Tuition classification determines if students should have in-state or out-of-state tuition. Your initial tuition classification is determined from information you supply on your application for admission to the university. There is no cap on the amount of tuition and mandatory fees that the VA will pay under the Post 9/11 GI Bill® for in-state students at a public institution. Students will have classes that count toward their degree paid for by the Post 9/11 GI Bill® at their percentage of eligibility based on in-state tuition rates.

Veterans

Honorably discharged members of the Armed Forces moving permanently to Colorado qualify for in-state tuition. You can find more information on the Tuition Classification's Website for Residency Exceptions

Evidence of Domicile

You can establish domicile in Colorado only if you are residing in Colorado with the present intention to reside permanently in the state. Evidence of Colorado domicile includes actions that in your circumstances would normally be expected of, or that would be characteristic of, any permanent resident. For example, vehicle registration is relevant only if you have a motor vehicle. You are expected to take appropriate action on all factors relevant in your circumstances.

Military Members Living in Colorado

To retain domicile during an absence from Colorado due to military orders, military personnel must maintain Colorado as their state of legal residence for tax purposes, and voters must maintain Colorado voter registration.

Military personnel may retain legal residence in their original state, or they may establish a new legal residence in a state in which they reside due to military orders. They may not establish domicile in Colorado while residing elsewhere or while being physically present in the state only on a temporary basis.

Persons domiciled in Colorado for one year who enter active duty military service, and who return permanently to Colorado within six months of discharge, and their dependents, qualify for in-state tuition regardless of changes of domicile while on active duty.

Exception to the One-year Domicile Requirement

The Office of the Registrar lists exceptions to the one-year domicile requirement and information about whether the individual, a child dependent, or spouse qualifies. Also indicated is whether the exception provides for Colorado Opportunity Fund (COF) eligibility and if the student is eligible for resident financial aid programs. Consult tuition classification staff to apply for these exceptions.

Detailed information on in-state and out-of-state tuition rates.

Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 (Section 1005)

CU Boulder is in full compliance with the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 (Section 1005). Veterans at CU have been eligible for in-state rates for many years based on the criteria above. The Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 extends those benefits to dependents on campus. You must be using Post 9/11 GI Bill® benefits or the Fry Scholarship to qualify for this residency exception. Additionally, you must be living in the state of Colorado by the time you start classes at CU. Students that qualify for this exception will continue to be billed as in-state students as long as they are continuously enrolled (attending every fall and spring semester) even if they exhaust their benefits.

To verify eligibility for the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020, students must submit a Post 9/11 GI Bill® Certificate of Eligibility and proof of Colorado residency (CO Lease, CO Driver's License, or CO Vehicle Registration) to the Veteran and Military Affairs Office at veterans@colorado.edu. In addition, the student must submit a Request for Enrollment Certification Form

  • Residency will not be retroactively awarded for previous terms attended as a non-resident

The Colonel John M. McHugh Tuition Fairness for Survivors Act

This law is effective August 2022 and allows students to gain in-state tuition if they are using Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA) and physically living within the same state as the university.

To verify eligibility for the Colonel John M. McHugh Tuition Fairness for Survivors Act, students must submit a DEA Certificate of Eligibility and proof of Colorado residency (CO Lease, CO Driver's License, or CO Vehicle Registration) to the Veteran and Military Affairs Office at veterans@colorado.edu. In addition, the student must submit a Request for Enrollment Certification Form

  • Residency will not be retroactively awarded for previous terms attended as a non-resident

 

For information on being billed as an in-state resident based on years of elementary and secondary school in the state of Colorado, please contact the Tuition Classification Office.