Moving and in state tuition?

[Anonymous]

My spouse and I are VA residents (for 25 years) and have two kids in VA colleges. Both want to go to grad programs in VA as well. Does this mean my spouse and I have to continue to live in VA for them to get in state tuition? We may want to move out of state for a job opportunity or early retirement before they are finished with grad school. Anybody have experience moving in similar circumstances, and did your student lose in state eligibility? I have looked at the applicable statute and it seems to say that unless the student can show he/she is independent, parents need to continue to live in VA. Frustrating that paying VA income and property taxes for 25 years isn't enough!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My spouse and I are VA residents (for 25 years) and have two kids in VA colleges. Both want to go to grad programs in VA as well. Does this mean my spouse and I have to continue to live in VA for them to get in state tuition? We may want to move out of state for a job opportunity or early retirement before they are finished with grad school. Anybody have experience moving in similar circumstances, and did your student lose in state eligibility? I have looked at the applicable statute and it seems to say that unless the student can show he/she is independent, parents need to continue to live in VA. Frustrating that paying VA income and property taxes for 25 years isn't enough!

I imagine that it is yor children not you who would have to be living in state.

http://www.schev.edu/index/tuition-aid/in-state-residency

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My spouse and I are VA residents (for 25 years) and have two kids in VA colleges. Both want to go to grad programs in VA as well. Does this mean my spouse and I have to continue to live in VA for them to get in state tuition? We may want to move out of state for a job opportunity or early retirement before they are finished with grad school. Anybody have experience moving in similar circumstances, and did your student lose in state eligibility? I have looked at the applicable statute and it seems to say that unless the student can show he/she is independent, parents need to continue to live in VA. Frustrating that paying VA income and property taxes for 25 years isn't enough!

I imagine that it is yor children not you who would have to be living in state.

http://www.schev.edu/index/tuition-aid/in-state-residency

You imagine wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My spouse and I are VA residents (for 25 years) and have two kids in VA colleges. Both want to go to grad programs in VA as well. Does this mean my spouse and I have to continue to live in VA for them to get in state tuition? We may want to move out of state for a job opportunity or early retirement before they are finished with grad school. Anybody have experience moving in similar circumstances, and did your student lose in state eligibility? I have looked at the applicable statute and it seems to say that unless the student can show he/she is independent, parents need to continue to live in VA. Frustrating that paying VA income and property taxes for 25 years isn't enough!

I imagine that it is yor children not you who would have to be living in state.

http://www.schev.edu/index/tuition-aid/in-state-residency

You imagine wrong.

Huh? In the link it essentially says that it hinges on if you are a dependent or not. How old are your kids OP?

[Anonymous]

OP here. 20-21 now. They will probably be in grad school until age 26-27, if they take a year or two off to work first. I think the law presumes that a student under 24 is a dependent, but a student over 24 can be deemed a dependent if the parents pay at least half of the student's expenses. Not sure how loans fit into that equation. If they are dependents, I think that means we have to be residents for them to get in state tuition. Seems kind of unfair since we've paid taxes so long; I was just wondering if anybody had found a way around this.

[Anonymous]

It has been a long time, but this was the situation I was in 30+ years ago. I was a VA resident going to a VA college. My parents left the state. I just changed my legal address (DL & Voting) to my apartment in Blacksburg. No one asked me questions, and I did not volunteer anything.

They do that, continue to pay taxes in VA, and basically emancipate themselves, then where you live does not matter. The big thing, though, is you CANNOT claim them as exemptions on your taxes.

[Anonymous]

If you don't claim them as dependants on your tax return, maybe that is enough to count?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My spouse and I are VA residents (for 25 years) and have two kids in VA colleges. Both want to go to grad programs in VA as well. Does this mean my spouse and I have to continue to live in VA for them to get in state tuition? We may want to move out of state for a job opportunity or early retirement before they are finished with grad school. Anybody have experience moving in similar circumstances, and did your student lose in state eligibility? I have looked at the applicable statute and it seems to say that unless the student can show he/she is independent, parents need to continue to live in VA. Frustrating that paying VA income and property taxes for 25 years isn't enough!

I imagine that it is yor children not you who would have to be living in state.

http://www.schev.edu/index/tuition-aid/in-state-residency

You imagine wrong.

Huh? In the link it essentially says that it hinges on if you are a dependent or not. How old are your kids OP?

From your link:

A dependent student is a student who receives substantial financial support from his or her parents or legal guardian. A college or university in Virginia looks at the supporting parents' domicile to determine if a dependent student is eligible for in-state tuition or state financial aid programs.

If you are under age 24 on the first day of classes, an institution will classify you as a dependent student unless you: are married; are a veteran or active-duty member of the U.S. armed forces; are a graduate or first-professional student; are a ward of the court or were a ward of the court until age 18; have no adoptive or legal guardian when both parents are deceased;or have legal dependents other than a spouse. If a student under the age of 24 who wishes to be considered independent but does not meet one of these exceptions, then he must be able to demonstrate, via clear and convincing evidence to the institution, that his parents have surrendered the right to his care, custody, and earnings, do not claim him as a dependent on federal or state income tax returns, and have ceased to provide him substantial financial support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It has been a long time, but this was the situation I was in 30+ years ago. I was a VA resident going to a VA college. My parents left the state. I just changed my legal address (DL & Voting) to my apartment in Blacksburg. No one asked me questions, and I did not volunteer anything.

They do that, continue to pay taxes in VA, and basically emancipate themselves, then where you live does not matter. The big thing, though, is you CANNOT claim them as exemptions on your taxes.

Things have changed a lot from 30 years ago. States are MUCH stricter about in-state tuition.

[Anonymous]

Call admissions and don't assume all VA state schools are the same. I have a DS in graduate school and the school still wants MY tax return for loan purposes. He is 25.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. 20-21 now. They will probably be in grad school until age 26-27, if they take a year or two off to work first. I think the law presumes that a student under 24 is a dependent, but a student over 24 can be deemed a dependent if the parents pay at least half of the student's expenses. Not sure how loans fit into that equation. If they are dependents, I think that means we have to be residents for them to get in state tuition. Seems kind of unfair since we've paid taxes so long; I was just wondering if anybody had found a way around this.

If they take a year or two off to work first, they will be residents of whichever state they live and would get in state tuition in that state once they meet the residency requirements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. 20-21 now. They will probably be in grad school until age 26-27, if they take a year or two off to work first. I think the law presumes that a student under 24 is a dependent, but a student over 24 can be deemed a dependent if the parents pay at least half of the student's expenses. Not sure how loans fit into that equation. If they are dependents, I think that means we have to be residents for them to get in state tuition. Seems kind of unfair since we've paid taxes so long; I was just wondering if anybody had found a way around this.

I am confused, your children are already getting instate tuition from their undergraduate schools. You are getting the benefit already. It seems you want them to continue to get that benefit even though you have moved to another state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. 20-21 now. They will probably be in grad school until age 26-27, if they take a year or two off to work first. I think the law presumes that a student under 24 is a dependent, but a student over 24 can be deemed a dependent if the parents pay at least half of the student's expenses. Not sure how loans fit into that equation. If they are dependents, I think that means we have to be residents for them to get in state tuition. Seems kind of unfair since we've paid taxes so long; I was just wondering if anybody had found a way around this.

If they take a year or two off to work first, they will be residents of whichever state they live and would get in state tuition in that state once they meet the residency requirements.

That's what I did (albeit a while ago). Lived in VA to get residency after college so I could qualify for in state tuition. I was accepted at UVA but I ended up getting more scholarships and aid at an Ivy so it was less expensive for me to go to the higher ranked school. So it may not be necessary to limit their options to VA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It has been a long time, but this was the situation I was in 30+ years ago. I was a VA resident going to a VA college. My parents left the state. I just changed my legal address (DL & Voting) to my apartment in Blacksburg. No one asked me questions, and I did not volunteer anything.

They do that, continue to pay taxes in VA, and basically emancipate themselves, then where you live does not matter. The big thing, though, is you CANNOT claim them as exemptions on your taxes.

This

[Anonymous]

Read the document. It is where parent lives for undergrad. It is where student lives for grad school. Leave when they finish undergrad and you are fine.