Question for out of state applicants...

I live in Alabama and probly will live here until i get accepted. I plan on going to school out of state and I would love to skip the out of state tuition. Does anyone know the rule about how long you must be a resident in a particular state to be void of out of state tuition? Ive been told it was one year by unreliable sources and i wonder if the rule fluctates from state to state. any help would be awesome!

Each state enacts its own laws governing residency. In Maryland, for instance, to qualify for in-state tuition, a student must demonstrate that, for at least twelve consecutive months immediately prior to registering for courses in the semester/term for which the student seeks in-state tuition status, the student had the continuous intent to:

1. Make Maryland his or her permanent home; and

2. Abandon his or her former home state; and

3. Reside in Maryland indefinitely; and

4. Reside in Maryland primarily for a purpose other than that of attending an educational institution in Maryland.

The student has the burden of proof. To prove the above, the student must show that he/she:

1. Owns or possesses, and has continuously occupied, including during weekends, breaks and vacations, living quarters in Maryland. The student must provide evidence of a genuine deed or lease and documentation of rent payments made. In lieu of a deed or lease, a notarized affidavit from a landlord showing the address, name of the student as occupant, term of residence, and history of rent payments made will be considered. As an alternative, a student may demonstrate that he or she shares living quarters in Maryland which are owned or rented and occupied by a parent, legal guardian or spouse.

2. Has substantially all of his or her personal property, such as household effects, furniture and pets in Maryland.

3. Has paid Maryland income tax on all taxable income including all taxable income earned outside the State and has filed a Maryland tax return.

4. Has registered all owned or leased motor vehicles in Maryland.

5. Possesses a valid Maryland driver's license, if licensed.

6. Is registered to vote in Maryland, if registered to vote.

7. Receives no public assistance from a state other than the State of Maryland or from a city, county or municipal agency other than one in Maryland.

8. Has a legal ability under Federal and Maryland law to live permanently without interruption in Maryland.

9. Has rebutted the presumption that he or she is in Maryland primarily to attend an educational institution, if the student's circumstances have raised the presumption.

(from http://www.testudo.umd.edu/rco/policy.html)

Maryland is by no means unique, but rather, has laws very similar to other states. So, the bottom line is... it's tough to prove, if you're moving solely to attend school. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Thank you very much for the reply. So the bottom line is that i could not claim in state tuition if i signed on and recieved educational funds from say an anesthesia agency in Birmingham while i was in crna school in another state, even if i lived there for a year and met all the other criteria...right? Well, debt... HERE I COME!

There are some programs that don't have out of state tuition. I don't have a link to provide you with for a full list of these schools, but I do know of two programs off hand with no out of state tuition. Arkansas State in Jonesboro Arkansas and Hamot University in Eerie PA. I know this because I'm from NC and start at ASU in January. A friend of mine, also from NC is going to Hamot in January and the cost is the same across the board for in and out of staters at both! Good luck in your search and acceptance.

As a rule, private universities do not charge out of state rates fror tuition. Those are pretty much limited to state universities.

You should be careful and check the individual state school to determine their policy. In Iowa as an undergraduate a few years ago if you start as an out of state student you cannot gain in state status while you are in school. I guess they assume that you are only in the state to go to school.

there is usually a definition of in state status somewhere in the literature for the school admission policy. It is usually a state statute. I hope this helps.

rbrad48