Who sets policies regarding residency?

Where can I get a copy of these rules and regulations?

I have been classified as a non-resident, but I will be here 1 year before classes begin. Can I be classified as a resident?

What do you mean by “financial independence”?

I am a continuing student; will my residency automatically change after 1 year?

I/my parent(s) own property/pay taxes in Arizona; doesn’t that make me a resident?

My parents live out-of-state but I attend an Arizona high school; will I be considered a resident if I graduate from an Arizona high school?

I am a research assistant, teaching assistant or graduate assistant, and I have been paying resident tuition. Am I a resident?

Are there any hardship exceptions?

I am currently attending UA as a resident, but my parents will be moving to another state. Will I still be classified as an Arizona resident?

Is it possible that I am not a resident for tuition and fee purposes anywhere?

Who sets policies regarding residency?

The rules and regulations regarding residency for tuition purposes are established by the Arizona Board of Regents.

Where can I get a copy of these rules and regulations?

You can view the Arizona Board of Regents policies by going to their website.

I have been classified as a non-resident, but I will be here 1 year before classes begin. Can I be classified as a resident?

Being in Arizona for 1 year does not necessarily make you a resident for tuition purposes. You will need to meet all of the requirements: one year showing physical presence, intent beyond the circumstance of being a student, and two years’ financial independence, unless you meet one of the exceptions.

Students who are already attending UA as a non-resident, would need to submit a petition (during the petition period) for a change of residency classification for tuition. 

Newly admitted students who feel they have been misclassified, would complete a Domicile Affidavit for further review of their residency classification.

What do you mean by “financial independence”?

For the purposes of this policy, financial independence means a student's ability to meet his or her own expenses from self-generated funds under his or her control. A student will generally be considered financially independent if he/she:

· is a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces - OR -

· was not claimed as an income tax deduction by his/her parents or any other individual for the two years immediately preceding the request for residency classification, and has demonstrated objective evidence of self-support for two years. The two years used to demonstrate self-support are the two tax years immediately preceding the request for residency classification.

I am a continuing student; will my residency automatically change after 1 year?

No—there is no set amount of time after which a student attending as a non-resident will automatically be changed to a resident. A student wanting to be reclassified must initiate the process by submitting a petition for change of residency by the appropriate deadline.

I/my parent(s) own property/pay taxes in Arizona; doesn’t that make me a resident?

No—owning property in Arizona doesn’t automatically qualify you as a resident for tuition purposes. If you are trying to establish residency in Arizona, paying taxes in Arizona is an indicator of your intent to become an Arizona resident. However, you must meet all the residency criteria to be eligible for residency for tuition purposes.

My parents live out-of-state but I attend an Arizona high school; will I be considered a resident if I graduate from an Arizona high school?

No—ABOR policy states that the home of an unemancipated minor is that of the parent(s).

I am a research assistant, teaching assistant or graduate assistant, and I have been paying resident tuition. Am I a resident?

No—assistantships may receive a non-resident tuition waiver from their department but this waiver does not reclassify the student as a resident for tuition purposes.

Are there any hardship exceptions?

No—any person requesting reclassification as a resident for tuition purposes must prove they meet the residency requirement or that they meet one of the approved exceptions.

I am currently attending UA as a resident, but my parents will be moving to another state. Will I still be classified as an Arizona resident?

Once a student is classified as a resident for tuition purposes, their status will not change through the completion of one degree program, provided that the student remains continuously enrolled (meaning, enrolled each fall and spring semester). If you apply for a second degree program (i.e., graduate or professional school), your residency will be reviewed and you will have to meet the residency criteria on your own.

 Is it possible that I am not a resident for tuition and fee purposes anywhere?

Yes. The information provided here only applies to residency for tuition and fee purposes at the University of Arizona. Different rules may apply to determine residency in your home state or for other schools. It is possible to be a person without a state residence for tuition and fee purposes.