Taxes: CA resident attending non-CA undergrad school. Where do I file state taxes?

Hi,

I'm originally from CA but I'm attending undergrad on the east coast. I recently took a closer look at my pay stub from workstudy and I'm paying taxes for the other state, not CA. I've filed CA tax returns for the past three years since I haven't made enough more to get money back. Should I file a CA tax return or the other state's tax return next year? Would filing the other state's tax return so I could get some money back null my CA residency status (Important for med school since CA has a lot of med schools)? (My federal tax return is sent to my CA address). How do med schools define residency?

i was in the same boat a few years back...in MA if you are earning money in MA but not permanently living there, you file a "part time resident" form with MA. I didn't file at all with my home state.

ask your financial aid office--they'll definately know more than i do.

As far as I know, as a dependent, most schools will count your state residency status as the state that your parents are residents as. If you really wanted to change your state residency, you would need to do a lot more then file state taxes. As a student, you woul probably be elgible for a complete tax refund. You should therefore file with whichever state has been taking money out of your paycheck every other week to get your money back.