Tuition Classification

Tuition Classification

For more information on Tuition and Fees, please review the Student Financial Services website.

Tuition classification is governed by C.R.S. 23-7-101, et. seq. (1973), as amended. Institutions of higher education are bound to the provisions of this statute and are not free to make exceptions to the rules set forth.  The statute provides that an in-state student is one who has been a legal domiciliary of Colorado for one year or more immediately preceding the beginning of the semester for which the in-state classification is sought.

Domicile is established immediately when one has a permanent place of habitation in Colorado and the intention of making Colorado one's true, fixed, and permanent home and place of habitation.  In order to qualify for in-state tuition for a given semester, the 12 month waiting period (a full 365 days which does not begin until the legal domicile is established) must have expired by the first day of classes.  If one's 12-month waiting period expires at any time after the first day of classes, in-state tuition cannot be granted for that semester.  It is possible for an individual to be considered a resident of Colorado and yet not qualify for in-state tuition purposes.

The tuition statute places the burden of establishing legal domicile on the person seeking in-state tuition.  The question of intent is one of documentable fact and must be manifest by substantive ties with the state sufficient to evidence such intent.  Legal domicile in Colorado begins the day that BOTH a permanent place of habitation AND one's intent to make Colorado your permanent, legal home can be proven to the registering authority.

All new incoming students must complete a Tuition Classification Form with valid documentation pertaining to their circumstances. It is the student's responsibility to work with the Registrar's Office to ensure their tuition classification is correct.

Once classified as non-resident for tuition purposes, you must petition the Registrar's Office, in writing, for a change of classification at such time as you wish the classification to be reconsidered. See the below section for more information. 

Residency Petition Form

All students at public institutions in Colorado are initially classified as residents or non-residents at the time the application and all supporting credentials have been received by Admissions & Records.  Students who feel they have become eligible for in-state tuition MUST submit a petition and all required documentation to:

Tuition Classification Officer - Registrar's Office
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway
Colorado Springs, CO 80918-3733.

The notarized petition and complete documentation MUST be submitted by the Residency Petition Deadlines in the link below in order to be considered for that semester.  Petitions submitted after this deadline CANNOT be considered until the next, subsequent semester. If you have any questions, please contact the Tuition Classification Evaluator 719-255-3381.  A copy of the Colorado Revised Statutes, as amended, is available in the Kraemer Family Library at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.  Information regarding tuition classification is available online at: https://cdhe.colorado.gov/students/preparing-for-college/residency-requirements

Persons over 22 years of age or who are emancipated at the beginning of the 12 month waiting period establish their own domicile. Domicile must be in place for at least one full calendar year and ties to Colorado in place a year. 

The most common ties with the state that serve to evidence the required intent are:

  • Change of driver's license to Colorado;
  • Change of auto registration to Colorado;
  • Colorado voter registration;
  • Permanent employment in Colorado; and, most important,
  • Payment of Colorado State Income Tax, as a resident, by one whose income is sufficient to be taxed.
  • Note: Payment or filing of back taxes in NO WAY serves to establish a legal domicile at a time earlier than the date on which filing takes place. 

Those who are under 22 and not emancipated assume the domicile of their parent or court appointed legal guardian. An unemancipated minor's parent, therefore, must have a legal domicile in Colorado for at least one (1) full year before the minor may be classified in-state for tuition purposes.

Petitions for In-State Tuition MUST be submitted with all supporting documentation on or before the deadlines listed below for the semester in which you are petitioning for in-state tuition.

  • Fall Semester - First Monday in August
  • Spring Semester - First Friday in January
  • Summer  Semester - First Monday in June

Submit photocopies, not originals. All documents submitted in support of your petition become the property of the University and cannot be returned.  The Office of the Registrar cannot make photocopies for students.  The UCCS Copy Center is located in the University Center, Room 108.

Include all requested documents. Failure to include required documents may substantially delay a decision and could render the petition invalid.  Note: the Petition must be notarized by the person who is completing the Petition with their information.

Active Duty U.S./Canadian Armed Forces and their Dependents:  Military Certification waivers can be used by U.S. and Canadian military to qualify for in-state tuition rates.  The Military Certification Forms are available in the Office of the Registrar (Main Hall, Room 108).  These forms must be certified by the Base Education Office. Students who receive in-state rates under this residency exception must demonstrate their entitlement by the first day of the semester. If the active duty military member's status changes, the student must notify the Tuition Classification Officer immediately.  Failure to notify the University of a change in status may result in retroactive tuition charges and/or disciplinary action, including suspension or expulsion from the University.

*Note for Military Personnel/Dependents Planning to Become a Colorado Resident*

  1. Pay the ownership tax on your Colorado license plates. DO NOT take the military waiver on the ownership tax. This waiver requires an affidavit of NON-residence in Colorado.
  2. Change your state of legal residence for income tax purposes to Colorado IMMEDIATELY upon forming your intent to make Colorado your legal domicile.

Military Members Domiciled in Colorado can retain their domicile during an absence from Colorado due to military orders by maintaining Colorado as their legal residence for tax registration, and voter registration must be maintained.

Military Members Stationed in Colorado 12 Years Prior to Enrollment and their dependents are eligible for in-state tuition. A dependent of a member is eligible for in-state tuition classification when the member moves to Colorado on a PCS basis, regardless of the length of the member’s or dependent’s residency in Colorado. PCS orders to and from Colorado need to be within 12 years of when the dependent enrolls.

Persons Domiciled in Colorado for One Year Who Enter Military Service returning to Colorado within 6 months of discharge, and their dependents, qualify for in-state tuition regardless of changes of domicile while on active duty.

Honorable/General Discharged Military using Chapter 30, Montgomery GI Bill and Chapter 33, Post 9/11 GI Bill are waived from the one-year Colorado residency requirement (House Bill 09-1039) and are eligible for in-state tuition regardless of time since discharge from the Armed Forces (Effective August 1, 2021, in accordance with Section 1005 of P.L.116-315 (Isakson and Roe Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020)).

  • The Veteran must live in Colorado and have a valid Colorado driver’s license or state identification, and must have a DD-214 Form, Member Copy 4, with a Character of Service of "Honorable" or “General”.
  • Dependents using transferred Chapter 33, Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits are eligible for in-state tuition regardless of time since the military member’s discharge from the Armed Forces.
  • Certificate of Eligibility must indicate the military member or dependent’s name. Special qualifications apply, one of which is the individual must reside in Colorado.

Chapter 31, Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E):  Veterans using Chapter 31, Veteran Readiness and Employment, are eligible for in-state tuition with approval from VR&E counselor. A new authorization from the VR&E Counselor must be submitted every semester to maintain eligibility for in-state tuition.

Chapter 35, Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA):  Family members of a 100% total and permanently disabled or deceased veteran are eligible for in-state tuition utilizing CH 35 VA benefits. (Effective August 1, 2022, in accordance with The Colonel John M. McHugh Tuition Fairness and Survivors Act).

  • Certificate of Eligibility must indicate the family member’s name.  Special qualifications apply, one of which is the individual must reside in Colorado.
  • Dependent must show proof of domicile in Colorado.  Present lease, CU resident hall contract/assignment, Colorado driver’s license or motor vehicle registration.

Colorado Indian Tribe Membership grants out-of-state students who are registered members of federally recognized American Indian tribes with historical ties to Colorado can petition for in-state tuition rates starting this fall. Please see accordion link below for additional information.

Colorado National Guard Members can utilize a waiver to apply for in-state tuition rates.  Colorado National Guard Waivers are available in the Registrar's Office, Main Hall, Room 108.  Completed waivers must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar by first day of the semester.

Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVOL). Effective fall 2023, a student who was certified by the director of the Peace Corps as having served satisfactorily as a Peace Corps Volunteer, is eligible for in-state tuition. Required documents:

Economic Incentive program grants in-state tuition to employees moving to Colorado as a result of their employer relocating to Colorado due to an incentive from the Colorado Office of Economic Development. The employee must have been employed by the employer prior to and after the relocation; and provide appropriate documentation from the Colorado Office of Economic Development. Child dependents are eligible for the exception if the parent provides proof of participation in the Economic Incentive Program. The employee's spouse does not qualify for this exception.​

Freely Associated States which are the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the Republic of Palua. Effective July 1, 2024, in state tuition can be granted for citizenship of one of three states (FMS, RMI, Palua). Required documents:

  • Tuition Classification Form with uploaded birth certificate or passport.

Dependent Children of New Faculty at Colorado State-Support Colleges are eligible for a residency exception if they would otherwise would not qualify for in-state tuition as one-year Colorado residents. The student may receive in-state tuition if the student moved to Colorado in the 12 months preceding enrollment because the student's parent or legal guardian moved to Colorado to take a paid faculty position at a state-supported institution of higher education. The faculty member and the faculty member's spouse do not qualify for this exception. C.R.S 23-7-109(1)b.

Olympic Athletes Living and Training in Colorado can utilize a waiver to apply for in-state tuition rates. Olympic Athletes need to contact the Resident Life Coordinator at the Olympic Training Center to begin the waiver process.  Completed Olympic Waivers must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar by first day of the semester. Athletes must submit a new waiver form each semester. Colorado HB17-1081.

Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) students are not eligible for Colorado Residency: Through acceptance of the special WUE tuition classification, students acknowledge their intent to maintain their legal domicile in their home state of residence at the time of application. If a student intends to change their legal domicile to Colorado, they must notify the Tuition Classification Officer in writing and surrender their WUE eligibility for one year prior to petitioning for in-state tuition.

Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP): Through acceptance of the special WRGP tuition classification, students acknowledge their intent to maintain their legal domicile in their home state of residence at the time of application. 

About the Colorado American Indian Tribes Residency Exception 

Under the Colorado American Indian Tribes In-State Tuition Act, signed into law on June 28, 2021, a student who would not otherwise qualify for in-state tuition and who is a registered member of one of the federally recognized American Indian tribes with historical ties to Colorado is eligible to be classified as an in-state student for tuition purposes starting with the 2021–22 academic year.

How to Apply 

If you’re a registered member of one of the federally recognized American Indian tribes with historical ties to Colorado, submit the Colorado American Indian tribal membership verification form and all required supporting documents (see form). 

If Your Eligibility Is Confirmed 

If you submit the verification form and we confirm your eligibility, you’ll be classified as a Colorado resident for tuition purposes. Your tuition classification change will not apply to any semesters prior to Fall 2021.

List of American Indian Tribes with Historical Ties to Colorado

  • Apache Tribe of Oklahoma
  • Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma
  • Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
  • Comanche Nation, Oklahoma
  • Crow Creek Sioux Tribe
  • Crow Tribe
  • Eastern Shoshone Tribe (Wind River Reservation)
  • Fort Sill Apache Tribe
  • The Hopi Tribe
  • Jicarilla Apache Nation
  • Kewa Pueblo (formerly the Pueblo of Santo Domingo)
  • Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma
  • Mescalero Apache Tribe
  • Navajo Nation
  • Northern Arapaho Tribe
  • Northern Cheyenne Tribe
  • Oglala Sioux Tribe
  • Ohkay Owingeh (Pueblo of San Juan)
  • Osage Nation
  • Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah
  • Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma
  • Pueblo of Acoma
  • Pueblo de Cochiti
  • Pueblo of Isleta
  • Pueblo of Jemez
  • Pueblo of Laguna
  • Pueblo of Nambe
  • Pueblo of Picuris
  • Pueblo of Pojoaque
  • Pueblo of San Felipe
  • Pueblo of San Ildefonso
  • Pueblo of Sandia
  • Pueblo of Santa Ana
  • Pueblo of Santa Clara
  • Pueblo of Taos
  • Pueblo of Tesuque
  • Pueblo of Zia
  • Rosebud Sioux Tribe
  • San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe
  • Shoshone-Bannock Tribes
  • Southern Ute Indian Tribe
  • Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
  • Three Affiliated Tribes
  • Ute Indian Tribe (Uintah & Ouray Reservation)
  • Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
  • Wichita & Affiliated Tribes
  • Ysleta del Sur Pueblo
  • Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation

Preliminary Residency Quiz If you would like to take a preliminary quiz about whether or not you might qualify for in-state tuition and what documents you may need to submit, complete the pre-quiz. The results from this quiz will not automatically approve or deny your residency status. You will still be required to submit the required documentation. Any Tuition Classification questions can be directed to the Tuition Classification Specialist at 719.255.3381 or at tuitclas@uccs.edu.