Residency requirement for Tuition and eligibility Pennsylvania

[ammoun]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pennsylvania

Hello,

I'm officially a permanent resident since April 2011. I left my home country to PA in that month. I started college in September. My question is if it is possible to to prove that I have spent 12 months in PA with an intent to move there not to attend school but to establish residency. I worked for 4 moths for a state university before attending school.

Thank you

 

[sandyclaus]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pennsylvania

Hello,

I'm officially a permanent resident since April 2011. I left my home country to PA in that month. I started college in September. My question is if it is possible to to prove that I have spent 12 months in PA with an intent to move there not to attend school but to establish residency. I worked for 4 moths for a state university before attending school.

Thank you

But... you DIDN'T spend 12 months in PA - yet. And who's to say that you intended to move there to establish residency? You worked for only 4 months, then started attending school.

Why DID you move to PA in the first place?

 

[ammoun]

But... you DIDN'T spend 12 months in PA - yet. And who's to say that you intended to move there to establish residency? You worked for only 4 months, then started attending school.

Why DID you move to PA in the first place?

Yah, the concern will be raised in a couple of months later, I moved to PA in the first place because I chose to do so and I had intentions to be a PA resident and I have withheld tax to the State of PA. How would going to a college ruin my residency intentions? Do I have to spend 12 months with no education?

Thank you

 

[ShyCat]

The sequence of events would be telling. For example,

(1) Apply to PA college
(2) Receive acceptance
(3) Move to PA
(4) Get a summer job in PA
(5) Begin attending college

That sequence indicates you moved to PA for college.

Also, are you here on a student visa?

Applying for and receiving a student visa (betweens steps 2 and 3) reinforces the whole "you moved to PA for college".

 

[ammoun]

I would say the sequence rather is:

(1) Get a green card
(2) Move to PA
(3) Get a job for 4 months
(4) Apply to PA college
(5) Receive acceptance
(6) Begin college

I've never lived outside PA, except in my home country before getting the green card.

Thank you

 

[I'mTheFather]

Do I have to spend 12 months with no education?

See, that part right there just adds to the belief that you moved to PA for college.

No, you don't have to spend 12 months with no education. You can certainly attend college during those 12 months, but you may have to pay non-resident tuition. That's your choice. US citizens have to make those choices all the time.

However, have you googled? Here are some guidelines:

FinAid | In-State Tuition and State Residency Requirements

 

[Mass_Shyster]

I would say the sequence rather is:

(1) Get a green card
(2) Move to PA
(3) Get a job for 4 months
(4) Apply to PA college
(5) Receive acceptance
(6) Begin college

I've never lived outside PA, except in my home country before getting the green card.

Thank you

If needed, you can argue that if you had intended to move to PA with the sole purpose of going to school that you would have gotten a student visa rather than a green card.

 

[ammoun]

Thanks sandyclaus, stevef and father

From a legal perspective, and as you know the circumstances, what details can play against me trying to prove that my prior intent for moving to PA was to establish residency and not solely education.

Do you think I would need a lawyer for that?

 

[Humusluvr]

Thanks sandyclaus, stevef and father

From a legal perspective, and as you know the circumstances, what details can play against me trying to prove that my prior intent for moving to PA was to establish residency and not solely education.

Do you think I would need a lawyer for that?

What exactly happened. Because I can't tell from your posts what your intention is here.

Did you run into immigration issues?

Is it that you are paying out-of-state tuition?

I think the immigration issue hinges on WHEN you applied for school. If you did it BEFORE moving to PA, then it shows your intent was to be a student in PA.

If you moved to PA, worked, then applied for college after being there several months, that tells a different story.

 

[ammoun]

What exactly happened. Because I can't tell from your posts what your intention is here.

Did you run into immigration issues?

Is it that you are paying out-of-state tuition?

I think the immigration issue hinges on WHEN you applied for school. If you did it BEFORE moving to PA, then it shows your intent was to be a student in PA.

If you moved to PA, worked, then applied for college after being there several months, that tells a different story.

The only concern I have right now is that I'm transferring from a community college to a university and there is no way I can afford it if I'll be considered out of state.

I haven't checked their decision yet, but I'm just very anxious.

One more thing, there is a state grant exclusive to in-stater... Still haven't got their last decision but I'm trying to know how far I can go with legal procedures in case I was rejected.

 

[Humusluvr]

The only concern I have right now is that I'm transferring from a community college to a university and there is no way I can afford it if I'll be considered out of state.

I haven't checked their decision yet, but I'm just very anxious.

One more thing, there is a state grant exclusive to in-stater... Still haven't got their last decision but I'm trying to know how far I can go with legal procedures in case I was rejected.

You will not be able to get in-state until you have been in PA for one full year. There's no way you can get around it, and I know students who try all the time. If you did try to claim in-state, they would ask for a driver's license, lease or home purchase, utility bills, etc. Many forms of proof. If you don't have that, you will be out of luck.

Same goes with the grant. You will have to show proof you got here in April, and nothing can change that. I know, because I work at a university, and I moved to this university from Texas, and had to jump through all the hoops.

 

[ammoun]

See, that part right there just adds to the belief that you moved to PA for college.

No, you don't have to spend 12 months with no education. You can certainly attend college during those 12 months, but you may have to pay non-resident tuition. That's your choice. US citizens have to make those choices all the time.

However, have you googled? Here are some guidelines:

FinAid | In-State Tuition and State Residency Requirements

The only distinction here is that I'm not a resident of any of the fifty States.

 

[Humusluvr]

The only distinction here is that I'm not a resident of any of the fifty States.

That doesn't matter. You have a home country. You cannot claim that you are owed in-state tuition wherever you please, because you didn't live in ANY state. That's not the state's fault, that's your "fault."