Too late to change residency?

[vetwardbound]

Hey, all. If I change my residency in the next month, do I apply this cycle as a resident of TX (where my permanent address has been for the past 13 years), or as a resident of the new state? I was going to call my family's tax attorney this week to find out if she knows anything about residency, but thought that maybe someone has done this before and could help me out with some words of wisdom .

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[twosoakers]

Changing residency is a pain in the butt. I was required to present to the university: tax documents showing that I worked in the state for a year (I was supposed to have worked in the state for a year without having been a full-time student); voter registration; state driving license, tags, registration; etc. etc.). This was for Purdue in Indiana. Do you have all of that yet?

 

[vetwardbound]

Not yet. I do have all the employment info (phew) -- although its for part-time work during the school year and full-time during the summer, and I'm in the midst of the registration stuff. I know there is a 366 day waiting period here, but I wish there were a way to still be considered in-state with my application so I'd have a better chance of getting in. Of course, this could mean nothing because I'm in CA and don't know if I can get into Davis either way. Heh. Oh well. We'll see?

 

[Bill59]

There's no uniform criteria for state residency as far as veterinary school is concerned. You gotta check with the specific shcool -- they decide if you are an in-state resident or not.

 

[kate_g]

Actually, Davis seems to just follow the UC-wide criteria for graduate student residency, which are not that bad. Not nearly as draconian as some schools (e.g. Wisconsin has the "must work here for a year without going to school" rule).

If you live in CA now, you should be considered in-state for the application, because you will have lived here for a year before *matriculation* which is what counts. A few pointers:
1. On VMCAS, claim CA as your state of residence. List your current CA address as your permanent address and do not list any other addresses. (Hopefully it would not be too hard to argue for TX residency despite a CA address at the TX schools if your parents still live there etc.)
2. Get a CA driver license as soon as possible, and if you have a car, register it in CA (these are actually required by law if you are going to be living here more than a month anyway).
3. Register to vote while at the DMV. Oh and by the way, *definitely* get an appointment at the DMV rather than waiting in line!
4. Pay your 2007 taxes as a CA part-year resident listing the date you moved to CA (which should be more than a year before your intended matriculation). Do *not* let your parents claim you as a dependent on their TX taxes.
5. Move your checking account and any cash savings accounts to CA. If you have an internet money market account, IRA, CDs, or any kind of long-term investment, you do not necessarily need to move those to CA banks.
6. Stay in-state through semester or quarter breaks, especially over the holidays. Going home for a couple days is OK, but keep some dated credit card receipts for purchases made in CA within a few days of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Good luck!

 

[vetwardbound]

Thank you so, so much kate --- this is amazing advice! This makes life so much easier.

 

[nyanko]

I'll be going through the same process soon so thanks in advance for the guide, kate!

 

[kate_g]

Oh, and...

7. Be over 24. Not that you actually have control over this, but 24 is the age you're automatically considered independent by FAFSA, and after that point UC seems to weight *your* current state of residence (that is, CA) as more important than whatever state your parents happen to live in.