Aroldis105 wrote:I'm concerned about my residency status in the eyes of UF. I live in Florida but attend school in another state so I haven't been in the state much at all since we bought our house there two years ago. As such, I still don't have a lot of the physical proof of residency that I'm worried UF may request. I applied as a resident and my status checker says that I'm considered a resident. My question is, is this something I should discuss with UF ASAP or just try to fly under the radar? FWIW I'm not trying to scam UF, I will pay whatever tuition they deem correct, that being said, I'm not trying to throw out 15k a year.
My opinion is that "flying under the radar" in such an instance is not a good course of action. I would definitely attempt to get it sorted out in advance. Of course, if you are going to go to UF for sure and will pay out of state if necessary than you really only stand to lose in-state by drawing attention to your situation. Having said that, if you are worried that you might be actually out of state by their definitions and standards of determination, I suppose it would be ethical to confirm whatever details you believe might make that determination questionable.
From what I understand, in CA property ownership (or maintenance of a permanent address) and drivers licenses and and vehicle registration spanning more than a year should qualify to confirm residency. However, if you have been paying in-state tuition and claiming residency in another state this may pose a problem. If this is the case, you may well want to contact the relevant financial affairs office and disclose all necessary facts in order to get a concrete determination. I don't say this on ethical grounds alone; bear in mind that this is the institution that is granting you a degree to practice law, and that both the institution and the state bar can deny you the ability to practice if they believe you have misrepresented yourself. I would err on the side of caution and pay out of state for a year, if this is what their policies and regulations require you to do based on your actual circumstances. To this end, disclosure and further discussion can only add clarity to making a determination that is consistent with UF's policies.
FWIW, I had been residing out of state for a year before returning to pursue studies in CA paying in-state. But my move out of state was temporary for work and I researched how to exemplify that I intended to maintain ties in CA before leaving; as a result I maintained my CA vehicle registration and drivers license and I filed a resident tax return for CA and a non-resident for the other state for the period I was away. UF's policies will likely vary, but I would suspect that if you have conducted your affairs in another state as if you were intending to be a resident there then you will likely have to pay out of state for a year. You property ownership might add a component which causes UF to see things differently.
In short, I would talk to them and discuss
all the relevant factors, and hope for the best.