Resident status to apply to University in NYC

[carolineclair 0]

I am hoping to study in nYC for my masters in Education. I am English. Having looked into the costs involved my partner and i have wondered whether we should bring marriage plans forward in order for me to gain resident status and reduce my education costs. My query now is how long will it take fo me to be considered a resident? Hunter university has said 1 year but someone else said from 6months to 2 years?! Do you think it is from the date we marry or from the date my adjustment of status comes through...im so confused...maybe its different per school???

Any help appreciated!

Thank you

[carolineclair 0]

I am hoping to study in nYC for my masters in Education. I am English. Having looked into the costs involved my partner and i have wondered whether we should bring marriage plans forward in order for me to gain resident status and reduce my education costs. My query now is how long will it take fo me to be considered a resident? Hunter university has said 1 year but someone else said from 6months to 2 years?! Do you think it is from the date we marry or from the date my adjustment of status comes through...im so confused...maybe its different per school???

Any help appreciated!

Thank you

[Liebi 0]

You obtain resident status upon issuance of a Permanent Resident card. Marriage to a USC doesn't do the trick alone, you would still have to pay non-resident fees at the University/College.

It took me a year - from filing a K1 petition to having the actual Green Card in hand.

[2newshoes2 0]

Hunter may be referring to "residency" in a different way than you. Usually to be considered a resident and qualify for lower tuition rates, they mean you have to show residency of the state, or in this case, New York City, for a year. They may not be referring to your official US permanent residency status. For example, a citizen born in the US living in another state in the US would not qualify for the reduced tuition until they were a resident of NYC for a year.

Hope this helps,

2NS

[tanyakaraman 0]

The "residency" requirement for in-state tuition varies from school to school. For some schools it is a year or more and for others it is six months. Generally, however, they go by the date you filed for AOS as the beginning date for your residency (i.e., if the requirement is six months, the timer begins to count down from the date on your AOS NOA and you would qualify for in-state tuition six months from that date). That is assuming the address on your NOA is within the same state as the school you want to attend...

You should check with the school you wish to attend and learn how long you must be a resident in order to qualify for in-state tuition. Then decide if you want to wait or pay out of state prices for a semester or two...

Edited January 21, 2008 by tanyakaraman

[Detty2809 0]

i was hoping to be able to study in Salisbury University as soon as i got my green card but they told me that i wont be considered eligible for resident tuition fee until a year after i got my green card.... sux......

[Ivelina_Andrew 0]

How long you have to wait until you are considered residents varies as others have said, but one thing is sure - you do need to have a green card to even be considered before they chack how longyou have lived in the state.

At least this is my impression from the schools I have asked.

[Empress of Groovy 373]

You don't have to have a green card to qualify for in-state tuition. What most residency classification people want to see is evidence of intent to establish a domicile in the state. Therefore, you would want to gather such evidence as your name on a lease and/or utility bill, a New York drivers license, stuff like that. How long you need to be a resident of the state varies, but 12 months is the standard. Your immigration status is relevant, of course, because you often need documentation such as an EAD to get a drivers license. You also need to show that you're in the U.S. legally.

I'm guessing that if you come over on a K-1 or K-3 and you and your fiance/spouse are living in New York from that point on, for NY tuition purposes, your residency clock would start when you entered the U.S.

Because I'm geek, I checked out Hunter's residency classification page: http://registrar.hunter.cuny.edu/forms/residency_form.pdf

On page 2, it says "Students in the United States on any temporary visa, (except A-1, A-2, A-3, E-1, E-2, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, G-5, H-1, H-4, I, K, L, N, R, S, T, U, V) are not eligible for classification as a New York State resident. Students with a Permanent Resident or a Refugee Visa, or any of the exceptions listed above, must submit the required documents listed below and submit the Visa and any official correspondence from the U.S. Department of Immigration having relevance to their status in the United States."

So, I think you're in luck re: residency for tuition purposes, as presumably you'd be coming on a K visa, which is listed as one of the exceptions. If you don't have your green card within 12 months of arrival, you could probably still get in-state tuition as long as you provided the appropriate documentation.

I looked into this for Arizona, where we live. My husband has been stuck in FBI name check (we applied for AOS two years ago) but would be eligible for in-state tuition even though he doesn't yet have his green card. His name is on a lease, he's had an Arizona drivers license for over a year (nearly two), SSN, W-2s from an Arizona-based employer, etc. A green card is not necessary, at least for AZ. From reading Hunter's docs, it's the same in NY. The key is 12 months of continuous residency in the state and the ability to prove it. And legal status in the U.S., of course (not necessarily a green card).

Good luck!