UGA Student’s Father Arrested For Faking Residence For In-State Tuition, Faces Decades In Prison

Bogey Wells11 years ago

Out-of-state tuition is a tough pill to swallow for many parents. Justifying the tens of thousands of dollars it requires to enroll your kid in any semi-respectable college or university outside of your state’s borders is a major financial decision.

The father of a University of Georgia student from Virginia was arrested recently after it was discovered that he was faking his residency in Georgia in order to receive the in-state discount. Somehow, police discovered the man had another child who was eligible for in-state tuition in Virginia, and it set off a red flag. They soon discovered that an apartment he rented in Athens, which he claimed as his legal residence, was rarely used. It had minimum water usage and conflicted with the tax forms submitted to the state.

From Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

The investigation showed minimal water usage at the apartment and the electronic access showed he had only used the apartment 90 out of 400 days, Williamson said.

The daughter has since left the university. Police aren’t pursing charges against her. Her social media postings show an enthusiastic Bulldog while in Athens.

“The father took full responsibility in providing the documents to the daughter,” Williamson said. “By the law, they both could have been charged but the daughter probably only did what the father told her to do.”

The man has since paid the $37,000 he owed the university. However, he is facing four charges of felony theft, along with another charge of false swearing. If convicted of all counts, he could face a total of 45 years in prison.

I applaud his “fake it ‘til you make it” mentality, but the dumbass had to have known he’d be caught eventually. Either way, his daughter is no longer enrolled at UGA, and he’s facing many years confined with his friendly neighborhood armed robbers. Was it worth it?

[via Atlanta-Journal Constitution]

Image via University of Georgia Admissions