Establishing Colorado Residency

All graduate students are required to apply for in-state tuition within their first year. It is essential for you to take the actions necessary to establish Colorado residency as soon as possible after arriving in Colorado. Similar to most public universities, the University of Colorado Boulder charges more for non-resident tuition. The goal of establishing residency is to take advantage of in-state tuition rates. The MSE program will not pay nonresident tuition for domestic students beyond one year.

Learn more about the Colorado residency process here.

If you are an international student in the US on a non-immigrant visa, you likely will not qualify for in-state tuition. Review residency FAQs and email tuitclass@colorado.edu before applying if this describes your situation.

U.S. students (generally citizens and permanent residents) arriving from out-of-state can generally acquire resident status after one calendar year. To qualify, you must establish as many connections with the state of Colorado as possible (subject to individual circumstances). Examples of establishing residency include:

• Being physically present in the state (evidence might include an apartment lease) with the intent to make your permanent home in Colorado
• Payment of Colorado state income taxes
• Application for a Colorado driver’s license or Colorado identification card
• Registration of a motor vehicle in Colorado
• Register to vote in Colorado.

These connections should be established as soon as possible, ideally within 30 days after moving to the state. Eligibility for a change to resident status is determined with a written petition with supporting documentation. The petition and instructions are found at the registrar's website.