In State Tuition Policy and Residency Requirements

Policy Revisions

Basic Definition of Resident Status
Resident status is granted to financially independent adults who are permanently residing in Oklahoma and who have been physically and continuously present in the State of Oklahoma for at least one calendar year prior to the first day of class attendance at any Oklahoma institution of higher education; and who, during this one-year period, resided in Oklahoma for some reason other than primarily to attend classes at a post-secondary educational institution.

Attendance at an educational institution, albeit a continuous and long-term experience, is interpreted as temporary residence. Therefore, a student neither gains nor loses resident status solely by such attendance.

Petition of In-State Residency reclassification is for the current or future semesters only and not retroactive to previous semesters.

For further questions or clarification about the state residency policy, please email  4UCOinfo@uco.edu to set up an appointment.

Each residency petition is judged on its own merit using the guidelines and regulations established by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. It is the student's responsibility to provide documentation to support a petition for in-state tuition classification. Petitions that are not supported by sufficient documentation will be denied.

Fill out a RESIDENCY PETITION

Deadlines

Term	Residency Petition Committee Meeting	Deadline to Submit Petition
Summer/Fall 2013	April 12, 2013 May 10, 2013 June 7, 2013 June 21, 2013 Jul 12, 2013 August 9, 2013 September 13, 2013 October 11, 2013 November 8, 2013	April 8, 2013 May 6, 2013 June 3, 2013 June 17, 2013 Jul 8, 2013 August 5, 2013 September 9, 2013 October 7, 2013 November 4, 2013
Spring 2014	December 13, 2013 January 3, 2014 February 7, 2014 March 14, 2014	December 9, 2013 December 16, 2013 February 3, 2014 March 10, 2014

Supporting Evidence or Documentation
Actions such as the following may help to support an application for resident tuition status insofar as they apply to the Basic Definition of Resident Status: maintaining a permanent home/domicile in Oklahoma for at least 12 months prior to the first day of class attendance at any Oklahoma institution of higher education; listing Oklahoma as your tax state with the military; employment verification for the last year, marriage license, lease or mortgage; owning property and paying state property taxes. All of these documents will be taken into consideration as part of a petition for in-state tuition classification, but are not, in and of themselves, sufficient to establish residency.

Residency Decisions
The University has been authorized to make residency determinations for tuition purposes for its individual students, either at the time of initial enrollment, or as the result of a petition for reclassification. The Office of Admissions is designated to make these determinations for the University. Contact the Office of Admissions, 100 N. University Drive Box 151, Edmond OK 73034, Phone number 405-974-2727 with questions concerning resident classification.

Students from Other States
If a student from another state moves to Oklahoma for the primary purpose of attending a post-secondary institution, that student shall be classified as a non-resident and will remain a non-resident throughout his or her presence as a student, unless he or she takes certain actions to meet the Basic Definition of Resident Status.

Dependent Students
Dependent students are those who are receiving at least 50% of their total financial support from parent(s) and/or are claimed as tax dependents on their parents' federal tax return. Dependent students acquire the resident status of their parents.

Unless he/she has established residency in another state, a student who resided in Oklahoma at the time of graduation from an Oklahoma high school and has resided in the state with a parent or legal guardian for the two years prior to graduation from high school will be eligible for resident tuition and scholarships or financial aid provided by the state, regardless of immigration status.

Oklahoma Resident Parents Moving Out Of State
If an Oklahoma resident parent of a dependent student moves his or her residence to another state, the dependent student remains eligible for resident status as long as he or she does not break his or her enrollment at the University for a period long enough to require readmission (more than one calendar year). Should readmission be required, the dependent student would be considered a resident of the state in which the parent(s) reside(s).

Full-Time Professional Practitioner or Worker
A U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident who provide evidence of having come to Oklahoma to practice a profession on a full-time basis, conduct a business full time, or work on a full-time basis shall be immediately classified as in-state status along with the individual’s spouse and dependents without the 12 month domiciliary requirement so long as they continue in such full-time employment capacity or until such time that they independently establish in-state status.

A full-time professional practitioner or worker who is temporarily assigned to another location but maintains domicile in Oklahoma shall be considered to have in-state status along with the practitioner’s spouse and dependent children.

Immigrants
Students who are not United States citizens but hold permanent resident status in the United States, may be considered for resident status assuming they meet the Basic Definition of Resident Status. The Permanent Resident status does not automatically grant resident status for tuition purposes.

Foreign Nationals
An individual who is not a U.S. national may become eligible for classification as an Oklahoma resident provided that the individual holds lawful permanent residence status as defined by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services(USCIS), evidenced by whatever documents may be required under applicable federal law, who has resided in Oklahoma for at least 12 consecutive months, and who meets other applicable criteria for establishment of domicile as set forth in this policy.

Undocumented Students
In accordance with Title 70, O.S., Section 3242 (2007) (also known as HB1804 of the First Regular Session of the 51st Legislature (HB1804)), an individual who cannot present to the institution valid documentation of United States nationality or an immigration status permitting study at a postsecondary institution, but who has graduated from a public or private high school in Oklahoma will need to consult the above Title 70 or OSRHE policy 3.17.6 under Undocumented Students.

Active Duty Military Personnel Stationed in Oklahoma Not Claiming Oklahoma as Their Tax State
Members of the armed forces who provide evidence that they are full-time active duty in the armed forces stationed in Oklahoma shall be immediately classified upon admission as in-state status along with their spouse and dependent children.  Copy of military orders assigning the member to Oklahoma will need to be submitted to the Undergraduate Admissions office.  Further, when members of the armed services are transferred out-of-state, the member, their spouses and dependent children shall continue to be classified as in-state as long as they remain continuously enrolled.

Resident Tuition Reciprocity
The University of Central Oklahoma does not participate in any in-state tuition reciprocity agreement with bordering states.

The Academic Common Market
The university does participate in the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Academic Common Market non-resident tuition waiver program. This tuition waiver applies only to certain states and certain majors and does not constitute a change of resident status. For more information, go to Academic Common Market website. http://www.sreb.org/page/1304/academic_common_market.html

Oklahoma State Regents for High Education Policy Statement on Residency Status for Tuition Purposes
The full text of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education policy statement on resident status for tuition purposes can be found at http://www.okhighered.org/state-system/policy-procedures/part3.shtml, section 3.17 Residence Status of Enrolled Students.

The University of Central Oklahoma is a state-supported institution of higher education supported by legislative funds derived from State of Oklahoma tax revenue. As a state, tax-supported institution, the University gives preference in tuition pricing to residents of the State of Oklahoma.

The university's definition of the term "resident" may be different from the definitions developed by other, non-university agencies. The University does not recognize declarations of resident status made by other agencies. Thus a person who is an Oklahoma resident for tax or voting purposes is not necessarily a resident for University of Central Oklahoma tuition purposes.

Petition of In-State Residency reclassification is for the current or future semesters only and not retroactive to previous semesters.

Students are expected to be honest with all information presented in connection with the petition process; by signing the petition for instate residency, the student confirms that all information is true and complete.

RESIDENCY PETITION

Frequently Asked Questions Concerning In-State/Out-of-State Status

When is my residency status determined?
The Office of Admissions determines your residency status based on information on your RESIDENCY PETITION as well as supporting documentation submitted with your application and how it relates to residency policy established by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. Your resident status, determined at the time of your application, will remain in effect unless a petition is submitted and re-classification is granted.

Will my residency automatically change after living in Oklahoma for one year?
No. It is the student’s responsibility to petition for re-classification once he or she has met the “Basic Definition of Resident Status”.

My mom lives out-of-state but my dad resides in Oklahoma. What is my classification?
If you have a non-custodial parent (one who you normally don’t live with) who is a resident of Oklahoma, you may be classified as an in-state student once a petition and statement with supporting documentation of primary care, custody and support is submitted by the parent residing in Oklahoma.

I live in a state that borders Oklahoma; does this allow me to qualify for in-state tuition?
No. The University of Central Oklahoma does not participate in any in-state reciprocity agreement with bordering states.

I have several close relatives who are Oklahoma residents. Can I reside with one of them and gain in-state status?
No. Your residency is that of your parents/guardian. To qualify for residency, you will still have to meet the “Basic Definition of Resident Status”. If you have extenuating circumstances and a family member (other than a parent) supports and claims you as a dependent for tax purposes and is an Oklahoma resident, he or she may petition on your behalf by providing supporting documentation in the Petition of In-State Residency.

If I make a certain score on the ACT or SAT; am I eligible to pay in-state tuition?
No. There is not a set score that automatically allows a non-resident student to receive in-state tuition. You may apply for scholarships and tuition waivers.  Please visit www.uco.edu/scholarships for additional information.

If my parents own property or a second home and pay Oklahoma state taxes, will I qualify for in-state tuition?
No. Resident status for tuition purposes is based on the location of your permanent domicile. This is considered to be your fixed, permanent home and where you (or your parents) habitually reside. Since domicile has two components, residence and intent to remain indefinitely, a person can have more than one residence but only one domicile.

I’m not a US Citizen but have obtained permanent resident status with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Do I qualify to pay in-state tuition?
You will need to complete the petition and meet the “Basic Definition of Resident Status”.

If I am a dependent student, how is my residency determined?
If you are supported and claimed as a dependent by non-resident parent(s) or guardian(s), your residence is presumed to be that of the state of your parent/guardian.

How do I, as an independent student, qualify for residency?
When considering a student for reclassification, there are three main requirements:
1.    Documented financial independence for the current and previous tax year, excluding Financial Aid, Scholarships, Loans and grants.
2.    Twelve consecutive months of living in the state of Oklahoma prior to the term he/she is seeking residency (this excludes student housing).
3.    Evidence of “intent to remain” in Oklahoma upon graduation.
4.    Not a full time (12 credit hours or more) for the year.

How long does the petition process take?
Decisions are made based on deadline chart below.  Insufficient documentation will cause the residency petition to be denied if supporting proof of residency is not submitted.   Students will be notified by mail with the committee decision.

My petition for in-state tuition was approved. Can I lose my residency status?
Yes. If you establish residency in another state or if you are absent from Oklahoma for twelve months for purposes other than education. You will also lose your residency if the University of Central Oklahoma finds your resident status was granted on the basis of false or misleading information.

http://www.uco.edu/em/become-a-broncho/offices/fye/enrollment-central-signup-freshman.asp