How do I know if I am considered a resident or a nonresident?
When you apply for admission, you must answer a series of questions to help us determine if you qualify as a resident for tuition purposes. Please be sure that your answers are as clear and complete as possible, so that we can classify your residency status correctly.
How will I be notified about my residency classification?
When you submit your admissions application, you will receive a letter confirming that it has arrived in the Office of Admissions. This letter will specify your residency classification. Direct any questions you might have about the classification to the UO Residency Classification Officer.
How can I prove that I should be classified as a resident?
The first step in making a case for residency is to apply for admission. The Office of Admissions will make an initial residency assessment. If you disagree with this assessment, you may complete a Residence Information Affidavit. This form is submitted to the Residency Officer, who reviews the information and makes a decision about the affidavit. If the affidavit is approved, you will be classified as a resident. If the affidavit is denied, you may appeal in person or in writing to the Inter-institutional Residency Committee.
How would I qualify for a change in classification?
Students seeking residency reclassification must meet the Appendix 1: Residency Standards requirements. To document this, you must complete a Residence Information Affidavit and submit it to the UO Residency Classification Officer.
What is meant by “financially independent”?
According to the definition in the Appendix 1: Residency Standards, a “financially independent” person is someone who has not been and will not be claimed as an exemption on someone else’s taxes and has not received and will not receive financial assistance in cash or in-kind of an amount equal to or greater than that which would qualify him or her to be claimed as an exemption for federal income tax purposes by another person except his or her spouse for the calendar year immediately prior to the year in which an application is made.
If I receive information from the UO Office of Student Financial Aid that indicates that I am a resident, does it mean I have been classified as a resident?
Not necessarily. If you report that you are a resident on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships will process your FAFSA as if you are a resident. But if the Residency Officer determines that you are a nonresident, then you are considered a nonresident and your financial aid offer will be recalculated accordingly. If you notice differences between the correspondence you receive from the Office of Admissions and the Office of Student Financial Aid, you should contact the UO Residency Classification Officer for clarification.
What are the key considerations for determining my residency classification?
- Establishment of a domicile and predominant physical presence in Oregon for a period of 12 months or more prior to the beginning of the term for which you are seeking residency
- Financial dependence on an Oregon resident or financial independence
- Primary purpose for being in Oregon other than to obtain an education
- Nature and source of financial resources
- Various other indicators of residency (e.g., ownership of Oregon living quarters, permanent Oregon employment, payment of Oregon income taxes)
What is meant by “domicile”?
A domicile is your true, fixed, and permanent home and place of habitation. It is the place where you intend to remain and expect to return when you leave without intending to establish a domicile elsewhere.
If my parents are divorced and my father lives in Oregon, but my mother does not, can I be considered a resident?
If you are financially dependent on the Oregon parent, and the Oregon parent has established residency, then you would be considered a resident. You are considered to be dependent if you have been claimed as an exemption on a parent’s state and federal tax forms. Students in these circumstances are often required to complete additional documentation verifying the financial support that each parent has provided.
Does the University of Oregon participate in any reciprocity agreements with other states?
No, the UO does not participate in any such agreements.
If I live just across the Oregon border, but work in Oregon and pay Oregon taxes, are my dependents or I considered residents for tuition purposes?
No, if you live out of state, you would be considered a nonresident.
If I own property in Oregon and pay Oregon property taxes are my dependents or I considered residents for tuition purposes?
If you own property but do not maintain a predominant physical presence in Oregon, you will be considered a nonresident.
If I live in a state other than Oregon and I marry an Oregon resident will I be considered a resident for tuition purposes?
Marriage to an Oregon resident does not grant you immediate residency. Individuals in this situation would usually be considered independent and need to meet residency qualifications pertaining to an independent person.
If I serve in the military, am I considered an Oregon resident?
Active members of the armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Military Reservists, and the Oregon National Guard) and their spouses and dependent children shall be considered residents if particular conditions are met. OAR 580-010-0035 governs this criteria. Also, see Section E: Residence Classification of Armed Forces Personnel in Appendix 1: Residency Standards.
- Notwithstanding Appendix 1: Residency Standards, Section B, members of the armed services and their spouses and dependent children who reside in this state while assigned to duty at any base, station, shore establishment, or other facility in this state, or while serving as members of the crew of a ship that has an Oregon port of shore establishment as its home port or permanent station, shall be considered residents for purposes of the instruction fee if the members:
- Reside in this state while assigned to duty at any base, station, shore establishment, or other facility in this state
- Reside in this state while serving as member of the crew of a ship that has an Oregon port of shore establishment as its home port or permanent station or
- Reside in another state or a foreign country and file Oregon income taxes no later than 12 months before leaving active duty.
- An Oregon resident entering the armed services retains Oregon residence classification until it is voluntarily relinquished.
- An Oregon resident entering the armed services and assigned on duty outside of Oregon must return to Oregon within 60 days after completing service to retain classification as an Oregon resident.
- A person who continues to reside in Oregon after separation from the armed services may count the time spent in the state while in the armed services to support a claim for classification as an Oregon resident.
- The dependent child and spouse of a person who is a resident under Section (2) of this rule shall be considered an Oregon resident. “Dependent child" includes any child of a member of the armed forces who:
- Is under 18 years of age and not married, otherwise emancipated, or self-supporting or
- Is under 24 years of age, unmarried, enrolled in a full-time course of study in an institution of higher learning, and dependent on the member for more than one-half of his/her support.
Can I be considered a resident if I am not a U.S. citizen?
If you are not a citizen of the United States, you may be considered an Oregon resident if you meet the basic rules for residency and are one of the following:
- A lawful permanent resident. The date of approval of lawful permanent residency shall be the earliest date upon which the 12-month residency requirements under OAR 580-010-0030 may begin to accrue.
- An immigrant granted refugee or political asylum in the United States. The date of approval of political asylum or refugee status shall be the earliest date upon which the 12-month residency requirements under OAR 580-010-0030 may begin to accrue. See Section G: Residence Classification of Non-Citizens in Appendix 1: Residency Standards.
- A person holding one of the following nonimmigrant visa classifications: A, E, G, H-1B, H-1C, the spouse or child of a person holding a H-1B or H-1C visa, I, K, L, NATO, O, R, S, T, TN, U, or V. The date of issuance of a visa for one of these classifications shall be the earliest date upon which the 12-month residency requirements under OAR 580-010-0030 may begin to accrue. A person possessing a nonimmigrant or temporary visa that is not identified under this rule shall not be considered an Oregon resident.
If I am not an Oregon resident, what is my state of residency?
Residency rules vary widely from state to state. The job of the Residency Officer is to determine only if you meet the requirements for resident classification (for tuition purposes) in Oregon. It is not to ascertain your true state of residency. In fact, it is possible for you to qualify as a resident of Oregon for purposes of voting or obtaining an Oregon driver’s license and still not meet the residency requirements for tuition purposes.
If I am a member of a Native American tribe in Oregon, do I qualify for residency?
The University of Oregon grants residency status to members of the more than 40 tribes and bands with historical ties to Oregon. For a complete listing of Native Americans tribes eligible for this consideration, see Section F: Residence Classification of Members of Oregon Tribes in the Appendix 1: Residency Standards.
If I attend an Oregon community college or other institution that classifies me as a resident, will I be considered a resident when I transfer to the UO?
You will be classified as an Oregon resident only if you meet the UO's requirements for residency. Previous residency classifications by community colleges or other institutions will not be carried forward to your UO record.
If I live in Oregon for 12 consecutive months will I be a resident after attending as a nonresident for a year?
No. If you take more than eight credits per term in those first 12 months, the state will presume that your primary reason for living in the state is for educational purposes, and you will continue to be classified as a nonresident.
Can I take courses through the UO Community Education Program without jeopardizing my chances of establishing residency for tuition purposes?
UO CEP for more information.
Individuals who are financially independent may take up to eight credits per term without jeopardizing their pursuit of residency classification. To qualify as an Oregon resident (for tuition purposes), one must live in Oregon for 12 consecutive months while taking eight credits or fewer per term while demonstrating that they are in the state for a primary purpose other than education (such as working, volunteering, or other purposes). The UO Community Education Program (CEP) limits non-admitted individuals who wish to attend UO courses the opportunity to take up to eight credits per term during the academic year at a reduced tuition rate. Explore the