Residency for Tuition Purposes FAQ
New! Physical Presence Check-in Method Questions
Each time you visit the Residency window and request a Physical Presence Check-In, our staff will review your two forms of ID and record the timestamp of your visit in an internal log.
When you submit your Residency Reclassification Application, we will utilize your check-in records towards your proof of physical presence requirements.
The Residency Division is located in the Office of Admissions on the second floor of the Student Services Building (SSB).
You can walk up to our Residency window, ring the bell and request a Physical Presence Check-In with a member of Residency staff.
SSB is conveniently located across from the Ray Olpin Student Union at:
201 S 1460 E
Room 250 S
Salt Lake City, UT 84112.
No! We have a number of accepted methods for proof of physical presence including:
- Enrollment at the University of Utah or another Utah institution
- Employment with a Utah employer
- Bank or credit card statements showing purchases made in-person and in the state of Utah every six days or fewer
The complete list of accepted methods can be found in the Undergraduate Policy and in the Graduate Policy.
No. Students receive their UNID upon admission to the University, which allows us to connect your Physical Presence Check-Ins with your name and student profile.
Without the UNID, we are unable to accurately link your check-in to your student profile.
Your UCard provides a primary method of identification, as it has your name, UNID and photo.
For Physical Presence Check-In only, the driver’s license or state ID can be from any location as long as it is valid, unexpired and identifies the student requesting residency.
Keep in mind that this does NOT apply to residency reclassification requirements.
For residency reclassification, you will still need to procure a UT driver’s license if you have a driver’s license from another state/location.
No. Physical Presence Check-Ins cannot be completed after or before business hours, on weekends, or on any days during which the Office of Admissions is closed.
No. If you are the student requesting resident status for tuition purposes, you must show up in person to request a Physical Presence Check-In with your own identification.
No. Physical Presence Check-Ins can only be utilized towards proof of physical presence requirements.
You must still fulfill all requirements specified by the policy or exception you are using to request residency, such as financial independence on federal tax returns and establishment of Utah domiciliary ties.
General Questions
The timeframe begins on the first day of classes 12 months prior to the start of the term for which you request to reclassify.
No. Our office must verify that you have 12 months immediately prior to the semester you wish to reclassify for tuition purposes.
We verify that all ties have been relinquished in any other state and established in Utah. If you have a driver’s license in another state, you will need to obtain a Utah driver’s license. If you do not have a driver’s license, you will need a Utah state ID and another Utah tie.
You must establish ties approximately 90 days prior to when you try to reclassify.
Respective deadlines are:
- Fall – May 1
- Spring – Oct 1
- Summer – Feb 1
Yes, we will need to see that you have relinquished all ties and established all domiciliary ties in Utah.
If a car is registered in your name, it must be registered in Utah.
If you’re not eligible to vote, you may submit one additional tie to Utah, such as:
- Rental agreement
- Utility bill
- Evidence of employment in Utah
- Utah state taxes filed as a part or full year resident
PLEASE NOTE: If you are eligible to vote, you are expected to submit voter registration.
If your name is not listed on the out of state vehicle registration then it can remain out of state.
We will still request the vehicle registration be submitted with the application to verify that your name is not listed on an out of state vehicle registration.
No. If you are not employed or do not make enough to file, we can use your parent or guardian’s taxes to determine if you are not claimed as a dependent on the federal taxes of a non-Utah resident.
As stated in Utah state law, “A student who is claimed as a dependent on the tax returns of a person who is not a resident of Utah is not eligible to apply for resident student status.” (53B-8-102 3c)
Accepted methods of proof include the following:
- In-person enrollment at the University of Utah or another Utah institution through transcripts
- Employment with a Utah employer through dated pay stubs for each date range the student wishes to prove, or through a signed and dated employer letter on letterhead specifying the dates of employment
- Bank or credit card statements in the student’s name only showing a purchase made in person, in the state of Utah, every six days or fewer for the date range the student wishes to prove
- Gym records in the student’s name and with the name and contact information for the gym, showing visits to a Utah gym in person every six days or fewer for the date range the student wishes to prove
- Meal plan swipe records from a dining hall in Utah, showing meal plan swipes in person every six days or fewer for the date range the student wishes to prove
- In some cases, a signed and dated letter on letterhead from a religious, volunteer, or educational leader or a coach, doctor or therapist specifying the dates of presence in Utah may be used (subject to review)
- Physical Presence Check-Ins at the Residency office once every six days or fewer for the date range the student wishes to prove, during Office of Admissions business hours only
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- For this method, the student must be admitted and eligible to enroll
- The student requesting resident status must bring two forms of photo ID
- The first form of ID must be a UCard with the requesting student’s name, photo and UNID
- The second form of ID can be one of the following provided that it has the requesting student’s name and photo:
- Valid and unexpired driver’s license
- Valid and unexpired state ID
- Valid and unexpired permanent resident card
- Valid and unexpired passport
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The following CANNOT be used to demonstrate proof of physical presence (this list is not exhaustive):
- Utah utility bills
- Utah leases or rental agreements
- W-2s
- Presence of Utah property
- Personal statements
- Letters from friends/parents/landlords
- Records from apps such as DoorDash, UberEats, Uber, Lyft, Venmo, etc
- Photographs or images of people/locations
- Social media posts
Any form of proof of physical presence in Utah submitted is subject to review and acceptance is not guaranteed.
You are expected to report any days you leave the state of Utah.
Any days you cannot prove your presence in Utah by one of the accepted methods will count against the 29 day total.
For the Undergraduate Policy/One Year Rule, you must show proof of physical presence for 12 continuous months in Utah.
You may not be absent from the state for more than a total of 29 days.
If you are unable to prove your presence for any days requested, those days will be listed as absences and will count against your 29 day total.
Time spent on University of Utah programs that are out of state still count as proof of your physical presence in Utah.
In order for any time outside of the state of Utah to count as in-state, our office would need to see proof that it is a University-sponsored program. As that pertains to internships, sports or study abroad it needs to be organized or sanctioned by the U, and you would have to submit documentation and institutional verification through a signed and dated letter on letterhead from the organizing department that clearly states this internships, sports or study abroad is through the U, as well as the dates of the program. If your internships, sports or study abroad allows you to submit this proof, then we can accept it as a University-sponsored program and have those dates in the internship count as in the state of Utah.
If it is not a University-sponsored program, then your internships, sports or study abroad would count as outside the state of Utah.
Residency reclassification is a one-time process for attending students.
You are expected to maintain ties to Utah and financial independence throughout your programs, but do not need to follow the 29 day limit for future years.
Once reclassified, you hold your new residency status through the end of your current academic program.
Your residency will not be re-evaluated unless you submit a new application for admission to the university.
No. Utah addresses, rental or lease agreements cannot be used to demonstrate presence or residency in Utah.
No. You must reside in Utah and claim residency in Utah, regardless of where you or your parents work.
We are unable to grant residency to any dependent who was claimed by parents or guardians outside of Utah.
Our office does, however, work with amended tax returns or signed letters on letterhead from licensed CPAs verifying that a dependent is no longer being claimed or is being removed from taxes.
Our priority deadline is established to give our office enough time to process your application before tuition is due.
We accept applications up until the Friday before classes start for the semester for which you are applying for residency; however, we CANNOT guarantee a decision before tuition is due on any application submitted after the deadline.
If you have been classified as a resident for the semester you have already paid out of state tuition for, you are eligible for a refund.
Contact Income Accounting for details on how to receive your refund.
We cannot grant retroactive residency.
After the first day of the current semester, you will be unable to apply for residency for that term.
An exception to this is military applications, American Indian tribal certification, and Olympic athlete exceptions, which will be accepted until the last day of the current semester.
Tuition for online courses is based on residency.
If you do not classify as a resident, you will be charged out of state tuition.
Working remotely for an out of state company will not impact your residency status as long as you can provide proof of physical presence using a different approved method.
Please fill out your FASFA form with the information that is relevant at the time of submission.
Financial Aid will be notified if your residency status changes.
If you have been outside of Utah for more than 12 continuous months, but have maintained your Utah residency (Utah ties/paid Utah state taxes and paid non-resident tuition at your out of state college) you may be eligible to reclassify under the “Utah Resident Away for School” exception.
If your request is denied, you can meet with the Residency Officer to submit additional information or have the application reviewed in person.
If a denial is upheld by the Residency Officer and you wish to appeal the denial, you can request a hearing through the Residency Officer with the full Residency Appeals Committee.
The appeal request must be made within 10 days of the Residency Officer’s decision.
There is no appeal process for retroactive residency or for applications submitted after the final deadline.
There is no minimum number of credit hours.
As long as you are enrolled in one course on campus, the dates of enrollment for the term you are enrolled in will count towards your proof of physical presence.
Reclassifying for the summer semester will not impact your tuition cost.
You may wish to reclassify for this semester based on your physical presence in Utah for the following year.
We get a significant amount of fall reclassification applications, so reclassifying for summer will likely take less time.
If a technical error prevents you from uploading your documents through the application process or through the Post Submission Form, we also accept documents via email to residency@utah.edu.
Please include your full name, date of birth, and UNID when submitting documents over email.
If you will meet the 12 months of physical presence by the start of the semester that you are wishing to reclassify, please submit an application by the term deadline of that semester.
We will work with you to submit additional documents to complete your residency application and requirements.
If you must leave the state during the 12 months in which you are attempting to qualify for reclassification to satisfying the requirements for institutional internships, institutional courses, University of Utah study abroad programs, or athletic training required by the institution, this time will count toward toward the 12 continuous month requirement.
You must provide written documentation from the university’s program representative, including verification of the program dates and proof of major or area of study requirement for the internship or study abroad.
In general, residency is established by living in Utah for a consecutive year prior to your application.
Birthplace does not play a role in your classification.
Our office requires verification of independence/dependence through tax documents.
You can cross out any sensitive information as long as we are able to see who is claimed as a dependent or if you are able to be claimed as a dependent.
We also need to see that they are filed tax returns (not filled out forms) that have been signed.
As long as there is permissible evidence that you are in Utah at some point in the day, it will count towards your proof of physical presence.
3-4 weeks is an average processing time.
Processing time depends on the time of year and our volume of applications, and if we need to reach out to you for more information.
We recommend you submit your application as soon as possible.
If you believe you were incorrectly coded a non-resident, please reach out to our office. We will take a closer look to determine why you were coded a non-resident and if we need clarifying information.
Once we have looked at your application, further instruction will be given.
Yes, you can still be classified as a resident.
In this case, you will need to show that you have lived in Utah before your service or mission for at least one year, maintained Utah ties and taxes, and that you returned to Utah after your service or mission.
You can apply for residency once you’ve been formally admitted to the University of Utah.
Even if you qualify under an exception, you will need to formally submit a residency reclassification application, certification form, or military exception form to be reclassified as a resident.
Our evaluators look for all of the following:
- U.S. citizenship, permanent residency, or granted asylum or refugee status
- Utah driver’s license
- At least 12 continuous months of presence in Utah at the date of application
- If under the age of 24 and not married, your parents or guardians live in Utah and have for at least 12 months
International students in the United States on visitor, student, or other visas authorizing temporary presence in the country cannot intend to reside in Utah for an indefinite period and are thereby classified as nonresidents.
The only exception is students who qualify for House Bill 118.
International students who have been granted permanent resident status, a refugee status, or an asylee in the United States are classified for purposes of resident student status according to the same criteria as citizens.
If you can demonstrate all of the following:
- You attended a Utah high school three years or more
- You graduated from a Utah high school or received the equivalent of a Utah diploma in Utah
- You did not attend college classes before Fall 2002
You may be able to qualify for House Bill 144 or House Bill 118 which is not residency but a tuition waiver for the non-resident portion of your tuition.
For residency purposes, immediate family is defined as either the parent of a dependent child or a spouse.
No. These companies do not withhold Utah state tax from your paychecks, therefore these paystubs cannot verify Utah employment.
No. Due to the nature and limitations of these documents, our office does not accept screen shots of delivery or purchase apps or any other app including but not limited to:
- Lyft
- Uber
- UberEats
- Door Dash
- Grubhub
- Postmates
- Instacart
- Venmo
- Cell/Mobile phone records
We will not request proof of physical presence for any time that school was not physically in session at the University of Utah due to COVID-19.
Outside of University-wide closures related to COVID-19, you are expected to provide proof of physical presence in Utah or use your 29 day out of state limit.
Graduate Questions
Once you have started a graduate program, you must reclassify under the Graduate Policy and obtain 40 graduate hours before being eligible for residency reclassification.
The only exceptions to this is students who meet the requirements for a military or American Indian exception, or meet the requirements for House Bill 144 or House Bill 118.
Do you meet the requirements of the Undergraduate Policy/One Year Rule?
If you have not started your graduate program, you are eligible to reclassify under any qualifying policy prior to starting your graduate program.
The only exceptions is students admitted by the School of Dentistry, College of Law and the School of Medicine as non-residents, as they are held to the policies of their respective schools.
Please see the Law Policy in the University of Utah institutional policy brochure for specific College of Law requirements.
Please see the Dental Policy in University of Utah institutional policy brochure for specific School of Dentistry requirements.
Please see the Medical Policy in University of Utah institutional policy brochure for specific School of Medicine requirements.
Military & Veteran Questions
For the purposes of residency reclassification, you are allowed and approved to submit a copy of your Military ID.
Please visit the Department of Defense Common Access Card for more information on authorized photocopying.
In this case, you are able to apply for the open semester.
We will verify your current enrollment and manually update the semester that you are applying for.
No further action is needed.
Any dependent child or spouse of a military veteran can submit a Military Service Exception form to reclassify their residency.
This application requires a copy of military veteran’s DD-214, which includes proof of honorable or general discharge as well as 180 days of service.
Here are three recent updates to HB 45:
1. Change in eligible person definition
- This change simplifies the definition of an eligible person, making it more equitable while maintaining compliance with the Federal Choice Act of 2014.
- This item is designed to eliminate the inequities institutions face in awarding in-state tuition to only those discharged under Chapters 30 and 33 of the GI bill.
2. Elimination of five-year limit for veterans’ immediate family members
- This change eliminates the five-year limit since discharge for in-state tuition eligibility of immediate family members of veterans.
- This brings consistency between the definitions of immediate family member and eligible person, and it eliminates a seemingly arbitrary time limit.
3. Adjustment to Veterans Tuition Gap Program
- This change allows veterans using the Veterans Tuition Gap Program to receive funds for fees and books, as well as tuition.
- This allows institutions to better support veterans by using unspent funds that have been appropriated for the Veterans Tuition Gap Program.
WICHE/WUE/WRGP Questions
No, it is an either/or choice.
WUE impacts your ability to gain residency.
You must be off of WUE for 12 continuous months immediately prior to the requested term of reclassification before being able to reclassify.
You can cancel WUE for your current term or decline it for future terms, but you may not pay it back or rescind WUE retroactively.
We encourage you to “run the numbers” and include any scholarships/aid calculations.
Please note that WUE does have a GPA requirement and is only available for 8 semesters, and some scholarship/aid programs have a resident or non-resident requirement.
No. Any time spent on WUE cannot be used towards residency reclassification requirements.
You would need to be off of WUE for twelve continuous months to be eligible for residency.