About These Exceptions
The following exceptions are rare; please read the qualifications carefully. If you have questions, please contact the tuition classification team before filling out an application.
Tuition classification is governed by state law (Title 23, Article 7, of the Colorado Revised Statutes of 1973, as amended) and by judicial decisions that apply to all public institutions of higher education in Colorado, and is subject to change at any time.
The university is not free to make exceptions to the rules except as specifically permitted by state law. For more information, please visit the Colorado Department of Higher Education website.
Military Exceptions
- Canadian Military Active Duty (member or dependent)
- Colorado National Guard (member or dependent)
- Individual Using Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E) Assistance
- U.S. Armed Forces Veteran (veteran or dependent)
- U.S. Military Active Duty Dependent
- U.S. Military Active Duty Member
Eligibility
Personnel must:
- Be stationed in Colorado with permanent change of station (PCS) orders
- Have physical residence in Colorado
Child dependents and spouses must:
- Have physical residence in Colorado
- Provide evidence that they are the military member's spouse or their biological or legally adopted child
Apply
Complete the Verification of Canadian Military Member’s Permanent Change of Station (PCS) in Colorado (PDF form).
Eligibility
A Colorado National Guard member must:
- Be stationed in Colorado by the first day of classes for the applicable term
- Have physical residence in Colorado
Child dependents and spouses qualify for the exception if the Colorado National Guard member:
- Is stationed in Colorado
- Maintains physical residence in Colorado
Apply
Complete the Verification of Colorado National Guard Service (webform).
If approved, the military member and/or dependent is:
- Eligible to apply for the College Opportunity Fund
- Not eligible for resident financial aid
Eligibility
Individuals using Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) assistance under Chapter 31 are eligible to apply for in-state tuition using this form.
An individual using VR&E assistance must:
-
Have an approval form on file with CU Boulder’s Veteran and Military Affairs office (we'll verify this before processing your residency exception)
-
Have made or will make Colorado their permanent residence on or before the first day of class
Apply
Complete the Verification of U.S. Armed Forces Veteran or Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Assistance (webform).
If approved, the individual is:
- Eligible to apply for the College Opportunity Fund
- Not eligible for resident financial aid
Eligibility
A military member is eligible to apply for in-state tuition using this form if the member was Honorably Discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States (i.e., Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard), is not a member of the Colorado National Guard and would not otherwise qualify for in-state tuition as a one-year resident of Colorado.
A veteran must:
- Be an honorably discharged member of the Armed Forces
- Have a DD214 dated on or before the first day of the term
- Have made or will physically make Colorado their permanent residence on or before the first day of the term
A veteran’s child dependent or spouse applying as a student must:
- Have a military parent/spouse who was stationed in Colorado within the last 12 years on PCS orders
- If a child dependent, be biological or legally adopted
- If a spouse, have been married to the military member at the time the member was stationed in Colorado and at the time the spouse is requesting resident tuition classification
Veteran dependents who do not qualify for this exception may qualify for in-state tuition if the dependent qualifies under the requirements of the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 Sec 1005. If you believe that you may qualify under this act, please contact veterans@colorado.edu for more information.
Apply
Complete the appropriate form for your situation.
- Honorably discharged veteran: Verification of U.S. Armed Forces Veteran or Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Assistance (webform)
- Dependent: Verification of PCS in Colorado Within Last 12 Years – Dependents (webform)
If approved, the individual is:
- Eligible to apply for the College Opportunity Fund
- Not eligible for resident financial aid
Eligibility
A dependent of an active-duty military member currently stationed in Colorado must:
- Be a dependent of an active-duty military member currently stationed (PCS) in Colorado
- Be a dependent at the time the member is stationed in Colorado
- If a child dependent, be biological or legally adopted*
*Step-parents in the military do not meet the eligibility of this exception unless they have legally adopted the dependent.
A dependent whose military spouse or parent is no longer stationed in Colorado must:
- Enroll in a Colorado institution of higher education within 12 years after the member was active duty and stationed (PCS) any length of time in Colorado
- If a child dependent, be biological or legally adopted
- If a spouse, have been married to the military member at the time the member was stationed in Colorado and at the time the spouse is requesting resident tuition classification
Apply
If the military member is currently active duty in Colorado, complete the Verification of Active Duty Station in Colorado (PDF form).
If the military member was formerly PCS in Colorado, complete the Verification of PCS in Colorado Within Last 12 Years – Dependents (webform).
If approved, the military dependent is:
- Eligible to apply for the College Opportunity Fund
- Not eligible for resident financial aid
Eligibility
A military member who is on active duty with a permanent change of station (PCS) or is on temporary duty (TDY/TAD) in Colorado on the first day of the term is eligible for in-state tuition. Once qualified as a resident student, the member does not lose eligibility if the member retires or separates from the military, nor does the member lose resident status by reason of presence in any state or country while a member of the armed forces.
Apply
If the military member is currently on active duty, complete the Verification of Active Duty Station in Colorado (PDF form). If the military member is a veteran, see the U.S. Armed Forces Veteran section above.
If approved, the active duty personnel is:
- If PCS, eligible to apply for the College Opportunity Fund
- If TDY, not eligible for the College Opportunity Fund
- If PCS or TDY, not eligible for resident financial aid
Colorado High School Exceptions
- CU Boulder Resources for DACA/ASSET Students
- Colorado ASSET legislation updated May 2022 (House Bill 22-1155)
Eligibility
Students identified as U.S. citizens or permanent U.S. residents (green-card holders) must:
- Attend a Colorado high school for at least one year preceding the date of graduation
- Graduate from a Colorado high school or earn a Colorado GED
- Reside in Colorado for at least 12 consecutive months prior to enrolling at the institution
Students identified as not having lawful immigration status (includes DACA status) must:
- Attend a Colorado high school for at least one year preceding the date of graduation
- Graduate from a Colorado high school or earn a Colorado GED
- Reside in Colorado for at least 12 consecutive months prior to enrolling at the institution
- Apply for the College Opportunity Fund (COF) and submit the supplemental COF affidavit indicating they do not have lawful immigration status, but they have applied for lawful presence or will apply as soon as they are eligible (separate application required)
Apply
Beginning Spring 2023, admitted students will be identified through the admissions application process. After admission to CU Boulder, complete the one-time College Opportunity Fund application and authorize the use of COF funds.
If you’re currently classified as out-of-state and you believe that you meet the requirements outlined above, you must complete the Colorado High School Graduate/GED Residency Exception form to request a change to in-state classification.
Eligibility
A student is eligible for in-state tuiton if:
- The student's parent or court-appointed legal guardian moved the family to Colorado as a result of accepting employment in Colorado during the student's senior year of high school.
- The student has graduated or will graduate from a Colorado public high school.
Apply
Complete the Verification of Parent's Move for Employment in Student's Senior Year (webform).
If approved, the student is:
- Not eligible for the College Opportunity Fund for the first year of enrollment
- Not eligible for resident financial aid
Eligibility
If the student's parents or court-appointed legal guardians maintained Colorado domicile for four years and then established domicile elsewhere, the student will remain eligible for in-state tuition if either:
- The student's parents left Colorado after the student's junior year of high school and the student enrolled at a Colorado public college or university within three years and six months after the parents left Colorado.
or
- The student maintained continuous Colorado domicile (this provision will generally be met if the student continues to reside in Colorado after the parents leave or if the student resides outside the state only temporarily [for example, to attend college or for military service] while maintaining Colorado domiciliary connections, such as voter registration and income tax filing).
Apply
New applicants may indicate "four-year rule" on the tuition classification form submitted with the application for admission. Admitted students should contact the Office of the Registrar for additional instructions and information.
If approved, the student is:
- Eligible to apply for the College Opportunity Fund
- Eligible to apply for resident financial aid
Other Exceptions
- Economic Incentive Program (employee or dependent)
- Members of American Indian Tribes with Historical Ties to Colorado
- New Faculty at Colorado State-Supported College (dependent only)
- Peace Corps Volunteer
- Special Immigrants & Refugees
- U.S. Olympic Athlete (athlete only)
- Western Regional Graduate Program (graduate students only)
Eligibility
This program is for employees moving to Colorado as a result of the employer relocating to Colorado due to an incentive from the Colorado Office of Economic Development. An employee must:
- Have been employed by the employer prior to and after the relocation
- Provide appropriate documentation from the Colorado Office of Economic Development
Child dependents are eligible for the exception if the parent provides proof of participation in the Economic Incentive Program. The employee's spouse does not qualify for this exception.
Apply
Complete the Verification of Participation in Economic Incentive Program.
If approved, the employee and/or child dependent is:
- Eligible to apply for the College Opportunity Fund
- Not eligible for resident financial aid
Eligibility
Under the Colorado American Indian Tribes In-State Tuition Act (effective Fall 2021), a student who would not otherwise qualify for in-state tuition and who is a registered member of one of the federally recognized American Indian tribes with historical ties to Colorado, as designated by the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs in partnership with History Colorado (see list below), is eligible to be classified as an in-state student for tuition purposes.
- Apache Tribe of Oklahoma
- Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma
- Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
- Comanche Nation, Oklahoma
- Crow Creek Sioux Tribe
- Crow Tribe
- Eastern Shoshone Tribe (Wind River Reservation)
- Fort Sill Apache Tribe
- The Hopi Tribe
- Jicarilla Apache Nation
- Kewa Pueblo (formerly the Pueblo of Santo Domingo)
- Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma
- Mescalero Apache Tribe
- Navajo Nation
- Northern Arapaho Tribe
- Northern Cheyenne Tribe
- Oglala Sioux Tribe
- Ohkay Owingeh (Pueblo of San Juan)
- Osage Nation
- Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah
- Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma
- Pueblo of Acoma
- Pueblo de Cochiti
- Pueblo of Isleta
- Pueblo of Jemez
- Pueblo of Laguna
- Pueblo of Nambe
- Pueblo of Picuris
- Pueblo of Pojoaque
- Pueblo of San Felipe
- Pueblo of San Ildefonso
- Pueblo of Sandia
- Pueblo of Santa Ana
- Pueblo of Santa Clara
- Pueblo of Taos
- Pueblo of Tesuque
- Pueblo of Zia
- Rosebud Sioux Tribe
- San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe
- Shoshone-Bannock Tribes
- Southern Ute Indian Tribe
- Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
- Three Affiliated Tribes
- Ute Indian Tribe (Uintah & Ouray Reservation)
- Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
- Wichita & Affiliated Tribes
- Ysleta del Sur Pueblo
- Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation
Documentation
When completing the verification form below, you'll be required to upload proof of your registered membership of one of the federally recognized American Indian tribes with historical ties to Colorado. Only two types of documentation are accepted; please submit one of the following:
- A copy of your tribal citizenship card (front and back) or
- A copy of your Certificate of Indian Blood (CDIB), which must contain a tribal seal or be on tribal letterhead, and must include your official identification number (e.g., census number, tribal citizenship number, enrollment number, certified tribal council number)
Apply
Submit the Verification of Membership in a Federally Recognized American Indian Tribe with Historical Ties to Colorado (webform) with all required documentation by the end of the fourth week of the applicable term.
If approved, the student is:
- Eligible to apply for the College Opportunity Fund
- Eligible to apply for resident financial aid
Eligibility
This application is for children of new faculty at Colorado state-supported colleges and universities who otherwise would not qualify for in-state tuition as one-year Colorado residents.
The student may receive in-state tuition if the student moved to Colorado in the 12 months preceding enrollment because the student's parent or legal guardian moved to Colorado to take a paid faculty position at a state-supported institution of higher education.
The faculty member and the faculty member's spouse do not qualify for this exception.
Refer to section C.R.S 23-7-109(1)b.
Apply
Complete the Verification of Parent’s Move to Colorado for Faculty Position.
If approved, the child dependent is:
- Eligible to apply for the College Opportunity Fund
- Not eligible for resident financial aid
Eligibility
Under the Colorado Tuition Classification for Peace Corps Volunteers Act (effective Fall 2023), a student who would not otherwise qualify for in-state tuition and who was certified by the director of the Peace Corps as having served satisfactorily as a Peace Corps Volunteer, is eligible to be classified as an in-state student for tuition purposes.
Documentation
When completing the Verification of Peace Corps Volunteer webform, you'll be required to upload the following:
- A copy of your 'Certification of Service for Employment Purposes'.
You must first obtain this certification through the Peace Corps RPCV Portal.
Apply
Submit the Verification of Peace Corps Volunteer (webform) with the required documentation by the end of the fourth week of the applicable term.
If approved, the student is:
- Eligible to apply for the College Opportunity Fund (undergraduate students only)
- Eligible to apply for resident financial aid
Eligibility
According to Senate Bill 18-087 (effective Fall 2018), a foreign national admitted to the United States as a refugee or special immigrant who settles in Colorado upon entering the United States is eligible for classification as an in-state student immediately upon settlement in Colorado. The primary purpose for settlement in Colorado must not be solely for educational purposes.
- Refugee: 8 U.S.C. sec. 1157.
- Special immigrant: Pub.L. 110-181, sec. 1244, as amended; Pub.L. 109-163, sec. 1059, as amended; Pub.L. 111-8, Division F, Title VI, sec. 602, as amended.
Documentation
Along with the tuition classification information you provided in your application for admission to CU, you will be asked to provide verification of your refugee/asylee immigration status to the United States. Required documentation may include:
- A copy of your Form I-589 or other proof of application
- If you're under the age of 23: A copy of your Colorado parent's immigration status to the United States
- If you've recently applied for U.S. permanent residency: A copy of your I-485 receipt notice
Apply
Please email tuitclass@colorado.edu to ask about your eligibility. Please use "Special Immigrant or Refugee" as your email subject and provide your complete contact information.
Eligibility
Colorado State law HB17-1081 went into effect on Aug. 9, 2017. This law allows state-supported institutions of higher education to charge in-state tuition to elite athletes residing anywhere in Colorado and training in an elite-level program approved by the United States Olympic Committee and the governing body of an Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American or Parapan American sport.
Verification of participation in a qualifying elite training program is required from the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the national governing bodies of Olympic, Paralympic and Pan American or Parapan American sport field teams on or before the first day of class each semester.
Apply
Complete the Verification of U.S. Olympic Athlete and send it to your National Governing Body (NGB/HPMO) for eligibility verification. That body will email it to ACE.edu@usoc.org for final verification, and the USOC will submit the form with completed verification to the Office of the Registrar for processing.
If approved, the athlete is:
- Eligible to apply for the College Opportunity Fund
- Not eligible for resident financial aid
Eligibility
A student must:
- Be enrolled in a qualifying program at CU Boulder
- Prove residency in a qualifying state (not Colorado)
For more information, see the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education's Western Regional Graduate Program page.
Apply
Complete the Verification of Participation in the Western Regional Graduate Program.
If approved, the WRGP student:
- Is not eligible for the College Opportunity Fund
- Is not eligible for resident financial aid
- Must not attempt to become a Colorado resident
- Cannot use any period of time while receiving the WRGP exception to begin Colorado domicile
Contact Us
tuitclass@colorado.edu
303-492-6970 (option 3)
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