RESIDENCY FOR TUITION PURPOSES
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FOR MOST STUDENTS ...

Beginning July 1, 2007, students may gain residency by living in Utah continuously for one year (with no departures exceeding 30 days).  In addition, they must: 

1. Complete a Residency Application (Word version  |  PDF version).
2. Provide as much documentation as possible showing that they intend to establish domicile on Utah (i.e. Utah drivers license, Utah vehicle registration, pay stubs, rent receipts, Utah bank account, etc. ).  MAKE COPIES!  Do not bring in original documents and expect that copies will be made.
3. Provide documentation showing financial independence - The student cannot have been claimed as a dependent on parent's federal or state tax returns in the preceding year.  A front-page copy of parent's tax returns is needed (for unmarried students less than 24 years of age).
4. Sign the residency application, verifying that all of the information is accurate and that the student is financially independent.
5. Mail the application to:  DSC Admissions, 225 S. 700 E. St. George, UT  84770, or Fax:  (435) 879-4005.

ARE THESE CHANGES RETROACTIVE?  No.  A student who has already lived in Utah for for one year prior to July 1, 2007 cannot use that year to get residency.  The clock starts ticking on July 1.  So the student must either earn 60 credit hours at a Utah college or reside for one more year in Utah to gain residency.  In other words, they must use the old rules to qualify for residency.

OTHER WAYS TO QUALIFY ...

For some students, there are other ways to qualify for Utah residency.  They are as follows:

1. A Utah high school graduate or resident who has left Utah and returns to Utah within 48 months, providing they have not taken action to establish domicile elsewhere.  For example, they cannot have been granted residency at an out-of-state college.
2. A family moves to Utah for employment purposes.  The spouse and children are immediately eligible for Utah residency.  Specific documentation needed includes pay stubs, letter from employer, closing documents, utilities bills, etc..  The person who came for employment is not automatically eligible --- See #3 for possible eligibility.
3. A person who can demonstrate that they have moved to Utah due to an employer-requested transfer to Utah, recruitment by a Utah employer, or comparable full-time employment move to Utah may be eligible.  Supporting proof includes a.) dates when employment was considered, offered, and accepted; b.) when the person moved to Utah, c.) when the person applied for admission (cannot be sooner than 4 months after the move), d.) evidence that person is independent (at least 24 years old, not a dependent on another's tax returns, e.) other factors showing abandonment of another domicile and evidence of a new domicile in Utah.  The burden of proof is on the individual, and a person will likely not qualify if they applied for admission prior to the employment offer, or prior to 4 months from moving to the state.
4. A student who marries a Utah resident is immediately eligible for Utah residency following the marriage (in addition to other documentation, copy of marriage license is mandatory).  Please note that this provision only applies to students who are marrying current Utah residents.  If a student is granted residency (based on other criteria), it does not immediately follow that their spouse suddenly becomes eligible (because they are now married to a "Utah Resident").  They must earn residency based on other criteria than this marriage provision. 
5. A student who is receiving state social services benefits, which assist in paying tuition, are eligible for residency.  A letter from the social services agency is needed along with the application and other supporting documentation showing permanency.  Their eligibility is discontinued when the agency is no longer providing financial assistance.
6. United States Armed Forces personnel may be eligible - Individuals who are on "active duty" in Utah, have declared Utah as their "home of record" (on LES), were Utah residents prior to active duty deployment (and return to Utah within 90 days of release), or active members of the Utah National Guard.
7. Extenuating circumstances - A person who has established domicile in Utah for child care obligations or extenuating financial/health reasons related to his or her divorce, the death of a spouse, or long-term health care needs or responsibilities related to the student's health, or the health of an immediate family member (spouse, parent, sibling, child).  Proof must be provided that move to Utah was, in good faith, based on such extenuating circumstances. 
8. A Native American whose reservation or trust lands are either in Utah or in a state which is contiguous with Utah.  Must provide tribal roll ID.
9. Immigrant placed in Utah as a political refugee.  The immigrant must be relocated to Utah involuntarily as a result of fleeing from civil war, religious or racial persecution, political oppression, or other legitimate reason.
10. Job Corp Students who are admitted into a degree-seeking program (and provide proof that they are actively enrolled in job corp) are eligible for residency.
11. Olympic Athletes who are training in approved Olympic training facilities are eligible for residency during their training period.

WAIVER OF NON-RESIDENT TUITION - To the extent allowed under federal law, a student may be exempt from paying the non-resident portion of tuition if the student:

1. Attended high school in Utah for three or more years.
2. Graduated from a Utah high school or received the equivalent of a Utah high school diploma.
3. Registers as an entering college student no earlier than the 2002-2003 academic year.
4. Provides a signed affidavit certifying that they have applied for U.S. citizenship, or will do so as soon as they are eligible.

Note that all degree-seeking students who do not otherwise qualify for residency may apply for a non-resident tuition waiver through the Financial Aid office.

WHAT DOES NOT QUALIFY A STUDENT FOR UTAH RESIDENCY? -  1.)  Parents own property in Utah, 2.) Grandma or other relatives live in Utah (other than parents), 3.) Parents used to live in Utah, 4.) Student attended high school in Utah but family moved prior to graduation, 6.) Parents moved to Utah, but student is 24 years old (or older), 8.) Parents (or student) work in Utah but physically reside elsewhere, 7.) Student has pioneer ancestry, or 8.) Student knows state song.

To get additional details regarding the residency rules, please review the Board of Regent's policy.