<p>Hello, I’m from Canada and I want to go to a public university in Massachusetts, but the out-of-state tuition is very high and even though I’m low income, the net price calculator on the website said that I would be paying around $20,000 after financial aid! My question is if I live in Massachusetts for like a year and go to a community college there, is that enough to gain residency? Thanks in advance 
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<p>I was not sure whether I should post this in the canada thread or the massachusetts colleges thread. oh and to be more specific, the school is UMass</p>
<p>It is very difficult for even Americans to get in-state residency in most cases. You could call one of the campuses in Massachusetts and ask, but I don’t think you will have any luck.</p>
<p>A lot of US citizens would be happy if they had to pay only $20,000 a year for tuition. I have heard there are some good schools in Canada - I suggest you try those.</p>
<p>Well that is a lot for me considering I would be totally on my own 
But I will take your advice to call the school and ask them myself. There is a specific reason as to why I do not want to go to any schools in Canada.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.mass.edu/forstudents/admissions/documents/2008-11-12ResidencyStatusforTuitionClassificationPurposeswithForm.pdf”>http://www.mass.edu/forstudents/admissions/documents/2008-11-12ResidencyStatusforTuitionClassificationPurposeswithForm.pdf</a></p>
<p>I found this document by first searching “residency” on the UMass web site.</p>
<p>If you are independent of your parents (which is another set of criteria) you need to live in MA for 12 months without attending college (at any level) before you can be considered a resident by a 4-year college (6 months for community college). They will want proof of things like a permanent job, residence in the state, tax returns filed in the state, and so on. You need to show intent of living in the state for more than just your education.</p>
<p>Unless your parents are moving to Massachusetts and you will be living there for more than a year prior to applying to college, it isn’t going to be possible to establish residency. It wouldn’t be possible for you, as a teenager, to establish residency yourself without being a student. You couldn’t just move to MA and live. Immigration would preclude that. </p>
<p>Every Canadian university is every bit as good as UMass. I can’t imagine a reason that one or more of them wouldn’t be a viable option, and none would cost anywhere close to $20,000/yr.</p>
<p>@alwaysamom I am moving there by myself. Also, my parents are no longer in the picture. I have an uncle (not blood related but close) that lives in MA that I will be staying with. I cannot attend any school here, because I cannot afford to live on campus and for personal reasons that is my only option. I do not just plan to stay in Mass just for school, I actually want to LIVE there.</p>
<p>Provincial grants and loans should make it possible for you to pay for tuition and residence costs in your province without the help of your parents. In Ontario, the agency is called OSAP and there is a calculator on their website that calculates the amount of aid you will receive. In Ontario, if you are out of high school for four years or more, your parent’s income is not included in the calculations. There should be something similar for your province. </p>
<p>The U.S. is a different country. You don’t get to just move there because you want to live there. Lots of people want to live there. You need the government’s permission to move there, in the form of a visa. To get a student visa to study at UMass, you will have to show that you can pay the $28000 in tuition plus more for your living expenses. </p>
<p>I clearly don’t know the details and you shouldn’t post them here but, as I mentioned, there are immigration issues that you will be faced with and will have to resolved satisfactorily for you to move permanently to the U.S. People cannot just decide to move to another country, pick up and move there. This is true in either direction. If you have dual citizenship, then you will have no problem but otherwise, that will be an additional concern. I wish you good luck and I hope that you have some reliable, concerned adult advising you.</p>
<p>Nope, and is doesn’t work that way for an American to get Canada pricing either. You should go to uni in Canada.</p>
<p>Thanks for everyone’s answers you were all very helpful </p>
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People do this all the time, both legally &illegally. </p>
<p>@GMTplus7 I figured that since I’m from Canada it would be easier for me to move there lol. Well I’ve browsed the internet & it seems like the only way I’d get in-state tuition is if I go there and do nothing for 12 months or get married to a MA resident… $20,000 in debt a year is horrendous so I may just look into a cheaper school in MA</p>
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<p>That may be true from some countries but I don’t know any Canadians who have done this. As someone who has dual citizenship and who has lived in both countries, I can tell you that gamergirl isn’t going to be able to do this legally. And to do it illegally would, in my opinion, be a mistake that she will come to regret someday.</p>
<p>Assuming that the OP is looking at UMass Amherst, still known as ZooMass, the only thing that school offers that most Canadian schools don’t offer is an out of control party scene. </p>
<p>FYI, list of state residency requirements
<a href=“http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/international/state”>http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/international/state</a></p>
<p>@OP, have u actually been to UMass? I’ve driven around there quite frequently, and it’s not that exciting a place. </p>
<p>@GMTplus7 that list doesn’t have MA listed on it, but thanks anyway I get the idea.</p>
<p>@tomofboston I don’t really mind their being parties since I won’t be living on campus, but please stop trying to convince me to attend a school in Canada. If I were able to give details I would, but I just can’t.</p>
<p>@alwaysamom please explain to me how doing it legally will lead to my regret?</p>
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Google is your friend, my friend. </p>
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<p>I didn’t say legally, I said illegally. It won’t be possible for you to do it legally. Teenagers can’t just arrive at the border and tell the agent that they have issues with their parents and are going to live with someone in MA, who is not even a family member. </p>