Residency for Tuition Purposes: Active Military Servicemembers & Veteran Policies
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Learn about residency exceptions for military and/or veteran affiliated students:
These exceptions apply to active military and veterans and their immediate family members (dependent spouses or children). These are the requirements and deadlines for military servicemembers, veterans, and/or their immediate family members to receive resident student status here at the U.
The requirements for each military or veteran exception are listed, and the student must meet ALL requirements. In all cases, the Residency Division of the University of Utah Admissions Department is the determining body for all military residency exceptions.
Follow all the steps in “Steps to Apply for Residency Military or Veteran Exception” found below:

Military/Veteran residency exception policies are for:
- Active duty servicemember students and/or their immediate family members
- Veteran students and/or their immediate family members
- Students eligible for Veteran Affairs Education Benefits (G.I. Bill Education Benefits)

Other types of Residency exceptions:
- American Indian exceptions
- Olympic exceptions
- USHE transfer student exceptions
- State or Federal exceptions
- House Bill 118
- House Bill 144
Steps to Apply for Residency Military or Veteran Exception
Military Service, Veterans, & Military Dependent Residency Exceptions
For a veteran student who is applying, the following criteria is required:
- Military Service Exception Form application
- Copy of proof of service as evidenced by providing one or more of the following:
- DD Form 214 long form, Service 2 copy and Member 4 copy, proving honorable or general discharge
- DD Form 256 Discharge Certificate, for Guard and Reserve members
- NGB Form 22, proof of service for National Guard members
- Note: These forms must indicate:
- Proof of honorable or general discharge
- At least 180 days of active service (see 3.5.1) (see also Utah Code 68-3-12.5 (37)(a)(i)(A))
- If less than 180 days of honorable or general discharge, veteran’s who incurred an actual service-related injury or disability while in the United States Armed Forces (see 3.5.2) may provide documentation in addition to their DD-214 of the service-related injuries and/or disability
- Note: These forms must indicate:
For the immediate family member (Spouse or Dependent Child) of a U.S. Military Veteran who is applying, the following criteria is required:
- Military Service Exception Form application
- Copy of proof of service as evidenced by providing one or more of the following:
- DD Form 214
- DD Form 256 Discharge Certificate, for Guard and Reserve members
- NGB Form 22, proof of service for National Guard members
- Note: These forms must indicate:
- Proof of honorable or general discharge
- At least 180 days of active service (see 3.5.1) (see also Utah Code 68-3-12.5 (37)(a)(i)(A))
- If less than 180 days of honorable or general discharge, veteran’s who incurred an actual service-related injury or disability while in the United States Armed Forces (see 3.5.2) may provide documentation in addition to their DD-214 of the service-related injuries and/or disability
- Note: These forms must indicate:
- Copy of the veteran’s 1040 filing* from most recently completed tax year verifying they claimed you as a tax co-signee or dependent (*Note: Other forms of official documentation of immediate family member of a U.S. veteran may be considered on a case by case basis.)
The following criteria is required:
- Military Service Exception Form application
- Signed declaration, found at the bottom of the exception application, is required by Utah law, affirming, “that the eligible person will use the Veteran Benefits under Title 38 U.S.C.” (see 53B-8-102 (8)(g)(ii)
- Evidence of eligibility under Title 38 United States Code – VA educational benefits:
- Note: Students may obtain verification from the VA or online through their eBenefits account. Link: Home – VA/DoD eBenefits
- If you have questions on how to go about this, the University of Utah Office of the Registrar Veteran Services can assist with this process.
For service member students, the following criteria is required:
- Military Service Exception Form application
- Copy of your current military ID card
- Copy of your leave and earning statement
- Copy of your military orders
- Either one of the following:
- Copy of your enlistment documentation; OR
- Written statement from your current commanding officer that you are serving in the military
For immediate family members (Spouse or Dependent Child) of service member, the following criteria is required:
- Military Service Exception Form application
- Either one of the following:
- The following documentation:
- Copy of the service member’s current military ID card
- Copy of the service member’s leave and earning statement
- Copy of the service member’s military orders
- Either one of the following:
- Copy of the service member’s enlistment documentation; OR
- Written statement from the service member’s current commanding officer that you are serving in the military
- Copy of the military service member’s 1040 filing* from most recently completed tax year verifying they claimed you as a tax co-signee or dependent (*Note: Other forms of official documentation of immediate family member of a U.S. veteran may be considered on a case by case basis.)
- The immediate family member’s current United States military identification card.
- The following documentation:
Residency Military/Veteran Exceptions Application Deadlines
Please note that retroactive residency for past semesters is not granted,
“R512-5.2.1 Application Deadline: Students must meet institutional application deadlines for each term…institutions may not accept applications for resident student status or supporting documentation after the third week of the semester or term for which the student seeks resident student status.”
Starting Summer Semester 2024 onward, all Exception and Addendum applications for Residency (Military/Veteran, American Indian, Olympic Athlete, USHE Transfer Student, and State of Utah Exceptions, Addendum) will have the same deadlines as all Residency Reclassification applications for the following dates:
- Application Open
- Domiciliary Tie Establishment Deadline
- On-Time Application Deadline
- Application Closes
- Document Submission Deadline
- Incomplete Applications Removed
- United States Title 18 U.S.C. § 701 states:
- §701. Official badges, identification cards, other insignia
Whoever manufactures, sells, or possesses any badge, identification card, or other insignia, of the design prescribed by the head of any department or agency of the United States for use by any officer or employee thereof, or any colorable imitation thereof, or photographs, prints, or in any other manner makes or executes any engraving, photograph, print, or impression in the likeness of any such badge, identification card, or other insignia, or any colorable imitation thereof, except as authorized under regulations made pursuant to law (emphasis added), shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 731; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(E), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2146.)
https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title18/part1/chapter33&edition=prelim
- §701. Official badges, identification cards, other insignia
- The copying of military ID cards is authorized by the regulations pursuant to law Title 32 Subtitle A Chapter I Subchapter F Part 161—Identification (ID) Cards for members of the Uniformed Services, their dependents, and other eligible individuals (B)(1):
- (b) The guidelines and restrictions of this paragraph apply to all forms of DoD ID cards.
- (1) Any person willfully altering, damaging, lending, counterfeiting, or using these cards in any unauthorized manner is subject to fine or imprisonment or both, as prescribed in 18 U.S.C. 499, 506, 509, 701, and 1001. Section 701 of 18 U.S.C. prohibits photographing or otherwise reproducing or possessing DoD ID cards in an unauthorized manner, under penalty of fine or imprisonment or both. Unauthorized or fraudulent use of ID cards would exist if bearers used the card to obtain benefits and privileges to which they are not entitled. Examples of authorized photocopying include photocopying of DoD ID cards to facilitate medical care processing, check cashing, voting, tax matters, compliance with 50 U.S.C. appendix 501 (emphasis added) (also known as “The Service member’s Civil Relief Act”), or administering other military-related benefits to eligible beneficiaries (emphasis added). When possible, the ID card will be electronically authenticated in lieu of photographing the card.
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-32/subtitle-A/chapter-I/subchapter-F/part-161
- (1) Any person willfully altering, damaging, lending, counterfeiting, or using these cards in any unauthorized manner is subject to fine or imprisonment or both, as prescribed in 18 U.S.C. 499, 506, 509, 701, and 1001. Section 701 of 18 U.S.C. prohibits photographing or otherwise reproducing or possessing DoD ID cards in an unauthorized manner, under penalty of fine or imprisonment or both. Unauthorized or fraudulent use of ID cards would exist if bearers used the card to obtain benefits and privileges to which they are not entitled. Examples of authorized photocopying include photocopying of DoD ID cards to facilitate medical care processing, check cashing, voting, tax matters, compliance with 50 U.S.C. appendix 501 (emphasis added) (also known as “The Service member’s Civil Relief Act”), or administering other military-related benefits to eligible beneficiaries (emphasis added). When possible, the ID card will be electronically authenticated in lieu of photographing the card.
- (b) The guidelines and restrictions of this paragraph apply to all forms of DoD ID cards.
- Under Utah law we are required to photocopy military ID’s because we are administering military-related benefits of having Utah residency for tuition purposes under Utah state law.
- Utah Code 53B-8-102 says:
- (8) Notwithstanding Subsection (3), an institution within the state system of higher education shall grant resident student status for tuition purposes to:
- (i) the military service member’s current United States military identification card (emphasis added)…
- (8) Notwithstanding Subsection (3), an institution within the state system of higher education shall grant resident student status for tuition purposes to:
- Utah Code 53B-8-102 says:
If you are requesting residency for a spring term, all of the above documentation is required.
For the federal tax return requirement, the you can submit:
- The first two pages of your federal tax return for the filing from the most recently completed tax year verifying that you were not claimed as a tax dependent by out-of-state parents or guardians.
- Copy of your out of state parents’ or guardians’ federal tax return(s) for the filing from most recently completed tax year verifying that they did not claim you as a dependent.
- A signed and dated letter on letterhead from a licensed CPA with contact information, verifying that you will not be claimed on federal taxes for the previous year as a dependent by out-of-state parents or guardians.
- Example: If you are applying for residency for Spring 2024, you can submit either your or your parents’/guardians’ filed federal tax return for 2022 federal taxes verifying that you were not claimed as a dependent by out-of-state parents or guardians, or a signed and dated letter on letterhead from a licensed CPA with contact information, verifying that you will not be claimed on federal taxes for the 2022 tax year as a dependent by out-of-state parents or guardians.
Late Application Submissions
An application is considered late if it is submitted after the deadline (see “Residency for Tuition Purposes Calendar” above).
The hard late deadline for application submission is the tuition deadline. No application will be accepted after the tuition deadline for the requested term of reclassification.
Late Documentation
Required documentation (proof of physical presence documents, submission of Utah ties, proof of tax independence documents, etc.) will be accepted through the census deadline of the requested term of reclassification at the latest. Documentation should be submitted as soon as possible prior to this deadline. No documentation will be accepted after the census deadline for the requested term of reclassification.
Students submitting documentation must have a residency reclassification application on file that was submitted by the hard application deadline.
Have Questions?
Visit us at:
201 S 1460 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Office Hours (All times are Mountain Time Zone):
- Monday – 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
- Tuesday – 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. (Staff Meetings every Tuesday morning 8:00 to 10:00 A.M.)
- Wednesday – 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
- Thursday – 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
- Friday – 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
2024-2025 Holiday Schedule
Call us:
801-581-8761, Option 5 to speak with a Residency staff member