Determining residency for college as a military spouse?

I plan to marry my girlfriend and she wants to join the military after high school. I know we'll probably move around a lot, so how would I determine my residency for college applications? Is there a rule for military spouses?

Military families indeed face unique circumstances when it comes to establishing residency for college applications, partially due to frequent relocation. Many states have provisions in place that allow military families to establish residency more easily compared to civilians.

In general, residency typically depends on where you have lived for at least a year prior to your application deadline and where you pay taxes. This can be determined by factors like your address on a driver's license, voting location, and where you pay taxes. For military families, several amendments to laws have been made to accommodate their dynamic lifestyle.

Significantly, there is federal legislation known as the Military Spouse Residency Relief Act (MSRRA), signed into law in 2009. Under this Act, a military spouse can retain residency in their original state aside from a host state (base/post) if they're residing with their military spouse under PCS (Permanent Change of Station) orders. Such students could still be considered residents of the state they lived in before moving because of their spouse's military orders.

However, how colleges interpret this law, and how they apply it for tuition purposes, may vary, and not all states recognize MSRRA for college tuition purposes. You should reach out directly to the registrars or admissions offices at the colleges you're interested in and ask about their policies.

Additionally, make sure to check out military-specific financial aid, such as the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) program, which can provide up to $4,000 to military spouses who are pursuing licenses, certificates, credentials, or degrees.

Overall, my advice would be to research the specific policies of each school or state you are interested in. It's worth the effort, as potential savings from in-state tuition can be substantial!