Legal Residence vs. Resident for Tuition Purposes

[wmd95]

I know there are a bunch of questions regarding residency for moving and such. I was wondering, specifically for medical school admissions committees evaluating you in an in-state applicant pool solely for the purposes of deciding to admit you, do you need to have the typical 12 months living in the state? I am not referring to try to get in-state tuition. I am only referring to getting evaluted as an in-state applicant. Is there a difference?

For example, let's say I want to go to University of South Carolina Medical School, but I currently reside in Florida. I plan on applying in June 2018. I decide to move to South Carolina in March 2018, and received my driver's license in SC, registered to vote, have a job in SC, etc. Thus, I am a legal resident of SC. On the AMCAS application, I would list my residence as South Carolina. However, would the admissions committees evaluate me as an in-state or out-of-state applicant? Is their evaluation of a legal resident of SC in the in-state applicant pool correlated at all with the resident for tuition purpose pool? Do you need to be both a legal resident and a resident for tuition purposes in order to be considered in the in-state application pool? Also, if I were to be admitted and attend USC Medical School, I would have technically lived in SC for more than 12 months. Would I be eligible for in-state tuition then?

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[efle]

I am not referring to try to get in-state tuition. I am only referring to getting evaluted as an in-state applicant. Is there a difference?

You need to be a resident of the state in the legal sense - where you pay taxes and vote. They don't care if you live there, many people leave to live elsewhere for college but retain their residency and are counted as instate applicants. So if you go through the process of becoming an SC resident, and relinquish your Florida residency, you will be considered instate for SC schools and not considered instate for FL schools.

 

[cactusman]

For most schools, OOS for admissions and OOS for tuition are the same, although schools will often give you a "boost" to some extent if you have ties to the state (e.g. lives there during childhood, undergrad there) which don't affect tuition cost but make you more likely to attend the school and practice in the state.

OOS for admission/tuition is often a much higher requirement than legal residence. I believe Massachusetts, for example, requires 5 years of living and paying taxes to the state.

 

[wmd95]

For most schools, OOS for admissions and OOS for tuition are the same, although schools will often give you a "boost" to some extent if you have ties to the state (e.g. lives there during childhood, undergrad there) which don't affect tuition cost but make you more likely to attend the school and practice in the state.

OOS for admission/tuition is often a much higher requirement than legal residence. I believe Massachusetts, for example, requires 5 years of living and paying taxes to the state.

How are you sure that OOS for admissions and OOS for tuition are the same? Also, when you say most of them, which ones are the ones that do not? Is there a list on sdn? Additionally, how do medical schools verify that you are actual a legal resident of a state that you say you are on the AMCAS?

 

[angeloflogic]

Basically all private schools don't care if you're OOS. Most public schools will care if you are OOS vs IS because most public schools' missions include increasing the physician population of their state. Hence, if you're from that state, you're more likely to stay there long term after you graduate. Look at the MSAR for more complete data regarding this. Most public schools won't verify, but if they do all you have to do is send them something like your tax forms (or your parents') showing you're a legal resident of that state, a copy of your driver's license, etc...

With regards to tuition, it'll vary for each school. The only way to find out the difference is to google it, or call their admissions department, or MSAR.

 

[wmd95]

Basically all private schools don't care if you're OOS. Most public schools will care if you are OOS vs IS because most public schools' missions include increasing the physician population of their state. Hence, if you're from that state, you're more likely to stay there long term after you graduate. Look at the MSAR for more complete data regarding this. Most public schools won't verify, but if they do all you have to do is send them something like your tax forms (or your parents') showing you're a legal resident of that state, a copy of your driver's license, etc...

With regards to tuition, it'll vary for each school. The only way to find out the difference is to google it, or call their admissions department, or MSAR.

I understand. So you're saying that the admissions committees will use the legal residence as the residence for admissions, rather than the residence for tuition purposes eligibility (i.e. living in that state for typically 12 months)?

 

[wholeheartedly]

How are you sure that OOS for admissions and OOS for tuition are the same? Also, when you say most of them, which ones are the ones that do not? Is there a list on sdn? Additionally, how do medical schools verify that you are actual a legal resident of a state that you say you are on the AMCAS?

It often says on the schools website.

 

[boogiecousins94]

For most schools, OOS for admissions and OOS for tuition are the same, although schools will often give you a "boost" to some extent if you have ties to the state (e.g. lives there during childhood, undergrad there) which don't affect tuition cost but make you more likely to attend the school and practice in the state.

OOS for admission/tuition is often a much higher requirement than legal residence. I believe Massachusetts, for example, requires 5 years of living and paying taxes to the state.

Yea Mass. is actually 7 years, seems very long. I'm in a weird predicament where I am legal resident of CT but for the past year I have lived in MA and pay taxes to MA (my full time job is here). Obviously not in state for UMass but I would like to think it's better than having no ties at all

 

[wmd95]

Yea Mass. is actually 7 years, seems very long. I'm in a weird predicament where I am legal resident of CT but for the past year I have lived in MA and pay taxes to MA (my full time job is here). Obviously not in state for UMass but I would like to think it's better than having no ties at all

True. This means that you are a still a legal resident of CT, and can honestly be a legal resident of MA if you wanted to switch. However, you will not be able to receive the "resident for tuition purposes" because they require 7 years." I am still confused about how they evaluate applicants. I don't think this is as clear as some people think.

 

[wmd95]

It often says on the schools website.

I know; I have found them. I think I am missing something or am not understanding the wording correctly. Often times, the websites say you are deemed a "resident for tuition purposes" if you have lived there for 12 months minimum and have showed all the proofs of intent, etc. However, I am not sure if all these websites are referring this as the way they evaluate whether you are in-state and out-of-state purely for admission purposes. To me, it sounds like they are only referring to the resident for tuition purposes, and not how they actually consider applicants who are actually residents but have not lived there for 12 months at the time of application.

Also see: Residency FAQ's - Office of the University Registrar.

" Is there a difference between a legal resident of NC and a legal resident for tuition purposes?

Yes. A legal resident is a person who comes to North Carolina and has physical presence for at least one day, with the intent on making NC his/her permanent home of indefinite duration. The person must then prove this intent by doing various overt “residentiary” acts such as acquiring a driver’s license, changing car registration, registering to vote, acquiring real property, employment and paying taxes to NC as a resident, etc.

A legal resident for tuition purposes is a student who has demonstrated that he or she has been a North Carolina legal resident for at least the twelve consecutive months immediately preceding the school term for which he or she is requesting classification of residency for tuition purposes."

Thus, which one do they evaluate during admissions as an in-state resident?

 

[wmd95]

bump

 

[wholeheartedly]

I'm guessing it isn't specified because people usually fall into one or the other.

You could always ask the school.