There are different tuition rates for Utah residents and for non-residents, based on Utah State Law, 53B-8-102 and Board of Regents R512 Policy. Your initial residency classification will be determined when your admissions application is reviewed. Once admitted, your official letter of acceptance will include your classification. If you are classified as a non-resident but meet the requirements of a policy or exception for resident status, you may apply to change your status.

The resources listed above describe the various ways in which students may be eligible for in-state (resident) tuition under the provisions of Utah state law. These documents explain the general rule of the law as well as exceptions that may make students eligible to waive the time requirement and apply for residency immediately. Review these materials carefully. Non-resident students who are eligible for reclassification of their residency status must submit a complete reclassification, certification, or military form by the applicable term deadline with all required supporting documentation.

Per University of Utah policy, incoming graduate students, including those in the Medical and Law programs, may apply under the Undergraduate policy or any other policy if they qualify prior to the start of their graduate studies. Graduate students who begin their graduate program as a non-resident are only eligible to reclassify under the Graduate policy, which includes completing 40 graduate-level semester hours prior to reclassification. Medical and Law students are ineligible to reclassify after beginning their program. Dental students admitted as non-residents are ineligible for reclassification at any time. The only exceptions to Graduate, Medical, Law, and Dental residency policy are for students proving eligibility through military or American Indian exceptions, or the House Bill 144 tuition waiver as described below.

UNDERGRADUATE POLICY (THE ONE YEAR RULE)

All policies are subject to change without notice.

The Undergraduate Policy applies to most undergraduate students seeking to reclassify their residency status at the University of Utah. It also applies to incoming graduate students who have not yet started their graduate programs. Students must meet ALL of the following requirements and submit an application and all necessary documentation by the specified deadlines.

Students must hold U.S. citizenship, granted permanent residency, or granted asylum or refugee status.
- Students must hold granted status and cannot have expired, removed or in-process status.
- Students with granted permanent residency or granted asylum or refugee status must submit valid and unexpired documentation.
- Students on visas are not eligible for residency reclassification but may qualify for a tuition waiver; visit admissions.utah.edu/tuitionwaivers for more information.

Students must relinquish domiciliary ties (driver’s license, voter registration, and vehicle registration) held in any other state and established them in Utah by the Utah tie deadline.
- Students must submit a valid Utah driver's license.
- Students must submit proof of active Utah voter registration via their voter registration card or a certified letter from the County Clerk's office. Students with granted permanent resident status are exempt from this requirement and can submit a secondary Utah tie.
- If the student has a vehicle registered in their name, it must be registered in Utah and the student must submit valid and unexpired vehicle registration.

Students must submit verification of financial independence showing that they are not claimed as a dependent on the federal tax return of any person who is not a resident of Utah.
- Students who are under the age of 24 and not married must submit the first two pages of their federal tax return for the most recent tax year verifying that they were not claimed as a tax dependent by out of state parents or guardians.
- Students who did not file their own federal taxes must submit a copy of their out of state parents' or guardians' federal tax return(s) for the most recent tax year verifying that they did not claim the student as a dependent.

Students must submit proof of their physical presence in the state of Utah for at least the 12 continuous months immediately prior to the first day of class for the academic term they wish to be considered a resident student, with fewer than 29 days total unproven/out-of-state.
- 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 four 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 four 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 four 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)
- 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; acceptance is not guaranteed.
- Students are expected to report any days they leave the state of Utah.
- Any days that a student cannot prove their presence in Utah by one of the accepted methods will count against the 29 day total.

OTHER POLICIES

Please note that most of these exceptions are for qualifying students who have not met the requirements of the Undergraduate Policy. If you are an undergraduate student or incoming graduate student, have completed at least a 12 month period of residence in Utah, and are requesting to reclassify, you will need to show eligibility under the Undergraduate Policy. The requirements for each policy or exception are listed; students must meet ALL listed requirements and submit the requested documentation by the specified term deadlines.

Marriage to a Utah Resident

To qualify for this policy, the spouse of the requesting student must have been a Utah resident for at least 12 continuous months prior to the date of the marriage.
Copies of the requesting student's valid Utah driver’s license, active voter registration, and, if applicable, valid vehicle registration.
Copy of the student's marriage certificate verifying the date of the marriage.
Copy of the Utah resident spouse’s Utah state income tax return for the tax year prior to the year of the marriage. If the spouse did not file state tax return because their parent(s) claimed the individual as a tax dependent, provide a copy of the spouse’s parents' federal and state tax return(s) for the tax year prior to the year of marriage.
Copy of the Utah spouse’s Utah valid driver’s license.

A Dependent child with a parent domiciled in Utah for at least twelve continuous months

Copy of the parents' federal tax return for the most recent tax year showing the requesting student as a tax dependent of one of their parents (claiming parent does not need to be the Utah parent.)
Copy of the Utah parent's Utah state tax return for the most recent tax year.
Copy of the Utah parent's Utah valid driver's license.
Copy of the Utah parent's Utah valid vehicle registration.

Your move to Utah was for full-time permanent employment (including cases where the employment is for a spouse or parent)

To qualify for this policy, the Residency office must see that the offer of Utah employment came prior to the requesting student's earliest admissions application to the University of Utah.
Copies of the requesting student's valid Utah driver’s license, active voter registration, and, if applicable, valid vehicle registration.
Signed and dated letter on company letterhead from the Utah employer verifying the full-time employment, including hire date and verification of employer-requested job transfer or recruitment.
If the requesting student is single and 23 years of age or younger, they must provide proof that you were not claimed as a tax dependent by out of state parents or guardians on their federal tax return for the most recent tax year.
For parent employment, the requesting student must provide a copy of their parents' or guardians' federal tax return for the most recent tax year verifying they were claimed as a dependent.

Extenuating circumstances (such as divorce, death of spouse, long-term health care responsibilities of family members, or refugee placed directly in Utah)

Copies of the requesting student's valid Utah driver’s license, active voter registration, and, if applicable, valid vehicle registration.
Documentation of the extenuating circumstance (Specific circumstances that qualify are listed in R512, Determination of Resident Status.) All relevant evidence concerning the motivation for the move shall be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Refugees who were placed directly in Utah should submit proof of their refugee status (INS Document Number I-94) and written confirmation from the agency that assisted in their move to Utah, such as the International Rescue Committee or Catholic Community Services of Utah.

Utah resident away for school

To qualify for this policy, the requesting student must have been a resident of Utah for at least 12 continuous months prior to leaving the state for educational purposes.
Copies of the requesting student's valid Utah driver’s license, active voter registration, and, if applicable, valid vehicle registration.
Verification of the requesting student's residency status at the out-of-state school and payment of non-resident tuition.
A copy of the requesting student's Utah state tax return for the most recent tax year and for all years that they resided out of state. If the requesting student was required to complete Form TC40-B, they must provide a copy of it.
If the requesting student did not file a tax return and is a tax dependent of Utah parents, they must provide copies of the Utah parents' federal tax return and Utah state tax return for the most recent tax year and for all years that the requesting student resided out of state.

Utah resident away for government volunteer service or ecclesiastical service

To qualify for this policy, the requesting student must have been a resident of Utah for at least 12 continuous months prior to leaving the state for ecclesiastical or volunteer purposes.
Copies of the requesting student's valid Utah driver’s license, active voter registration, and, if applicable, valid vehicle registration.
Letter from the ecclesiastical or volunteer organization verifying the requesting student's dates of service.
A copy of the requesting student's Utah state tax return for the most recent tax year and for all years that they resided out of state. If the requesting student was required to complete Form TC40-B, they must provide a copy of it.
If the requesting student did not file a tax return and is a tax dependent of Utah parents, they must provide copies of the Utah parents' federal tax return and Utah state tax return for the most recent tax year and all years that the requesting student resided out of state.

Utah resident away for temporary employment

To qualify for this policy, the requesting student must have been a resident of Utah for at least 12 continuous months prior to leaving the state for temporary employment.
Copies of the requesting student's valid Utah driver’s license, active voter registration, and, if applicable, valid vehicle registration.
Letter from the requesting student explaining the nature of the temporary employment and reason for doing this employment out of Utah (additional documentation may be requested.)
A copy of the requesting student's Utah state tax return for the most recent tax year and all years that they resided out of state. If the requesting student was required to complete Form TC40-B, they must provide a copy of it.
If the requesting student did not file a tax return and is a tax dependent of Utah parents, they must provide copies of the Utah parents' federal tax return and Utah state tax return for the most recent tax year and all years that the requesting student resided out of state.

* Examples of additional ties, if requested, include:

Proof of Utah employment, including part-time employment for at least 90 days.
A copy of a Utah State Income Tax Return filed as a part-year or full-year Utah resident.
A copy of a lease/rental agreement in Utah for at least twelve months prior to the start of the term you are applying for reclassification.
Copies of utility bills in your name for at least twelve months prior to the start of the term you are applying for reclassification.

Residency for Non-Citizens

Foreign nationals that have been granted permanent U.S. resident status or have obtained asylum or refugee status under U.S. immigration law are classified for purposes of resident status according to the same criteria applicable to U.S. citizens. These students must submit verification of status with their residency application. Residency reclassification will not be granted to foreign nationals without proof of permanent resident, asylum, or refugee status in the United States.

Tuition waivers for non-residents

Information on special tuition waivers for foreign nationals and other non-residents can be found in Board of Regents Policy R513.

The House Bill 144 Non-Resident Tuition Waiver is explained in R513-13 Exemption for Certain Students with Utah High School Graduation. Information on House Bill 144 is also available here on the admissions website.
The House Bill 118 Non-Resident Tuition Waiver is explained in R513-14 Exemption of Nonresident Tuition for Certain Foreign Nationals. Information on House Bill 118 is also available here on the admissions website.

Admissions

Residency – Undergraduate Residency Reclassification

Residency for tuition purposes: UNDERGRADUATE POLICIES

SPRING 2022 POLICY UPDATES: READ HERE

WUE/WRGP UPDATE: READ HERE

Residency Reclassification Application Deadline by Semester

Fall Semester → July 1st

Spring Semester → November 1st

Summer Semester → April 1st

Domiciliary Tie Establishment Deadline by Semester

Fall Semester → May 1st

Spring Semester → October 1st

Summer Semester → February 1st

Mandatory Reading for All Residency Reclassification Applicants

UNDERGRADUATE POLICY (THE ONE YEAR RULE)

OTHER POLICIES

Deadlines

Residency Application Submission Deadline by Semester

Domiciliary Tie Deadline by Semester

Residency for Non-Citizens

Tuition waivers for non-residents