Re: Establishing Residency
You are facing three possible situations:
World 1: It is a huge priority of UMD to protect MD taxpayers and make sure that out-of-state students cannot alter their tuition status in the absense of truly compelling circumstances. They follow the guidelines to the letter and require overwhelming evidence. If this is the case, you are almost certainly out-of-luck. Don't believe the administration about their level of seriousness-- talk to some actual students who have been through it. The administration will talk a big game no matter what (they have to for a few reasons). Find someone who succeeded and pick their brain. In the end, if you are in World 1, don't bother pursuing it.
World 2: UMD is a huge school, this is a purely administrative task and they secretly don't mind helping out-of-state students get through the back-door. You hand your packet of stuff to a lady behind a window, she checks it off, stamps something and you are good to go. If this is the case, just make sure you do everything you can to build the 12-month record and make sure your materials are thorough, very well organized and presented professionally. Congrats-- you've just saved you and/or your parents a ton of needless costs- vnh.
World 3: We're somewhere between 1 and 2 (most likely scenario). Again, present them with a nice, clean, thick packet of organized stuff and cross your fingers. A key here might be to make it clear that you will be a pain in their ass until you get what you want. Be very nice at first, but if you get push-back, let them know that your file will never be off their desk until this is resolved favorably to you.
THE GUIDELINES
The guidelines you linked to are pretty hard-ass, but again, we don't know whether that is just a smokescreen.
Let's take the requirements step-by-step:
<font color="red"> </font> "1. Make Maryland his or her permanent home;" <font color="red"> </font>
--Use one Maryland address for everything. Do not use a non-Maryland address for anything. Get a Maryland driver's license immediately. Register to vote in Maryland immediately. Be prepared to affirmatively state that the whole reason you chose UMD was because you intend to settle in Maryland. Try to believe this when you say it/type it.
<font color="red"> </font> "2. Abandon his or her former home state" <font color="red"> </font>
See #1. Also, spend no more than a few days in NJ on the holidays. To be really clever, find a way to prove that you were in College Park over the holidays (do research for a professor, etc.).
<font color="red"> </font> "3. Reside in Maryland indefinitely;" <font color="red"> </font>
--This one sounds scary but it's not. Just be prepared to say that you have no current plans to reside anywhere else other than Maryland.
<font color="red"> </font> "4. Reside in Maryland primarily for a purpose other than that of attending an educational institution in Maryland." <font color="red"> </font>
--This is a tough one. A geographically-specific job would help. A Capitol Hill internship with a Maryland congressman (even if unpaid only a couple hours a week) might do nicely. My guess is they lean pretty hard on this one when they are disinclined to play ball.
Per the guidelines, there are two factors that give rise to a presumption that your application is full of crap. First, you were out-of-state when you applied to UMD. Nothing you can do about that. Second, they will assume you are financially dependent on your parents. You can overcome this one by making sure your parents do not declare you as a dependent for tax purposes. It will be a bad (and perhaps insurmountable) fact if your parents write your tuition check. If you can demonstrate that you live independently (again, a job helps here), you might be ok.
Taking the "rebuttal evidence" one-by-one:
<font color="red"> </font> "A. i. Maryland employment and earnings history through sources beyond those incident to enrollment as a student in an educational institution (e.g., beyond support provided by work study, scholarships, grants, stipends, aid, student loans, etc.), or
ii. Evidence the student is Financially Dependent upon a person who is a resident of Maryland." <font color="red"> </font>
Again, you have some control over building a record for (i). (ii) is probably out unless you have a rich uncle who lives in Maryland or something.
<font color="red"> </font> "B.Substantial participation as a member of a professional, social, community, civic, political, athletic or religious organization in Maryland that is not University-related or otherwise incident to enrollment as a student in an educational institution." <font color="red"> </font>
This is B.S. and they know it.
<font color="red"> </font> "C.Registration as a Maryland resident with the Selective Service, if male." <font color="red"> </font>
Easy.
<font color="red"> </font> "D. Evidence showing the student uses his or her Maryland address as his or her sole address of record for all purposes including on health and auto insurance records, bank accounts, tax records, loan and scholarship records, school records, military records, leases, etc." <font color="red"> </font>
Easy. Keep copies of everything.
<font color="red"> </font> "E. An affidavit from a person unrelated to the student that provides objective, relevant evidence of a student's conduct demonstrating the student's intent to live permanently in Maryland." <font color="red"> </font>
Meh.
THREE FINAL POINTS:
1-- None of your materials can reflect a significant time away from MD, which would include an extended Europe hiatus.
2-- Don't affirmatively lie. I'll repeat that. Don't affirmatively lie. It's not worth it.
3-- Make sure there are no inconsistencies in the materials you present. Make sure all the components of your narrative are congruent to one another.
*I took the time to respond in detail because I spent $288,000 of my own money attending the public schools (undergrad, grad, law) of Virginia and California as an out-of-stater. I spent about 5 hours in my home state between 1993 and 2002, but it didn't matter. If you can pull it off, you'll thank yourself later. Best of luck.
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