state. It also has generous merit packages. University of Denver, a well regarded up and coming private school, also has generous merit aid that would perhaps make it less expensive to attend than CU.

There are lots of options for relatively affordable out of state tuition in Colorado. But CU and Mines tend to be tough nuts to crack when it comes to their costs for OOS students.
boogle_12
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by boogle_12 »

marcopolo wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 11:09 pm
rightdecisions wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 10:40 pm
Dregob wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 10:01 pm
rightdecisions wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 8:52 pm
Normchad wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 8:49 pm

Yep. They will also know where her high school that she graduated from is located…..
I was waiting for someone to mention this. Yes, this is the issue I cannot solve.
The real issue is this is theft. That's a great lesson for your daughter to learn!
Sigh....there is no theft here. Just trying to understand options.
It seems the options to get in-state tuition is to go to one of the many excellent in-state schools in your state of residence?
This is the correct answer.
Jack FFR1846
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

In state has NOTHING to do with being a resident of the state. It has to do with the rules that the college set up. A coworker devised a scheme where he would give up guardianship of his daughter and go through the court system to have his brother become her guardian. The brother lived in the state where daughter was going to college. They worked with an attorney who quickly found that the scheme would not work because the college rule was that a student was considered in state only if she was a state resident when she turned 17. Too late by the time they found this rule. As it turned out, the college cost was so low even for out of state that I laughed when he told me. My son was entering private college at 3 times the out of state cost there.
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BabaWawa
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by BabaWawa »

rightdecisions wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 7:02 pm Curious if anyone has run into this situation before.

Family and main house is in Texas. Homestead, driver licenses, voting rights are Texas. We have a 2nd home in Colorado. Curious if Daughter can claim Colorado residency to receive instate tuition. How would she explain or do that?

I do pay Colorado State Income Tax, property tax, utilities, etc. I have been reading up on eligibility for instate tuition for Colorado and others. None of them mention 2nd home as an exception.

She would attend college Aug 2023.
What's wrong with Texas state schools? Is she wants to go to Colorado, let her pay the difference through student loans. The loans may even get forgiven at some point😆.
mr_brightside
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by mr_brightside »

Journeyman510 wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 8:55 pm Over many decades, colleges have seen every trick imaginable. You will not be able to pull the wool over their eyes.
this.

just because you are a 'taxpayer' in a state -- doesn't mean you are a resident there.

where did she graduate HS? where did she physically live 3 of the last 4 years? where does she hold a driver's license, etc. etc.

they know some folks want to 'game the system'.

-------------------------------------------------------------
humblecoder
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by humblecoder »

I have a High School friend who went to University of Michigan (which was out of state for him). While there, he ended up getting his MI driver's license, registering to vote in MI, getting a year round apartment there, worked over the summers there. Basically, he was living full time in MI by most standards.

He applied for Michigan in-state tuition, but was denied. As I recall, the reason was he was a dependent and his parents resided outside of Michigan.

I know that the above doesn't apply to the OP's circumstances. The reason I mention this is to note that most colleges are pretty strict when it comes to the criteria for in-state tuition, and they have probably thought of (and closed) every potential loophole that you could think of.
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by an_asker »

RetiredAL wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 8:23 pm Daughter at age 23 decided to go to Grad School at Montana State Univ starting the spring semester. Her program included being paid as an research assistant. Their criteria was 1 full year of MT residency.

I had her leave CA on Dec 26 so she could arrive and change her DL + truck License to MT before year-end. It was shared housing so she wrote a check in Dec for partial Dec + the upcoming month's rent.

Spring semester a year later, she was considered a resident. Their check item was her DL's issue date. She still lives in MT, coming on 20 years now.

It was a whirl-wind acceptance. She discussed going the Grad School with us at Thanksgiving, I told her to contact her under-grad advisor at Colorado State, who sent a recommendation to the Montana Program Director. Within days she had an E-mail offer saying "if you can be here by Jan 5, we have an opening for you". Her application was after the offer.
[...]
That is strange. Maybe things have changed now (I know for sure that the stipends are way higher lol), but back in the days when I was in grad school, (all?) graduate assistantships carried an automatic in-state tuition grant with them.
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BrooklynInvest
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by BrooklynInvest »

One thought.

I was considered an "independent" student after one year of paying my own tuition, rent, etc. etc. and qualified as in-state from Sophomore year on in NJ because that's where I lived during and outside the school year. Granted it was about a thousand years ago so things may have changed.

Financial independence was the criteria but if you're paying the bills for her though then it likely won't work. Rules may differ by state.
camden
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by camden »

Why Colorado? Although I’m not a big believer in college “rankings”, the University of Texas at Austin is considered an excellent school and is consistently listed in the upper echelon of public universities. No problem getting in state tuition there.
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greg24
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by greg24 »

Jack FFR1846 wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 6:18 am In state has NOTHING to do with being a resident of the state.
does not agree with
Jack FFR1846 wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 6:18 am only if she was a state resident when she turned 17.
CFM300
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by CFM300 »

Jack FFR1846 wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 6:18 am In state has NOTHING to do with being a resident of the state. It has to do with the rules that the college set up.
In Colorado, the rules are set by law, not by the college or university.

"Tuition classification is governed by state law (Title 23, Article 7, of the Colorado Revised Statutes of 1973, as amended) and by judicial decisions that apply to all public institutions of higher education in Colorado, and is subject to change at any time. The university is not free to make exceptions to the rules except as specifically permitted by state law."

https://www.colorado.edu/registrar/stud ... guidelines
seawolf21
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by seawolf21 »

If you are not paying income taxes to that state, you likely do not qualify for in-state tuition.
elderwise
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by elderwise »

I have a question sort kinda related.

If the OP is a remote worker and really moves moves to CO and files taxes...this should give them CO Domicile correct?I

If your job allows you to work anywhere remotely that is.

Then this would not be gaming the system ...

But I also don't understand thr charm of CO colleges many many good colleges in Texas UOH, TAMU, Baylor etc etc..
ncbill
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by ncbill »

rightdecisions wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 7:02 pm Curious if anyone has run into this situation before.

Family and main house is in Texas. Homestead, driver licenses, voting rights are Texas. We have a 2nd home in Colorado. Curious if Daughter can claim Colorado residency to receive instate tuition. How would she explain or do that?

I do pay Colorado State Income Tax, property tax, utilities, etc. I have been reading up on eligibility for instate tuition for Colorado and others. None of them mention 2nd home as an exception.

She would attend college Aug 2023.
Have the kid move to CO immediately after high school graduation, change driver's license and voter registration.

And then tell her she's joining the CO National Guard, which offers educations benefits (tuition up to $5000/semester for in-state public schools) as long as she meets the requirements, most notably:

"6 months of service in the CO National Guard prior to start of semester."

https://dmva.colorado.gov/tuition-assistance

EDIT:

"23-7-108. Tuition classification of Colorado National Guard personnel

...a member of the Colorado National Guard who maintains his or her sole residence in Colorado, or the dependent of said member of the Colorado National Guard, shall receive in-state tuition status at any institution of higher education in this state.

Said member of the Colorado National Guard shall receive in-state tuition status regardless of whether he or she is eligible for or is receiving tuition assistance..."

https://highered.colorado.gov/colorado- ... y-statutes
Last edited by ncbill on Thu May 26, 2022 12:35 pm, edited 2 times in total.
dale77
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by dale77 »

For Utah and Missouri universities, it is fairly easy to get in-state tuition starting sophomore year, as long as you work/attend school in-state the summer after freshman year (and a few other doable steps).

Pretty much everywhere else, though, it's very hard to get in-state tuition unless you're actually an in-state resident.
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

greg24 wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 8:43 am
Jack FFR1846 wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 6:18 am In state has NOTHING to do with being a resident of the state.
does not agree with
Jack FFR1846 wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 6:18 am only if she was a state resident when she turned 17.
A bit vague, I guess. Thinking of my co-worker's situation.

So at the time the co-worker was fighting to get in state tuition, daughter was 18. The fact that she had gone through the process of becoming an official state resident didn't help her cause because the college based their decision on whether she could have been considered a state resident at 17. So to be more clear, in her case, her PRESENT residency didn't matter. Her residency at the age of 17, in the past would determine her state for tuition.

I've noticed a few statements also of graduate students being considered in state at some colleges. I do remember that there were both in state and out of state tuition rates at Virginia Tech when I was in grad school there.
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randomguy
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by randomguy »

camden wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 8:24 am Why Colorado? Although I’m not a big believer in college “rankings”, the University of Texas at Austin is considered an excellent school and is consistently listed in the upper echelon of public universities. No problem getting in state tuition there.
She would need to get in....

The schools are well aware that people try and do this and have shut down most of the easy avenues. Maybe you have an angle (you move to CO for a year and work remotely. Granted now you have to pay income tax) that works but the odds are against you.
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by LadyGeek »

I want to address several comments related to in-state tuition. For the record, discussions of dishonest behavior or bypassing the law are totally unacceptable.

The intent is to understand how to do this within the existing legal framework; in which case this discussion can continue.

The approach is to educate members on how to do things legally. State your points in a factual manner. If the intent strays from this objective, please report the post and we'll investigate.

(I also fixed the spelling in the thread title "Instate" to "In-State".)
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greg24
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by greg24 »

Jack FFR1846 wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 10:03 am
greg24 wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 8:43 am
Jack FFR1846 wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 6:18 am In state has NOTHING to do with being a resident of the state.
does not agree with
Jack FFR1846 wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 6:18 am only if she was a state resident when she turned 17.
A bit vague, I guess. Thinking of my co-worker's situation.

So at the time the co-worker was fighting to get in state tuition, daughter was 18. The fact that she had gone through the process of becoming an official state resident didn't help her cause because the college based their decision on whether she could have been considered a state resident at 17. So to be more clear, in her case, her PRESENT residency didn't matter. Her residency at the age of 17, in the past would determine her state for tuition.
She was caught trying to cheat the system and cheat the taxpayers. They set it up like that to catch people trying pull a fast one.
MMiroir
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by MMiroir »

camden wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 8:24 am Why Colorado? Although I’m not a big believer in college “rankings”, the University of Texas at Austin is considered an excellent school and is consistently listed in the upper echelon of public universities. No problem getting in state tuition there.
The University of Colorado has an acceptance rate of 78 percent and it is one of the easiest high-profile flagship universities to gain acceptance to. If the OP's daughter could not swing UT-Austin or TAMU, it would be an appealing option compared to Texas Tech, the University of Houston or the various in-state privates.
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Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by stoptothink »

BrooklynInvest wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 8:10 am One thought.

I was considered an "independent" student after one year of paying my own tuition, rent, etc. etc. and qualified as in-state from Sophomore year on in NJ because that's where I lived during and outside the school year. Granted it was about a thousand years ago so things may have changed.

Financial independence was the criteria but if you're paying the bills for her though then it likely won't work. Rules may differ by state.
I know probably a dozen people who moved from California and got Utah residency (and in-state tuition) within a year. I know 4 others who did it from Texas. My sister did it, Arizona to Utah. All these people attended the same absurdly cheap Utah public university; which made it possible for them to be completely financially independent of their parents. BUT, all these situations occurred at least 5 years or more ago and I have heard that it has become a lot more difficult.
FlamePoint
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Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2020 9:45 pm

Re: How to secure In-State Tuition

Post by FlamePoint »

When our kids graduated from high school we retired and moved to a different state (during the summer between their graduation and their Fall college session). We bought a home in our new state, registered all our vehicles, got drivers licenses and all registered to vote. Kids were claimed as dependents on prior year’s taxes. We had to provide a notarized letter attesting to this fact. We were able to file for and receive in state tuition for their Fall session.

The process was involved and all boxes had to be checked in order for us to qualify. It was clear this wasn’t the college’s first rodeo.
DoubleComma
Posts: 2066
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2020 2:23 pm

Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by DoubleComma »

CFM300 wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 10:37 pm
DoubleComma wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 9:03 pm She needs to be the resident, correct.
Nope. See my post above.
There is no emancipation process for an individual who is 18 y/o and living totally independently. Meaning the student provides there own support; not receiving money, healthcare insurance or other from their family to pay for school and the family doesn’t get to claim the student in their taxes.

I’m not simply saying the student establishes residency in different state from the family while the family still provides their support.
DoubleComma
Posts: 2066
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2020 2:23 pm

Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by DoubleComma »

stoptothink wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 10:46 am
BrooklynInvest wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 8:10 am One thought.

I was considered an "independent" student after one year of paying my own tuition, rent, etc. etc. and qualified as in-state from Sophomore year on in NJ because that's where I lived during and outside the school year. Granted it was about a thousand years ago so things may have changed.

Financial independence was the criteria but if you're paying the bills for her though then it likely won't work. Rules may differ by state.
I know probably a dozen people who moved from California and got Utah residency (and in-state tuition) within a year. I know 4 others who did it from Texas. My sister did it, Arizona to Utah. All these people attended the same absurdly cheap Utah public university; which made it possible for them to be completely financially independent of their parents. BUT, all these situations occurred at least 5 years or more ago and I have heard that it has become a lot more difficult.
Utah specifically is still very easy for a student to establish residency and in-state tuition.

We did an official prospective student tour of the UofU in January of this year, met with an admissions counselor and the finance office. The Admission officer was exclusively focused on recruiting California students, and they had a fully prepared presentation on various financial options for out of state students. They basically outlined 2 options beyond simply paying out of state for the duration.

Option one was WICHE scholarship for students from the covered Western States. This provides a 50% discount on the out of state tuition premium and is automatically granted to admitted and qualified out of state students. Catch is it only good for 4 years…not a day longer. Graduating in 4 years isn’t a given as it was when I was an undergrad in the 1990s.

Option 2 was paying full out of state tuition for year one while establishing residency. The beginning in year 2 you qualified for in-state tuition for as long as you maintained Utah residency. The catch here was parents losing the dependent and, the reason we wouldn’t consider it, the student couldn’t leave the state for more than 30 days —- which prevented summer internships outside of Utah. Ironically Utah wasn’t concerned if the student still received financial support from home, but they did need to work and file non-dependent tax returns in Utah. Federal government might have a different opinion, but we didn’t go any further exploring this option.

You can’t combine WICHE in year one and establish residency for successive years.

So in Utah it’s still very easy and lots of students do it, but there are some gotcha’s that folks need to be aware of.

The best, and most accurate, information comes from the University Admissions and Finance offices…not here. We are limited to sharing our own experiences which vary wildly.
KneeReplacementTutor
Posts: 674
Joined: Tue Dec 29, 2020 10:52 am

Re: How to secure In-State Tuition

Post by KneeReplacementTutor »

rightdecisions wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 7:02 pm Curious if anyone has run into this situation before.

Family and main house is in Texas. Homestead, driver licenses, voting rights are Texas. We have a 2nd home in Colorado. Curious if Daughter can claim Colorado residency to receive instate tuition. How would she explain or do that?

I do pay Colorado State Income Tax, property tax, utilities, etc. I have been reading up on eligibility for instate tuition for Colorado and others. None of them mention 2nd home as an exception.

She would attend college Aug 2023.
Private schools often don't charge out of state tuition. Their "advertised price" may be much higher but they often provide good students with scholarships that offset, or more than offset the difference. U of D?

https://www.du.edu
CFM300
Posts: 2541
Joined: Sat Oct 27, 2007 5:13 am

Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by CFM300 »

DoubleComma wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 11:10 am I’m not simply saying the student establishes residency in different state from the family while the family still provides their support.
From the link I provided above regarding the law in Colorado:

"Students over the age of 22 years, second-year graduate students, married students and emancipated students are qualified to determine their own domicile." For other students, their domicile is the same as that of their parent(s) or legal guardian(s).

Whether the student or family provides their support is irrelevant.

Also, establishing domicile just starts a 12-month clock: "Resident status requires at least 12 consecutive months of Colorado domicile immediately preceding the beginning of the term for which the student is seeking resident status."

It's all explained on the page I've linked several times. Not sure why people keep speculating about Colorado based on their experiences with other states.
stoptothink
Posts: 15368
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 8:53 am

Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by stoptothink »

DoubleComma wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 11:26 am
stoptothink wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 10:46 am
BrooklynInvest wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 8:10 am One thought.

I was considered an "independent" student after one year of paying my own tuition, rent, etc. etc. and qualified as in-state from Sophomore year on in NJ because that's where I lived during and outside the school year. Granted it was about a thousand years ago so things may have changed.

Financial independence was the criteria but if you're paying the bills for her though then it likely won't work. Rules may differ by state.
I know probably a dozen people who moved from California and got Utah residency (and in-state tuition) within a year. I know 4 others who did it from Texas. My sister did it, Arizona to Utah. All these people attended the same absurdly cheap Utah public university; which made it possible for them to be completely financially independent of their parents. BUT, all these situations occurred at least 5 years or more ago and I have heard that it has become a lot more difficult.
Utah specifically is still very easy for a student to establish residency and in-state tuition.

We did an official prospective student tour of the UofU in January of this year, met with an admissions counselor and the finance office. The Admission officer was exclusively focused on recruiting California students, and they had a fully prepared presentation on various financial options for out of state students. They basically outlined 2 options beyond simply paying out of state for the duration.

Option one was WICHE scholarship for students from the covered Western States. This provides a 50% discount on the out of state tuition premium and is automatically granted to admitted and qualified out of state students. Catch is it only good for 4 years…not a day longer. Graduating in 4 years isn’t a given as it was when I was an undergrad in the 1990s.

Option 2 was paying full out of state tuition for year one while establishing residency. The beginning in year 2 you qualified for in-state tuition for as long as you maintained Utah residency. The catch here was parents losing the dependent and, the reason we wouldn’t consider it, the student couldn’t leave the state for more than 30 days —- which prevented summer internships outside of Utah. Ironically Utah wasn’t concerned if the student still received financial support from home, but they did need to work and file non-dependent tax returns in Utah. Federal government might have a different opinion, but we didn’t go any further exploring this option.

You can’t combine WICHE in year one and establish residency for successive years.

So in Utah it’s still very easy and lots of students do it, but there are some gotcha’s that folks need to be aware of.

The best, and most accurate, information comes from the University Admissions and Finance offices…not here. We are limited to sharing our own experiences which vary wildly.
Interesting. I'll bet it's even easier at the school I was referring to (Utah Valley University).
Colorado14
Posts: 1792
Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2011 4:58 pm
Location: Colorado

Re: How to secure In-State Tuition

Post by Colorado14 »

KneeReplacementTutor wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 11:41 am
rightdecisions wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 7:02 pm Curious if anyone has run into this situation before.

Family and main house is in Texas. Homestead, driver licenses, voting rights are Texas. We have a 2nd home in Colorado. Curious if Daughter can claim Colorado residency to receive instate tuition. How would she explain or do that?

I do pay Colorado State Income Tax, property tax, utilities, etc. I have been reading up on eligibility for instate tuition for Colorado and others. None of them mention 2nd home as an exception.

She would attend college Aug 2023.
Private schools often don't charge out of state tuition. Their "advertised price" may be much higher but they often provide good students with scholarships that offset, or more than offset the difference. U of D?

https://www.du.edu
Just an FYI: The University of Denver uses "DU" and not "U of D" as its designation. You'll get blank stares/lack of recognition if you refer to it as "U of D."

Also, the University of Colorado in Boulder is CU, not U of C.
Mr. Rumples
Posts: 2978
Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2019 7:16 am

Re: How to secure In-State Tuition

Post by Mr. Rumples »

There are reciprocal state agreements in place for out of state students to get in state tuition in a nearby state for participating public universities and colleges; in some instances its also limited to certain majors. The Southern Regional Education Board runs an Academic Common Market, but alas, while TX is part of this as are most southern states (NC doesn't), CO is not; CO is part of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.
Last edited by Mr. Rumples on Wed May 25, 2022 1:45 pm, edited 6 times in total.
"History is the memory of time, the life of the dead and the happiness of the living." Captain John Smith 1580-1631
lazynovice
Posts: 3369
Joined: Mon Apr 16, 2012 10:48 pm
Location: Denver area. Former Texan.

Re: How to secure Instate Tuition

Post by lazynovice »

unclescrooge wrote: Tue May 24, 2022 9:56 pm So if my kids become legally emancipated at 16, I don't have to pay for their college, right? 🤔
You don’t have to pay for their college regardless of emancipation status. Your choice.
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