Residency Information

You are classified as a Colorado resident or non-resident for tuition purposes determined by the Colorado Tuition Classification Law based on the information you provided on your admissions application. 

Amended Application Form (PDF) This form is used for students who may not have used their parent’s information for residency when filling out the admissions application or for students who needed additional documentation for residency.  Complete this form and deliver to Admissions, Registration and Records in South Classroom 133.  This form must be submitted by the first day of class.

Question:         Who sets the rules and procedures for considering individuals as “in-state” students for tuition purposes?

Answer:            The tuition law is the basis for considering individuals as “in-state” for tuition purposes. The law authorizes the tuition classification officer at each institution to make the tuition classification decision. 

Answer:            By law, an “in-state” student, or student’s parent(s) if under 23, must be domiciled in Colorado for 12 or more continuous months immediately preceding the first day of classes with domiciliary intent – the intent to live in Colorado permanently. 

Answer:            A domicile is a person’s true, fixed, and permanent home and place of habitation. Only a qualified person can establish a domicile. 

Answer:           

1.     Individuals at least 22 years of age are eligible to establish domicile in Colorado. Physical presence and intent must be established for 12 months prior to the first day of classes. An individual will meet the requirements of the law by his/her 23^rd birthday. 

2.     Individuals under 23 years of age with parents or legal guardians who have established domicile for 12 months prior to the first day of classes could be considered “in-state” for tuition purposes. 

3.     Students emancipated prior to the age of 22 are eligible to establish domicile. The 12 months waiting period begins ONLY after the date of emancipation.  

Answer:            Emancipation is the parental surrender of claim to right of care and custody of a minor. According to the tuition law, emancipation occurs at the age of 22 years, or upon marriage, or if:

1)     The parents or legal guardians submit an affidavit surrendering any claim or right to the care, custody, and earnings of the minor, as well as the duty to support the minor, together with proof that the minor can independently meet all living expenses, including the cost of education; and

2)     Failure of parents or legal guardians to provide financial support and proof that the minor can independently meet all living expenses, including the cost of education.      

The 12 months waiting period begins ONLY after the date of emancipation.  

Answer:            Establishing a new domicile requires physical presence in a place with the simultaneous intent to make that place one’s permanent home. This domiciliary intent is the intention to remain in that place, on a permanent basis, without the intent to return to one’s previous domicile. It is the present intent to make a permanent home in a new location, not the intent to reside in the future. Therefore, temporary or preliminary visits do not establish a new domicile, regardless of whether a person acquires certain characteristics of Colorado domicile, such as a driver’s license or property ownership. The tuition law lists several factors which can be used to determine that intent has been established. No one factor by itself is sufficient to measure intent. It is the responsibility of the individual to provide as much information and documentation as appropriate to document intent. Several factors which can be considered are:

·         Payment of Colorado state income tax as a Full-Year Resident (HIGHLY PERSUASIVE)

·         Permanent, full-time, off-campus employment

·         Withholding of Colorado state taxes from wages

·         Obtaining a Colorado Motor Vehicle Operator’s License or a valid Colorado Id for identification purposes

·         Obtaining Colorado license plates

·         Registering to vote in Colorado

·         Ownership of residential real property in Colorado

Question:         What is considered evidence indicating domicile outside Colorado?

Answer:           

·         Failure to pay Colorado state income tax. Filing a Non-Resident Colorado tax return is persuasive evidence of domicile outside Colorado. 

·         Failure to comply with any law imposing a mandatory duty on a permanent resident of Colorado. Examples include failure to register a motor vehicle and failure to change your driver’s license to Colorado within the statutory periods, as well as failure to file a Colorado state income tax return. 

·         Return to your former state of residence for a substantial period of time during the summer or during other periods when not enrolled as a student or between academic sessions.

·         Maintenance of a home in another state.

·         Prolonged absence from Colorado, except for military or civilian government service or for temporary absences required by an employer. 

Question:         If I marry a Colorado resident or live with a relative who is a Colorado resident, am I considered an “in-state” student?

Question:         Are there special circumstances for military personnel?

Question:         What organizations as an active duty member in the United States armed forces are eligible for in-state tuition?

Question:         Is the tuition classification decision at one institution transferable to another institution?