By Lance Hamner
A new state law will now allow out-of-state students to live in Utah for only one year to qualify for resident tuition.
'This will benefit universities and colleges because they can now recruit out-of-state students easier,' said Rep. Jack Draxler, who sponsored the bill. 'It benefits the students even more because they don''t have to sit and wait for three years to gain residency status.'
Legislators passed the current law in 2005, which requires out-of-state students to live in Utah for three years or receive 60 credit hours, before they can qualify for resident tuition.
' is essentially a repeal of the 2005 law that has had disastrous consequences for Utah schools,' Draxler said.
UVSC, along with most other Utah schools, has suffered financially because of the drop in out-of-state student enrollment after the 2005 law was passed, said Linda Makin, UVSC''s budget director. Out-of-state tuition can be three times the cost of in-state.
'When students who want to study in Utah see the tuition prices, they stop investigating right there,' Makin said.
Travis Clemens, spokesman for Weber State University, said the new law would help Utah colleges and universities to be more competitive with other states, whose laws for residency are generally not as restrictive.
'Bringing in students from out of the state not only allows it to grow, but it brings diversity to the school,' Clemens said.
Paul Brinkman, vice-president of budgeting for the University of Utah, said there are some catches with the new state law. Students filing for resident status cannot be included as a dependent for tax purposes for anyone living outside of Utah. Students must also stay in Utah for 12 consecutive months.
'This means students can take a little vacation, but if they go home for the summer they won''t qualify as a resident,' Brinkman said.
A student must also sign a declaration of intent that they plan to stay in Utah, and provide evidence of residency such as a Utah driver''s license or voter registration.
'What will likely happen now is schools will try to attract out-of state students a little harder,' Brinkman said.
The new law takes effect in July 2008.