The information on this website is considered to be general guidance and is not legal advice. Refer to the state statutes to view the actual law.

Residency

The state of Colorado partially subsidizes the cost of tuition for all students whose domicile, or permanent legal residence, is in Colorado. You are classified as either a "resident" or a "nonresident" upon confirming your intent to attend CU Boulder based on the information you provide in your admission application.

Once you’ve been admitted to CU, you can check your residency status in MyCUInfo (expand the Profile and Settings menu to see your Residency for Tuition Purposes).

If you are currently classified as a nonresident, but you will qualify for Colorado residency for a future semester, complete the petition process and submit all required documentation by the petition deadline.

Who Can Petition for Residency?

    Categories Eligibility Criteria Resources

    Adults

    • Students who have lived in Colorado for at least one year and established verifiable ties to Colorado; AND

    • Students who are at least 23 years of age prior to the first day of classes; or
    • Students who have been married for at least one year prior to the first day of classes; or
    • Second-year graduate students.

    Learn more about the adult residency petition.

    Parents

    • Minor students with a parent or guardian who has lived in Colorado for at least one year and established verifiable ties to Colorado. This petition is not for use by parents of students who will be 23 years of age by the first day of classes.

    FERPA requires that all communications about parent petitions be sent to the student. It is the student's responsibility to share that information with the petitioner. Parent petitioners may not communicate with our office unless the student has submitted a FERPA Consent to Release for them.

    Learn more about the parent petition.

    Emancipated Minors

    • Students financially and residentially independent; AND

    • Students who have lived in Colorado for at least one year and established verifiable ties to Colorado.

    Learn more about emancipation.

    Others

    In rare cases, students may qualify for a domicile exception for tuition classification purposes:

    • Members of the Colorado National Guard, active duty military members and honorably discharged veterans residing in Colorado will qualify upon verification.

    Additional exceptions are available for dependents of qualified military, new faculty and other unique situations.

    		 Learn more about exceptions.

    International Students

    • Nonimmigrant aliens who have resided in Colorado for purposes other than education for at least one year.

    The nonimmigrant categories subject to this provision are determined by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.

    Nonimmigrants in the following categories cannot qualify for in-state tuition: F-1, F-2, H-3, H-4 (if the visa holder is the spouse or child of an H-3), J-1 or J-2 (if the J-1 visa holder is a student or trainee), M-1 and M-2.

    		 Qualified international students must complete the appropriate adult, parent or emancipation petition for a change in residency status.

    If you do not qualify within one of the categories above, then you are correctly classified as a nonresident for tuition purposes.

    Residency Petition Submission Dates & Deadlines

       
    Applicable Term    		 "Must Move By"
    Qualifying Date*    		 Earliest
    Submission Date    		 Petition Submission
    Deadline
    Winter 2019 Dec. 22, 2017 Oct. 1, 2018 Friday, Dec. 14, 2018,
    at 5 p.m. MT
    Spring 2019 Jan. 13, 2018 Oct. 1, 2018 Friday, Dec. 14, 2018,
    at 5 p.m. MT
    Summer 2019
    (May–August)    		 May 12, 2018 April 1, 2019 Friday, May 10, 2019,
    at 4:30 p.m. MT
    Fall 2019 Aug. 25, 2018 April 1, 2019 Wednesday, July 24, 2019,
    at 4:30 p.m. MT
    Winter 2020 Dec. 21, 2018 Oct. 1, 2019 Friday, Dec. 13, 2019,
    at 5 p.m. MT
    Spring 2020 Jan. 12, 2019 Oct. 1, 2019 Friday, Dec. 13, 2019,
    ​at 5 p.m. MT

    *The domicile qualifying date is the date by which you must have established your permanent residence in Colorado to qualify to petition for the corresponding term.

    Petition Submission Tips

    • All petition materials become part of your tuition classification record and must be in a format that can be electronically imaged.
    • Do not use staples, plastic sleeves, dividers or other means of organizing your petition.
    • Complete all sections and questions on the petition. Omissions will significantly delay your petition and may be sufficient enough to deny or close your petition.
    • Sign your petition and make a copy of all submitted documents and the petition prior to submission; originals will not be returned.
    • Submit your petition by the posted deadlines. Late petitions will not be accepted.

    Disclaimer: Our goal is to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information. Please note that we cannot guarantee the security of any sensitive data contained in your email or fax. Our preferred method of receiving your documentation is through traceable mail or in-person delivery. We do not accept emailed petitions.