What are the requirments to obtain Texas residency? I ask because my mother is getting married to a Texan, and he wants me to go to a college there when I finish Americorps. Since he’ll be footing the bill, I figure, why not?
But I’ll be in Maryland for pretty much all of 2004, and the cost of tuition at a Texas college is astronomical for out-of-state residents. I’m already out-of-state, being in Mississippi, but my mother has suggested I put down my soon-to-be stepfather’s Texas address as my own permanent address and claim residency when I leave Maryland in November 2004. If this works, I could go to a college there as a Texas resident, and save him several thousand dollars.
Is this acceptable? Can I just show my permanent address as his, and if so, will this be accepted by the Texas schools?
In general, it looks like you have to live in the state for twelve months to be considered a resident, but if you are the dependent child of an established resident (i.e. your new step-father has already met the 12 month requirement) you may not have to be in the state for 12 months yourself. The links on the page above may answer that more specifically.
Also, when I went to Texas A&M from out of state, the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition was waived because I got a scholarship. I think I only had to get $1000 a semester in scholarships and the overage was waived.
To echo TaxGuy and elaborate a bit, it is not at all unknown for Texas colleges and universities to wave out-of-state tuition for good academic individuals. In other words, how have your grades been?
Also, the “old-boy” network is alive and well in Texas and if your new stepfather has any contacts at all or is simply an alumnus sometimes that is enough to get it waved.
My grades are good – 3.3 GPA. I don’t know too much about the “good ol’ boy” network but my stepfather has been a Texan for a very long time and is an alumnus of Texas A&M (Hi TaxGuy!). We’ll check in on it.