Residency oddness and Financial Aid

Death of Rats

So I'm going back to college. And now some funky things are probably going to happen as I apply for grants and stuff. I've lived in Wisconsin for the past year, but for the 9 years prior to that I was a resident of Illinois. When I move back down to go to school, I don't plan on listing up here as my permanent residence. Instead it will, well, at the school housing or the apartment that I may or may not get.

Will this be enough to consider myself a permanent resident of Illinois? If I started applying for stuff like the MAP Grant (which, unfortunately, is deadlined tomorrow), would I be able to get it considering at the moment I'm living in Wisconsin?

I just don't understand this whole residency thing. I've lived here for just one year. Does that really negate the 9 previous years in Illinois?

exoplasm

If you have a state ID from Illinois that is more than 1 year old that should be all the proof you need. If not, find some old bills.

Darkewolfe

Did you claim Wisconsin as your residence last year? Who did you pay taxes to? Yes, claiming residency in another state will erase the nine years somewhere else immediately previous to it. States have some pretty strict rules about claiming them as residency for positive benefits.

Death of Rats

Hurm... I voted in Wisconsin, have a Wisconsin Driver's License. Eh, guess I'll just have to wait till next year for any Illinois stuff.

Darkewolfe

Well, in order to establish residency you have to live in a state as a non-student. So just going to college in Illinois isn't going to allow you to change your residency.

Death of Rats

But I'm going to be working and living there. I'm not going to have some crazy home away in Wisconsin or something. I mean, is that how it works? I move back to Illinois and just because I'm back in school I'm still considered a Wisconsin resident? That seems slightly insane.

Darkewolfe

Doesn't matter. States don't count years spent going to university toward establishing residency.

Death of Rats

Well that's crazy. I mean, I'm going to have an Illinois drivers liscence, Illinois plates, and the only home I could possibly move back to once out of school is in Illinois.

VisionOfClarity

Darkewolfe wrote: »

Doesn't matter. States don't count years spent going to university toward establishing residency.

They do if you live off campus. If you live on campus, then no.

Darkewolfe

VisionOfClarity wrote: »

Darkewolfe wrote: »

Doesn't matter. States don't count years spent going to university toward establishing residency.

They do if you live off campus. If you live on campus, then no.

Hmm. I'd bet it varies state to state then, in which case I have no idea.

Elin

If you are under 25 the school will count your parents home as your residence. I don't know your age but you may need to check that.

Sentry

Death of Rats wrote: »

Well that's crazy. I mean, I'm going to have an Illinois drivers liscence, Illinois plates, and the only home I could possibly move back to once out of school is in Illinois.

Then use that as your permanent address.

Is your car registered in Illinois? Have you been registered to vote there in the last year? These are things they look at. But if you just got an Illinois license, and just registered your car there, you're going to be SOL.

Chief1138

YMMV depending on state obviously, but unfortunately, generally speaking determining "residence" for purposes of receiving financial aid is not the same as simply having a driver's license or paying taxes in that state...In Texas, you have to have lived and worked (key word) here for more than a year before you can be considered an in-state student for tuition purposes. I'm from Alabama, but I've gone to school in Texas for 3 years yet I'm still not considered a resident because I've never held a job here for a year straight.