Question for current or former college students

[Sabres_Fan]

My daughter is attending WVU. We are PA residents so her tuition is alot. I really dont know anyone who live in WV and since she is attending WVU and living there can she become a WV resident even though she will be living back here in PA in the summers? Basically if I switched her vehicle registration to WV combined that she is living in the dorms will she become a WV resident after a year?

[pittsoccer33]

a friend tried doing it in pa.

if i remember correctly he had to come up with the following
pa high school transcript
pa tax return
parents pa tax return
pa drivers license

needless to say it didnt work. that was a while ago

[columbia]

I think that she would have to live there for a year, without being a student, to be eligible for in-state tuition.
One of my brothers went to WVU and I recall him doing that.

[shafnutz05]

Yeah, good luck. I just don't see it being "that easy", or else everyone would be doing it.

[IanMoran]

I'd imagine you'll have to find out for the state of WV. When I was looking at law schools I discovered some in which virtually everyone received in-state tuition their second year and probably even more in which it was virtually impossible.. so it depends, but I'm not sure how WV is

[bhaw]

I was able to accomplish this for my last year at Colorado. But I had to use a friend's address, convert everything to CO (license, registration), file tax returns there, and they still questioned me. I think I had to verify my intent was to continue living there and do an in-person interview and go through several appeals.

I also had to verify I was paying my tuition. If your parents pay and they are out of state, that pretty much nullifies it. That might explain IanMoran's post. Usually in law schools, people are paying their own way via loans, etc.

[Fire0nice228]

Same for me as columbia. I moved to NC wanting to go to school there and I decided to just live there for a year to get in-state, then apply to the school and start attending. I know that you had to have NC drivers license, register vehicle in NC, work/taxes in NC, permanent address in NC, etc. etc.

Long story short I lived there for 3 years, had a blast, never actually went to school and now I'm going to school in PA as a PA resident @ SRU (after of course transferring everything back to PA!). doh!

[legame]

You need to provide proof that you've lived in that state for a year. Attending college there does not count. As has been previously stated, many graduate schools do not discern between in and out of state tuition.

My sister attends UNC Greensboro and the only way she can receive in-state tuition is to legally live with me/file for taxes herself. That's obviously a no-go, so my mom bites the bullet and pays a ridiculous amount for her to go out-of-state.

[mac5155]

My uncle did this way back when in Indiana (state). He had an uncle living there that he lived with. His parents had to sign him away basically. If she does this she can't be claimed on a tax form and probably not eligible for much financial aid. I wouldn't do it. Go to an in-state school if you want in-state tuition. It's lower for a reason.

[newarenanow]

Yeah, she'll probably have to move there for at least a year, have her tax returns filed there, and make it her primary residence while she is at school there.

It's not as easy as just transferring a vehicle registration and living there for college. If it was, everyone would get in state tuition.

[mac5155]

My fiancee moved in with her dad at her sophomore year (which was like moving 15 miles away) and they threatened to suspend her student aid for moving. She had to fill out a ton of questionnaires about residency because he made less money than her mom and therefore she got more student aid. One of the reasons why she moved but i can only imagine what they'd do if the school was slosing 10k on you each year.

[Shyster]

Generally speaking, to be considered a legal resident of a state, you have to be domiciled in that state. Domicile and residence are not synonymous. Lotz v. Atamaniuk, 304 S.E.2d 20, 23 (W.Va. 1983). One can have several residences, but only one domicile. In order to establish domicile, you must not merely live in a place, but it must be the place you intend to permanently remain. “A person is not considered to have lost his residence when he leaves his home and goes into another state, territory or county, for temporary purposes merely, with the intention of returning.” Lotz, 304 S.E.2d at 23. It would be the place where you vote, pay taxes, and intend to permanently live. I can certainly imagine a university placing a temporal requirement as well, for example, being domiciled in West Virginia for a year before being considered “in-state” for tuition purposes.

In other words, merely getting a West Virginia driver’s license would not be enough. She would need to move to West Virginia and establish a household there, pay taxes there, vote there, etc., with no intention to return to Pennsylvania for anything other than temporary visits.

[mac5155]

Doesnt WVU offer a program that if you remain in WV for x number of years after graduation and work there as well, you get tuition refunds? They had something like this when I was looking in 2006.