Website guides out-of-state college students who want to pay in-state tuition

Seventeen percent of all college students go to school out-of-state. Some are going to private universities or have scholarships, but many will be paying out-of-state tuition -- and that's not cheap.

However, it is possible to go to an out-of-state school and pay in-state tuition.

"I think right now there is this influence where, 'Hey, I can only afford to go to school in-state. So I am stuck here, and I don't have any choices," said Jake Wells, who runs the website instateangels.com.

Instateangels helps guide students through the process of getting in-state tuition.

He doesn't have any tricks. He just understands and can maneuver through the paperwork that prevents students from declaring in-state residency.

The hurdle is proving that a student is in-state for the long haul.

"They need to prove that they have the intent to become a resident of that state," said Wells. "There are objective measures and subjective measures, and then the second component, which is usually the crux of the operation here, is there are financial requirements. We have to demonstrate that you're an adult and you're paying for some portion of your way."

The cost is 10-15 percent of the savings the student receives, so it's a sliding scale based on the college.

If you do have to pay that out-of-state tuition, there are some perks.

Usually during registration time, colleges accept the international students first because of the higher fees that they pay. Usually, the students that are in-state get later registrations.