Residency Information for Current Students
Changing Your Residency Status
If you feel you've met the residency requirements outlined below, you can apply for Colorado Residency. Be sure to complete the process and turn in your documentation by the week before the first day of the semester.
- Complete a petition for in-state tuition classification
- Gather and include supporting documentation
- Submit your package to the Office of the Registrar by the week before the first day of the semester you are petitioning
If you're seeking to change your residency status to Colorado Resident, fear not! This information will help guide you through the process. Students petitioning for residency are strongly encouraged to schedule their courses appropriate to their current tuition classification of non-resident. Colorado residency is not granted based solely on living in-state for 12 continuous months and the burden of proof to establish intent lies solely on the petitioner.
The requirements for establishing residency for tuition purposes are defined by Colorado law (Colorado Revised Statutes 23-7-101 et. Seq), and the tuition classification statutes apply to all state-funded institutions in Colorado. Institutions are bound by the provisions of this statute and are not free to make exceptions to the rules. The Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) also has information regarding the residency classification rules.
| Applicable Term | First Day to Submit a Petition | Priority Review Deadline* | Final Petition Submission Deadline | "Domicile" Qualifying Date** |
| Spring 2026 | October 13, 2025 | December 1, 2025 | January 8, 2026 | January 20, 2025 |
| Summer 2026 | March 9, 2026 | May 1, 2026 | May 15, 2026 | June 8, 2025 |
| Fall 2026 | April 13, 2026 | July 17, 2026 | August 10, 2026 | August 17, 2025 |
*Submitting a petition by the Priority Review Deadline Date guarantees the petitioner will be notified of a decision before the first day of the semester.
**The “Domicile” Qualifying Date is the date by which you must have established your permanent Colorado residence, domicile and intent, to qualify to petition for the corresponding semester.
If you are under the age of 23, unless you meet the criteria as a Qualified Person which is outlined below, you must use the domicile information of a parent or court-appointed legal guardian to determine residency status. An unemancipated minor's parent must have a legal domicile in Colorado for one year or more before the minor student may be classified as an in-state student for tuition purposes. This means that if at least one parent or legal guardian does not meet the requirements as a Colorado resident, the student will be classified as a non-resident.
A student may qualify for Colorado residency based on the domicile of their court appointed legal guardian if the guardianship has been in effect for at least one year. The legal guardian must provide court documents certifying that the primary purpose of the appointment is other than to qualify the student for Colorado residency. The court must also certify that the student’s parents do not provide financial support. Please note that a “Power of Attorney” is not guardianship.
Unemancipated minors may qualify for in-state tuition only when their parents or legal guardians are domiciled in Colorado. An unemancipated child of divorced or separated parents can be immediately classified as in-state if either parent has been domiciled in Colorado the requisite period of time, regardless of which parent was granted custody or duty to support the minor by court decree. The parent in this instance is always the one to complete the petition for in-state classification, based on the parent's domicile and connections with the state.
The tuition classification statute places the burden of proof on the student, not the university, to provide clear and convincing evidence of eligibility. Information submitted to qualify for in-state classification is subject to independent verification. Individuals submitting false information or falsified supporting documents are subject to both criminal charges and university disciplinary proceedings.
The requirements for establishing residency for tuition purposes are defined by Colorado law (Colorado Revised Statutes 23-7-101 et. Seq) and the tuition classification statutes apply to all state-funded institutions in Colorado. Institutions are bound by the provisions of this statute and are not free to make exceptions to the rules. The Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) also has information regarding the residency classification rules.
If you're under the age of 23, unless you meet the criteria as a qualified person below, you must use the domicile information of a parent or court-appointed legal guardian to determine residency status. Your parent is considered the qualified individual for your residency determination.
You are a qualified individual and eligible to establish domicile separate from your parents if, at the beginning of the 12-month domicile year, you were one of the following:
- 23 years of age or older
- Married
- Active or veteran member of armed forces, exceptions apply
- A graduate student
- Emancipated minor
You are eligible to establish domicile and begin the one year domicile period if you are at least 23 years old, are married, or are emancipated from your parents. You must be a qualified person for at least one year preceding the beginning of the term for which in-state classification is being sought in order to be eligible to establish a Colorado domicile on your own and begin the one year domicile period necessary to qualify for in-state tuition.
Adult students, 23+ years of age, generally can't qualify for in-state tuition through their parents.
Each person, male or female, must qualify based on his or her own legal connections with the state. Marriage to a Colorado resident does not automatically qualify a student for in-state tuition. Colorado has passed a State Equal Rights Amendment to the Colorado Constitution, which means that each person is treated equally.
The requirements for establishing residency for tuition purposes are defined by Colorado law (Colorado Revised Statutes 23-7-101 et. Seq), and the tuition classification statutes apply to all state-funded institutions in Colorado. Institutions are bound by the provisions of this statute and are not free to make exceptions to the rules. The Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) also has information regarding the residency classification rules.
Domicile is used to describe the place where an individual has demonstrated intent to make a permanent home and legal residence. Colorado residency requires a domicile in Colorado for 12 continuous months on or prior to the first day of classes of each semester.
In order to demonstrate Colorado Domicile, you first must demonstrate physical presence in the state. Physical presence refers to the place where a person lives. Proof of physical presence may include several items.
- Home ownership
- A lease agreement
- Rent receipts
- A notarized statement from a landlord
Having a domicile in Colorado involves more than mere physical presence in the state. In addition to demonstrating physical presence, you must also demonstrate intent to make Colorado your permanent home.
Evidence of intent to make Colorado your permanent home and legal residence is demonstrated by giving up all your legal ties with any prior state and establishing them with Colorado for at least 12 continuous months. Intent is demonstrated by completing all applicable actions to legally tie yourself to the State as would be expected of any other Colorado resident.
There is no formula or checklist to follow in establishing domicile. Generally, physical presence plus one connection with the state will not be sufficient to establish domicile. Several kinds of connections are necessary, and the more connections that are made, the more assurance a person has of qualifying for residency.
- Colorado driver's license or valid Colorado ID
- Colorado motor vehicle registration
- Colorado voter registration
- Permanent employment in Colorado
- Permanent, full-time, off-campus employment and payment of Colorado State income taxes are considered highly persuasive evidence of intent to make Colorado one's permanent home. Student employment or temporary work is not considered persuasive. It is the actual official acceptance of employment that forms the connection with the state.
- Payment of Colorado state income taxes as a Colorado resident
- Ownership of, and residence in, a residential property in Colorado
- Graduation from a Colorado high school and/or continued presence in Colorado during periods when not enrolled in college, or during periods between academic sessions
Bank accounts, seeking dental or medical care, and marrying or divorcing in the state are matters of convenience because one happens to be present in the state and are therefore not the kinds of connections with the state that show intent to make Colorado one's permanent home.
Any connections maintained with any other state during the 12-month period for establishing domicile may be viewed as negative intent to make Colorado one’s permanent home. A variety of evidence can indicate domicile outside Colorado.
- Failure to pay Colorado state income tax, if your income is sufficient to be taxed
- Filing a Colorado state income tax return as a non-resident or filing with an out-of-state address
- Failure to obtain a Colorado driver’s license or Colorado ID
- Residing in another state between academic terms or when not enrolled as a student
- 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
- Being registered to vote in another state
- Any other factor particular to your situation that indicates non-Colorado domicile
The requirements for establishing residency for tuition purposes are defined by Colorado law (Colorado Revised Statutes 23-7-101 et. Seq), and the tuition classification statutes apply to all state-funded institutions in Colorado. Institutions are bound by the provisions of this statute and are not free to make exceptions to the rules. The Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) also has information regarding the residency classification rules.
Special Circumstances
There are a number of circumstances that have different requirements and/or processes.
Active-duty members of the armed forces of the United States and Canada on permanent duty stationed in Colorado and their dependents (as defined by military regulations) are eligible for in-state status, regardless of domicile or length of residence in Colorado.
The military member must have reported to a duty station in Colorado, as certified by their military command, by the first day of class of the applicable academic term. To obtain this in-state tuition rate, the student must submit a Certification of Military Status Form signed by their Base Education Officer verifying their active military status and permanent duty assignment in Colorado, along with a copy (both front and back sides) of the military identification card. Dependents must present verification of the active military person on permanent duty, along with a copy of the military dependent identification card. This certification must be signed and submitted to the Registrar’s Office no earlier than 90 days prior to the first day of classes and no later than 10 working days from the first day of the term. The certification must be completed and submitted each semester. Unless the student meets the requirements for domicile in Colorado for one year, this eligibility expires as of the first term that begins after retirement or discharge from the military or loss of dependent status.
A dependent of a member of the armed forces is eligible for in-state tuition classification when the member moves to Colorado on a permanent change-of-station basis, regardless of the length of the member's or dependent's residency in Colorado. After qualifying as an in-state student, a member of the armed forces of the United States on active duty, or the member's dependent, shall not lose his or her eligibility for in-state tuition status if the member retires or separates from the military. "Dependent" means a spouse of a member of the armed services who was the member's spouse at the time that the member was stationed in Colorado and at the time the spouse is requesting in-state tuition classification and any child under twenty-three years of age born to or legally adopted by the member of the armed forces who enrolls in a public institution of higher education within twelve years after the member was stationed in Colorado.
If the parent was on active duty in Colorado at any time during the student's senior year of high school in Colorado, the student retains in-state status if the parent is transferred outside Colorado (but not if the parent retires). The student must enroll in a public institution of higher education in Colorado within 12 months of graduation, but cannot have attended college outside Colorado.
Military dependents continuously enrolled in a Colorado college continue to qualify for in-state tuition if the military member is transferred outside Colorado and/or separates from the military.
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 6 months of discharge, and their dependents, qualify for in-state tuition regardless of changes of domicile while on active duty.
The requirements for establishing residency for tuition purposes are defined by Colorado law (Colorado Revised Statutes
23-7-101 et. Seq), and the tuition classification statutes apply to
all state-funded institutions in Colorado. Institutions are bound by the
provisions of this statute and are not free to make exceptions to the
rules. The Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) also has information regarding the residency classification rules.
Colorado Employment and Relocation by Parents of Dependent Student
In-state residency status may be granted to a student who moves to Colorado during the student’s senior year of high school as the result of the parent or legal guardian taking a job in the state that requires relocating to Colorado. The company must have relocated to Colorado as a result of receiving an incentive from the Colorado Office of Economic Development. Additional criteria also applies.
- The student’s parent or legal guardian moved their family to Colorado for the purpose of accepting a job in the state during the student’s senior year of high school.
- The student moved with the parent or legal guardian to Colorado during the child’s senior year of high school and they graduated from a Colorado public high school.
- The student must be a legal resident of the U.S.
The parent/legal guardian must provide documentation that the company moved to Colorado based on the above criteria and that the parent was employed prior to the relocation.
Colorado Employment and Relocation by a Student
Employees whose employer moved their company operations to Colorado as a result of receiving an incentive from the Colorado Office of Economic Development are eligible for Colorado residency for tuition purposes. The employee must have been employed by the employer prior to the relocation. The student must provide documentation that the company moved to Colorado based on the above criteria and that the student was employed prior to the relocation.
Students granted in-state tuition under the Economic Incentive Program provisions are not eligible for state financial aid, and the student is not eligible to receive a COF stipend for the first year the student is enrolled at a Colorado institution of higher education.
Honorably discharged veterans (or their dependents) are eligible to pay in-state tuition in Colorado if the military member was honorably/general discharged on or before the first day of classes and did at least two (2) of the following:
- Obtained a Colorado driver's license
- Registered to vote in Colorado
- Registered a car in Colorado
- Filed Colorado state income taxes as a resident
- Worked off campus in Colorado
- Purchased a home in Colorado (the home must be the student's primary residence)
The veteran must provide a copy of the veteran’s DD-214 with a “Character of Service” of "HONORABLE" or “GENERAL”.
Section 702 Veterans Choice Act
- This applies to a Veteran who lives in the state and enrolls in the school within three years of discharge from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.
- A spouse or child of a veteran (as described above) using transferred benefits who lives in the state and enrolls in the school within three years of the transferor’s discharge from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.
- A spouse or child (as described above) using benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship who lives in the state and enrolls in the school within three years of the Service member’s death in the line of duty following a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.
Military dependents continuously enrolled in a Colorado college continue to qualify for in-state tuition if the military educational benefits are exhausted.
*If you have any further questions, students must contact The Office of Veteran and Military Student Services (VMSS). The documentation must be submitted to the VMSS office by the last day of the semester, they will determine eligibility.*
A student is eligible for in-state tuition if they graduated from a Colorado high school and have been living in Colorado for at least 12 months. The 12-month period must be met by the first day of classes for the semester they wish to attend.
Under the Colorado American Indian Tribes In-State Tuition Act (effective Fall 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, as designated by the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs in partnership with History Colorado (see list below), is eligible to be classified as an in-state student for tuition purposes.
List of Eligible Tribes:
| Apache Tribe of Oklahoma | Oglala Sioux Tribe | Pueblo of Santa Ana |
| Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma |
Ohkay Owingeh (Pueblo of San Juan) |
Pueblo of Santa Clara |
| Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe | Osage Nation | Pueblo of Taos |
|
Comanche Nation, Oklahoma |
Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah | Pueblo of Tesuque |
| Crow Creek Sioux Tribe | Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma | Pueblo of Zia |
| Crow Tribe | Pueblo of Acoma | Rosebud Sioux Tribe |
| Eastern Shoshone Tribe (Wind River Reservation) | Pueblo de Cochiti | San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe |
| Fort Sill Apache Tribe |
Pueblo of Isleta |
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes |
| The Hopi Tribe |
Pueblo of Jemez |
Southern Ute Indian Tribe |
| Jicarilla Apache Nation |
Pueblo of Laguna |
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe |
| Kewa Pueblo (formerly the Pueblo of Santo Domingo) | Pueblo of Nambe | Three Affiliated Tribes |
|
Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma |
Pueblo of Picuris |
Ute Indian Tribe (Uintah & Ouray Reservation) |
|
Mescalero Apache Tribe |
Pueblo of Pojoaque | Ute Mountain Ute Tribe |
| Navajo Nation | Pueblo of San Felipe | Wichita & Affiliated Tribes |
| Northern Arapaho Tribe | Pueblo of San Ildefonso | Ysleta del Sur Pueblo |
| Northern Cheyenne Tribe | Pueblo of Sandia | Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation |
Documentation
Current Students
If you believe you qualify for resident status based on this information, please complete the Colorado American Indian Tribal Verification Form.
Please make sure to upload either:
- A copy of your tribal citizenship card (front and back)
OR
- A copy of Certificate of Indian Blood (CDIB), which must contain a tribal seal or be on tribal letterhead, and must include the student’s official identification number (e.g., census number, tribal citizenship number, enrollment number, certified tribal council number)
If approved, the student is:
- Eligible to apply for the College Opportunity Fund
- Eligible to apply for resident financial aid
The dependent child of a new faculty member, but not the faculty member
or the spouse, at a state-supported institution of higher education is
eligible for Colorado residency for tuition purposes. A faculty member
is defined as academic faculty with regular
and special appointments of 50% time or greater. A dependent child
is an unmarried undergraduate student under the age of 23 on or before
the first day of class.
Under the Colorado Tuition Classification for Peace Corps Volunteers Act (effective Fall 2023), a student who would not otherwise qualify for in-state tuition and who was certified by the director of the Peace Corps as having served satisfactorily as a Peace Corps Volunteer , is eligible to be classified as an in-state student for tuition purposes.
Documentation
Incoming/Future Students
All new, admitted students are required to complete an Initial Verification of Colorado Residency form; this form allows students to self-identify as having completed service as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Students must upload the following documentation in order to qualify for resident tuition classification status under the aforementioned legislation:
- Certification of Service for Employment Purposes (available via the Peace Corps RPCV Portal)
Current Students
Current students who believe they qualify for resident tuition as a result of this information should email a copy of their Certification of Service for Employment Purposes to [email protected].
If approved, the student is:
- Eligible to apply for the College Opportunity Fund
- Eligible to apply for resident financial aid
Office of the Registrar
Located in Lynx Central
CU Denver
Student Commons Building
1201 Larimer Street
#1107
Denver, CO 80204
303-315-5969
Academic Offices
CMS Login