residency and college involvement?

Question

hi, i am thinking about moving to arizona the summer of my senior year and i was wondering...

because the residency requirement is six months in arizona, are there ways to take online courses even if i am not a resident to arizona but still a resident from my previous state?

i would really like to become a cna or take community college courses... i am not sure what college i will be looking into but it will probably be in the prescot area...

i dont want to just sit around for six months waiting until i become a resident...

is there anything i can work out?

thanks.

Answer 1

That's interesting that the residency requirement for tuition purposes is only 6 months. I believe most West Coast schools have similar if not the same residency requirements. Currently at the university that I work at, has the following residency requirements:

Primary requirements:
-12 months physical presence after the first overt action (indicium) it taken to establish residency in the State.
-Filing Resident State Taxes or registering to voter registration in the State

Secondary factors:
-Ownership of a residential property or continuous rental of a dwelling on a lease basis
-Business or employment in the State
-Presence of a spouse, children or close relatives in the State

Presence in the State primarily to attend school does not create resident status regardless of physical presence in the State. This means that if you move to a state to go to school and you register for at least 6 credits in a semester, your primary intent is for school so you will not qualify for residency. However, you should check with the school that you intend to apply at.

As for your question about being a non-resident while taking online class, some schools do not charge a tuition differential for online classes. This means that regardless of your residency status, the tuition charged is the same. However, check with the school that you are interested in attending.

Best wishes!

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Answer 2

"Residency" is a term used in two ways at colleges, so I'm not sure I understand what you mean. If you are saying that you are trying to be considered an in-state resident, then no, you can't do that by taking online classes from your original state. You would need to be living in Arizona on a continuous basis. Usually this is measured by looking at things like tax forms, utility bills, etc. Just using services in the state, like taking a course from somewhere else, would not cut it.

The other use of the term has to do with university requirements for getting the degree from that college. Most schools say that you have to be "in residence" the last six months, or year, before you can get your degree. What that means is that during that final six months or however long it is, you cannot take your courses at another college or university. You usually can, however, take that last set of courses online from your university, if the requirements are actually offered in that format.