<p>If a school refuses to give you in-state tuition regardless of meeting the criteria of their residency policy, are you just out of luck? </p>
<p>I was already going to school in a different state- working full time and taking a few community college classes part time with plans to transfer to a 4 year school some day. I cut it short after the first semester because I was in a long distance relationship and he had convinced me to move to be with him. I checked the residency policy for the only community college in that area and it said you have to live there for a year before you can qualify for in-state tuition. If you’re enrolled full time, the burden is on you to prove you didn’t move for there educational purposes. That’s paraphrased from their website. I got here right at the start of the new year and figured I would take on a full course load while I look for work, having moved across the country pretty last minute. Halfway trough the year I asked them if they would make an exception to the policy because I thought my proof of having moved here to live and be a resident was pretty solid. They sneered a big fat no at me and that I have to live here for a year, no exceptions. So I didn’t even take classes the 2nd semester, I worked instead. Now it’s the end of the year and I’ve met all of the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>I’ve lived here for one year. </li>
<li>I didn’t even go to school the entire time.</li>
<li>I wasn’t going to school full time before I transferred there either.</li>
<li>I’m not a young dependent student living on campus in a dorm, I’m a grown adult living with my significant other in our own home.</li>
<li>I exchanged absolutely everything of my previous state for this one when I moved–Traded in my driver’s license, changed my plates, registered my car here, changed my insurance for this state, registered to vote (and did), have been working and paying state taxes. </li>
</ul>
<p>I have absolutely no family in my previous state. I don’t have any connection to it anymore. My permanent mailing address is and has been here all year. My SO was born and raised here, his family is here, he goes to school here. You would think I SHOULD be entitled to in-state tuition now, right?</p>
<p>They denied my application and said I was here for education purposes. That I had enrolled full time when I got here, and it didn’t matter that I didn’t even attend a second semester, or that I work full time, or any of that other common sense evidence that indicates I live here now and just want to go to school in my new state. Basically they’re saying now that I have to go an entire year without going to school AT ALL to prove I didn’t move here to go to their crappy school. The worst part is I don’t even like this school. the faculty is clueless, rude, mean, obviously liars. Everything about it is far worse than my old college, the out-of-state tuition here is THREE times that of my old school’s in-state that I was paying, but this is my ONLY option and I’d like to get this whole associate’s degree thing over with sometimes before I’m 40. I feel like it should not even be legal to give people the runaround and decide their future on your whims regardless of what they were told in the past. I wasted a lot of time and money attending this school for one semester and I feel like I’m trapped here now. All this trouble for community college is freaking ridiculous. Who can I complain to? The dean? The governor? A lawyer? Or do I just suck it up and accept that I traded a nice comfortable affordable better education for this garbage in the name of love?</p>
<p>“Or do I just suck it up and accept that I traded a nice comfortable affordable better education for this garbage in the name of love?”</p>
<p>Yes.</p>
<p>That policy is pretty standard. If you and your boyfriend are still in a relationship, and getting married would not mess up everyone’s financial aid too badly, you might consider doing that. Usually marrying a resident confers resident status.</p>
<p>Do you truly need an associates degree, or would it make more sense for you to keep working and not taking classes for a bit longer, and apply for transfer to a four-year college or university?</p>
<p>I don’t need an associate’s degree, but the program they have here guarantees you a transfer straight from the community college to a 4-year state university as a junior seamlessly. I’m really only going to community college because it’s much cheaper than 4 years at university and I simply cannot afford that expense, which is why I’m fighting for this in-state tuition to begin with. I refuse to rack up thousands of dollars in debt for a degree, especially in this economy. I want to get the basics out of the way for cheap, and then take the financial hit for the last 2 years. </p>
<p>I don’t have any kind of support from family or anyone, I’m totally on my own and it took me a long time to save up to go back to school. I’ve already waited too long for this. Another year is a big deal to me. I see a made a big mistake moving here. Oh well, live and learn. Thanks for the reply :(</p>
<p>Can you get out of any classes at the CC and or the U by taking CLEP exams? Read through their policies on credit by exam. That can be a huge cost saver. [CLEP</a> - College Level Examination Program (CLEP) -Save Time. Save Money. Take CLEP | College Board CLEP Site](<a href=“http://clep.collegeboard.org/]CLEP”>http://clep.collegeboard.org/)</p>
<p>Which state ?
Some states are quite lenient with respect to granting residency, while some have strict rules that make obtaining residency for in-state tuition quite difficult. As you now know, attending school during your first year in the new state was, and is, a barrier to getting in-state tuition privileges. Typically, however, one can appeal a denial. The fact that you worked in this state & filed & paid state income taxes only in that state should work in your favor since you have complied with all the other usual requirements.</p>
<p>I’d never heard of that CLEP exam. That may come in handy, thank you! :)</p>
<p>The state is Maine. I have no idea how lenient they are here in general or if it’s just this particular school that’s strict. It seems the tuition here is quite a bit cheaper than surrounding New England states, so I could definitely see people from New Hampshire and Massachusetts trying to sneak in as a resident under the radar but it makes no sense for people from thousands of miles away in cheaper locations.</p>
<p>Are you from one of the other New England states? If so, then there may be a tuition break even if you do not have Maine residency.</p>
<p>[Tuition</a> Break Database : New England Board of Higher Education](<a href=“http://www.nebhe.org/programs-overview/rsp-tuition-break/tuition-break-database/]Tuition”>http://www.nebhe.org/programs-overview/rsp-tuition-break/tuition-break-database/)</p>
<p>Unfortunately I’m not. I could understand if I WERE and they thought I was trying to game the system driving across the border to go to school in Maine but no, I drove 2,000 miles to get here.</p>
<p>The CLEP is the most common, but there are other nationally recognized exams that can be used to earn college credit. Both your CC and the U that you plan to transfer to should have pages on their websites that list all of the exams that are accepted for credit. It may be listed with information on assessment for prior learning. Here’s the info that our local CC publishes: [Assessment</a> of Prior Learning](<a href=“http://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/priorlearning.html]Assessment”>http://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/priorlearning.html)</p>