"in-state students" remission fee for graduate studies?

Right. If you are a resident of a state, you receive one tuition rate at state schools. Your state's government subsidizes the cost of your education and the institution is supported by state tax dollars.

If you are not a resident of the state (or a resident of the country), then you pay on a different scale, as you have not been contributing tax dollars to the state prior to going to the university, and are less likely to remain in the state upon completion of your degree.

Residency is VERY hard to get - I see some people have indicated that this is a matter of signing a lease, but that's not completely true. If you grew up in Massachusetts, but want to attend, say, Purdue, you will have to move to Indiana, be employed and earning a salary and moved into a new location at least 1 year in advance of the start of the semester to receive in-state tuition. So, if you want to attend this fall at instate rates, you needed to have established residency back in August of 2006. Once you have established instate or out-of-state residency, you CANNOT change this during the pursuit of your degree. Living in an off-campus apartment during your education will not count for tuition residency requirements, but you may find yourself becoming a resident of the state for taxation purposes.

Some states require longer periods, so you REALLY need to look at the requirements before you decide on this course of action. The potential savings can be in the tens of thousands of dollars... and if you are considering a gap year or two anyways, this could be a very good idea.

As for graduate school - most programs (with the exception of MBAs, Med school, and some Law programs) you will receive a tuition waiver and stipend because you will be expected to be a teaching or research assistant and/or will receive fellowships. In these cases, you will often be expected to pay a tiny percentage of the tuition (2-5%) that will be deducted from your check. This way, instate students will receive slightly more money than out-of-state students.

"in-state" means that you have established residency in the state where the university is and qualify for a lower tuition rate. Some graduate departments will offer students from out-of-state a partial fee remission that effectively lowers their tuition to that of an in-state student. You can also establish residency after you've been in the state for a while (by registering to vote there, getting a driver's license there, etc).

If you're going to grad school, always find out from your department what kind of funding opportunities they offer (fee remissions, fellowships, teaching assistantships, etc).

Good luck!

I know about this. I'm not exactly a groupie, but I'm dying to marry my favorite Football player, Tim Tebow, and that's public around YA and some mean people have called me a groupie. However, I'd never act like a groupie, it's against my values and stuff. Obsessive marriage wish is another thing. Anyways, I'm trying to get over him and I have to say, it's like a self-remission thingie. I will always want to marry him, but I'm trying to make myself believe that I don't anymore although it's a lie, and I'm also trying to hold my fingers to not ask questions about him and then type cheesy song lyrics on the details ♥

This may differ from state to state, but I think it's usually pretty consistent in requiring proof of one year of residency. If you have a rental contract, driver's license, or in some states only a piece of mail addressed to you, dated one year earlier, you can establish "in-state" status.

But if you are a foreign student, it may be that you do not qualify for in-state status even after a year of living in the state. This is because your student visa is a "non-resident student" visa -- you are by definition not a resident of the U.S. and cannot therefore be a resident of any state.

You can contact the foreign students' office of the university you are interested in attending, and they can tell you more precisely the rules that apply in their case.