Hi everyone!

I wasn't sure where to post this... but this seemed like a place where my question wouldn't be too off-topic.

When Fiance gets here, can he attend a university? Does he need something specific to be able to take classes here? He won't be an international student because he will now reside here... Has anyone ever dealt with this issue? And if so could you point me in the right direction please!

Thanks!

Hey, we're kinda dealing with this. Actually, I see you've filed a K-1, so your fiance will be adjusting status in the States, so technically he won't reside here until the greencard comes for these purposes. Yes, he can attend university (this seems to be the truth in MN and NY) but he will pay international student rates. If he starts at community college, then thankfully, the difference between international and out-of-state rates are not huge, and they aren't much worse than in-state. Then maybe by the time he's going to start his second year (or semester?) he will have a greencard. However, he'll still be out-of-state for most places til he meets the residency requirement for that state (a year for WI, MN and NY schools, but could vary at each school). This is the info I've collected from admissions offices in those two states. They look at anyone without a greencard as "international."

Perhaps you will find a school that doesn't look at it like that, but I can tell you that you can't get financial aid until he's a permanent resident, and I think most schools use those measures to determine student status.

No.

That really depends on your state and the school. Residency is often defined differently by States than the Federal Government. Some states will say you have to pay out of state tuition unless your fiance has lived in the state for a year, etc. I doubt in any case that you would have to pay international student rates.

However, the best people to ask this question of is the school that your fiancee intends to go to.

It seems to vary from place to place, school to school.
husband is attending Moraine Valley community college. Even though his AOS is pending, the international student relations group looked over a copy of his AOS NOA1, made a copy of it, and sent it to registration notifying them that he could register with in-district rates.

Some states/schools also require different things to verify highschool graduation and placement. We had a translated copy of his diploma from his school which stated, in English, that he had graduated from secondary education. The community college accepted this as proof of highschool graduation.

You'll probably want to check with the school he wants to attend. Talk to their registration office and their international relations office. You may find that they can help you.

My fiance is looking into taking additional college courses, the requirement for residency in Chicago requires you to live here for 30 days prior to the beginning of class.

Best bet here is to try the community college:
1. cheaper in/out tuition and fee
2. better chance of getting instate
3. 30 day residency requirement is a big plus.

Depends on your school how they define residency - I had to reside a full year before I qualified. If that's the case and the out-of-state rates are cost prohibitive (which they were for me), something else you can do is look at what prerequisites can be taken at the local adult education centre. I was able to knock off a couple of accounting classes which I may be able to get credit for now that I am at college.

Good luck!

He'll almost certainly have to take an English placement test, and the more prestigious the university the higher the bar is placed for TOEFL scores. I knew a guy from Mexico who went to CC in Austin because he couldn't get a high enough TOEFL score to get into UT-Austin, even though his English was really good. He took it five times before he finally got a high enough score.

If he wants to go to a state school you're going to have to check out what their rules are regarding residency for tuition purposes. You have to live in Texas for 12 months before you're considered a resident for tuition purposes, for example. It's not the same thing as being a resident of the US or even a resident of the state.

OP, don't be too intimidated by that info, though. Rey took the TOEFL about a year and a half ago, and since then his English has improved but is still not perfect nor close-to-native, and he got well above the score you'd need to do any degree at an Ivy league. Rey never studied, but I saw a book and if your hubs is weak on the stuff in the book it's just a matter of studying.

Thanks for the great info guys! I'm checking with the school right now to see what they think. **crosses fingers he can start school without his green card!**

WI state law says there are special circumstances that come in to play regarding in-state tuition... like if someone moves to a state for work purposes they can get around the 1-year residency req (even the spouse of those who get the job)... Well, we will see!!!

Thanks again!