Question about gaining residency status as a grad student at UNM (Albuquerque: apartment, rent)

[Suelli5]

Hello all,

I was just accepted into a two-year grad program at UNM as an out-of-state student, and several other programs as well. I think I could get a decent education at any of them, but I know ABQ well because my parents lived there for 10 years, and I like it well enough - especially outdoor rec options it provides. Plus, a friend in Albuquerque has offered to let me rent her mother-in-law apartment for super cheap and that would help defray the costs of the first year nonresident tuition. I have lived in Seattle a long time and, frankly, I'd welcome a break from the dark and rainy winters of the PNW. I will be renting out my condo in Seattle regardless of which school I choose to attend.

Nonresident tuition at UNM is almost 3x that of resident tuition, but when I looked into UNM's explanation of its residency rules, it sounded like I might be able to obtain residency status for my second year of school. Does anyone know it that's true? It sounded like as long as I get a NM driver's license, NM plates, and rent in ABQ for a year I would become a resident by the second year.

Thanks in advance for any helpful info!

[nazz]

Originally Posted by Suelli5

... It sounded like as long as I get a NM driver's license, NM plates, and rent in ABQ for a year I would become a resident by the second year.

Thanks in advance for any helpful info!

That's how it went for my son, who did all that -- this was about 3 years ago but maybe things have changed. We paid out-of-state tuition for about a year.

[Poncho_NM]

UNM
Residency Information
Residency Tuition Petition | Other Residency Forms

How do you establish New Mexico residency for tuition purposes?

In general, you must meet the following basic requirements:

U.S. citizenship or U.S. permanent residency
The12-Month Consecutive Presence Requirement: You must physically reside in New Mexico for the 12 months immediately preceding the term in which you request resident classification. You cannot begin to establish the 12-month physical presence requirement until your 18th birthday.
The Financial Independence Requirement: If you are under the age of 23 at the time you apply for residency, you must be financially independent (i.e. not claimed on the Federal income tax return for the previous tax year) of parents or legal guardian who are not residents of New Mexico.
The Written Declaration of Intent Requirement: You must sign a written declaration of intent to relinquish residency in any other state and to establish residency in New Mexico.
The Overt Acts Requirement: New Mexico requires the completion of several overt acts to support your written declaration of intent to become a resident for tuition purposes.

The entire page is at: https://registrar.unm.edu/residency/index.html

[insulator_king]

The rules seem pretty clearcut. Not very difficult to do.