Is it possible to do this in order to decrease tuition for my second and third years of law school?
Question by Mr. Lyon: Is it possible to do this in order to decrease tuition for my second and third years of law school?
I am planning on going to the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. I live in WV now, but my plan is to rent an apartment and move to Berkeley for the full year. My question is to this. With Berkeley being public and having different tuitions for residents and nonresidents of CA, would I be able to get my tuition decreased to residency status for my second and third year if I obtain residency within the first year?
Best answer:
Answer by Donald B
If you are over 24 you can establish residency on your own. If you are under 24 your residency is where your parents reside. But you cannot establish residency while going to school. So it you are over 24, you can move to California for a year to establish residency and then go all 3 years as a CA resident.
Add your own answer in the comments!
You cannot establish residency as a student. You could possibly (check with Berkeley) defer admisison for a year, live in California, and then claim residency.
On the other hand, you should not worry too much about the savings for residency with a JD from Berkeley–employment prospects are strong enough that the increase in loans would be fairly insignificant compared to earning power (unless you intend to find a public interest position).
On the other hand, if you are concerned about loans, you could consider other schools. Berkeley is extraordinarily difficult to get into, so sufficient GPA/LSAT scores for an admission to Berkeley could probably land you a full scholarshop at UCLA or USC, both of which are very strong options.