Residency for tuition purposes: UNDERGRADUATE POLICIES
Resources regarding Utah residency requirements and the reclassification process for in-state tuition rates.
Fall 2022 applications are now open.
RESIDENCY RECLASSIFICATION APPLICATION MILITARY SERVICE EXCEPTION FORM
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
1. University of Utah Institutional Policy on Residency Determination for Tuition Purposes
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 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; 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.
- Accepted methods of proof include the following:
Late Submissions
An application is considered late if it is submitted after the posted priority deadline. The hard late deadline for application submission is the Friday prior to the start of the requested term of reclassification (for example, the hard late deadline for Fall 2022 residency reclassification applications is Friday 08/19/2022.) Late applications must be submitted with a late petition explaining why the requesting student did not submit by the deadline, and there is no guarantee of application acceptance nor a decision by the tuition deadline for the requested term of reclassification.
Required documentation (proof of physical presence, submission of Utah ties, etc) will be accepted through the Friday of the first week of classes of the requested term of reclassification at the latest (for example, the hard documentation submission deadline for Fall 2022 residency reclassification is Friday 08/26/2022.) Documentation should be submitted as soon as possible prior to this deadline. Students submitting documentation must have a residency reclassification application on file that was submitted by the hard application deadline. No documentation will be accepted after the first week of classes of the requested term of reclassification.
Spring Semester Tax Exception
For students requesting residency for a spring term, all of the above documentation is required. For the federal tax return requirement, the requesting student may submit:
- The first two pages of their federal tax return for the most recent tax filing year verifying that they were not claimed as a tax dependent by out of state parents or guardians.
- A copy of their out of state parents' or guardians' federal tax return(s) for the most recent tax filing year verifying that they did not claim the student as a dependent.
- A signed and dated letter on letterhead from a licensed CPA with contact information, verifying that the requesting student will not be claimed on federal taxes for the previous year as a dependent by out of state parents or guardians. (Example: A student applying for residency for Spring 2023 may submit either their or their parents'/guardians' filed federal tax return for 2021 federal taxes verifying that they 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 the requesting student will not be claimed on federal taxes for the 2022 tax year as a dependent by out of state parents or guardians.)
Non-Resident Tuition Waiver Specifications
Please note that per the Board of Regents and University of Utah Institutional Policy, no time spent on the following programs can be used towards residency reclassification requirements:
- Western Undergraduate Exchange
- Western Regional Graduate Program
- Professional Student Exchange Program
- Dixie State University Good Neighbor Program
- International Student Exchange
- Alumni Legacy Scholarships
- Other programs as specified by the state or institution
More information can be found in the mandatory reading of the University of Utah Institutional Policy and the Board of Regents Policies, R512.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. Documentation should support and verify that the student's relocation to Utah is for reasons other than higher education.
- 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.
- 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. Utah state taxes must have been filed for all of the years the requesting student was outside of the state.
- 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 state taxes must have been filed for all of the years the requesting student was outside of the state.
- 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. Utah state taxes must have been filed for all of the years the requesting student was outside of the state.
- 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 state taxes must have been filed for all of the years the requesting student was outside of the state.
- 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. Utah state taxes must have been filed for all of the years the requesting student was outside of the state.
- 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 state taxes must have been filed for all of the years the requesting student was outside of the state.
If you have already submitted your residency application form and have additional documents not previously submitted to turn in for evaluation, please use the post submission form below to attach the requested documentation.
Term Deadlines to Submit Application / Certification / Military Forms
All students must submit their residency form by the date listed below. Students will be able to submit additional documents as requested proving physical presence after initial submission. Please note: Applications submitted after the deadline are not guaranteed a decision by the tuition due date.
Term Deadlines to Establish Domiciliary Ties
Students applying under the Undergraduate Policy (One Year Rule) or Graduate Policy must establish their Utah domiciliary ties (driver’s license, voter registration, and vehicle registration) by the deadlines listed below. * Failure to establish ties by the listed deadlines will require students to provide proof of additional Utah ties.
Residency Application Submission Deadline by Semester
Domiciliary Tie Deadline by Semester
* 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.
(801) 581-8761, Option 5
residency@utah.edu