Commuting from another state and in-state tuition

How a college decides where you live

Each state sets its own residency rules for public colleges, and each school applies them through its admissions or registrar's office. Many states ask that you have lived there for a set period for reasons other than school, and they look at proof such as a lease, a driver's license, voter registration and state tax returns. For a dependent student, the parents' state of residence usually carries the most weight.

When you sleep in one state and study in another, the college will almost always classify you as a resident of the state you come from. Moving across the line partway through a program rarely changes your rate right away, since most rules count the time you spend living there before the term begins.

Agreements between neighboring states

Some states have reciprocity agreements that let residents of a neighboring state attend certain public colleges at a reduced rate or at the in-state rate. Regional exchange programs run by groups of states work in a similar way for listed schools and programs. Each agreement names the colleges and programs it covers, and some limit the number of places each year.

Ask the admissions office of the college you plan to attend whether it takes part in any agreement with your home state, and how to apply for it. Many require the request at the time of admission rather than after you enroll. Community colleges near a state line sometimes set their own rate for students from nearby counties, so ask there as well.

Many state grant programs can be used only at colleges inside that state, while a few allow use at schools in a neighboring state under an agreement.

What happens to your state aid

Federal aid from the FAFSA, such as Pell Grants and federal student loans, goes with you to any eligible college in any state. State grants work differently. Many state grant programs can be used only at colleges inside that state, while a few allow use at schools in a neighboring state under an agreement.

Check with your home state's higher education agency before you choose a school across the line, and with the college's financial aid office once you are admitted. The agency can tell you whether its grant travels with you, and the college can tell you which of its own scholarships are open to students from out of state.