I moved to california from NY 09/16/2024. Since then, I've been a full time student but the options are "was a full time student"

Q. So now I'm wondering what I can do?

A. It depends on what you want to do and are trying to do.

"was a full time student" is asking if you were a full time student during 2024. 

To claim a tuition credit, you only need to have been a half time or more student for any part of one academic term. It is not necessary for you to have been full time, at any time during the year.

Being a Full Time student(FTS) has other tax ramifications than just qualifying for the ed credit.  Primarily, it affects whether you can be claimed as a "Qualifying Child"* dependent.  For those purposes, you must have been an FTS for parts of 5 months, in 2024. Sept-Dec would not qualify (unless you were officially enrolled in August).  You might still be a dependent under the "qualifying relative" rules (your income must be less than $5050).  

See full dependent rules at: https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/Family/Rules-for-Claiming-a-Dependent-on-Your-Tax-Return/INF12139.html

Q. : I moved to California from NY 09/16/2024.  Am I now a CA resident?

A. It depends on why you "moved" to CA.  If you are in CA for the primary purpose of attending school, you are still a resident of NY and considered as still living with your parents (if that was were you were before). 

*There are two types of dependents, "Qualifying Children"(QC) and Other ("Qualifying Relative" in IRS parlance even though they don't have to actually be related). There is no income limit for a QC but there is an age limit, student status, a relationship test and residence test.

A child of a taxpayer can still be a “Qualifying Child” (QC) dependent, regardless of his/her income, if:

1. He is under age 19, or under 24 if a full time student for at least 5 months of the year, or is totally & permanently disabled
2. He did not provide more than 1/2 his own support. Scholarships are excluded from the support calculation
3. He lived with the parent (including temporary absences such as away at school) for more than half the year