Applications for In-State Status must be completed in their entirety to be processed. If the residency process seems rigorous and detailed, it is because we must be precise in determining a student’s residency status for the purposes of in-state tuition. Applications and supporting documentation are carefully reviewed by the Residency Officer.

The burden of proof to establish eligibility for in-state tuition status at the University of Vermont rests solely on the student applicant. The Residency Officer considers each situation as presented and assesses it in relation to the Board of Trustees regulations and Vermont law. A determination of in-state status is valid only if the student chooses to enroll for the term to which their application relates. If a student chooses not to enroll, a new Application for In-State Status must be submitted for the subsequent term(s).

Completed Applications for In-State Status should be returned to: University Residency Officer, 85 So. Prospect St., 360 Waterman, Burlington, VT 05405

In general, applications are reviewed within two to three weeks, at which time a written decision will be mailed to the student applicant. If the Residency Officer finds a student's classification to be out-of-state, the letter will include information about the University's residency appeal process. The final decision regarding tuition status rests with the Residency Office. Applicants for In-State Status may re-apply for a determination in subsequent semesters, but may file only one application per term.

Applicants must answer all questions on the application and attach relevant supporting documentation. Failure to provide complete and accurate information, or to submit supporting documentation, will delay application processing and/or result in an out-of-state classification. In addition to the types of supporting documentation mentioned in the application, applicants are strongly encouraged to include any additional information they feel will help support their application for In-State Status.

Individuals providing false or misleading information in an Application for Admission or for In-State Status may be subject to legal or disciplinary measures. Students improperly classified as in-state residents for tuition purposes based on such information will have their residency classifications changed and may be charged non-resident tuition retroactively for the period of time for which they were improperly classified.

Applications for In-State Status must be dropped off at the Registrar's Office in the Waterman Building (there is a drop box near Room 359 if the office is closed) or sent by UVM Secure File Transfer by 11:59 PM on the last day of the Add/Drop period for the semester In-State Status is being requested for, or mailed to the Residency Officer with a postmark no later than that date. All applications received after this deadline will be considered for the following semester for which the student is enrolled. Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to the high volume in the Residency Office immediately before and during registration, we cannot guarantee that applications for In-State Status received by this deadline will be processed before the applicable tuition payment due date. If an applicant's residency status has not been resolved before that due date, the student applicant must contact Student Financial Services regarding said payment.

Please note that due to an abbreviated term, winter and summer semester courses have Add/Drop dates specific to individual courses. The deadline to receive an Application for In-State Status for these semesters is the Add/Drop deadline for the course that the student is enrolled in. Specific course date information can be found by contacting the Registrar's Office at 802-656-2045.

University of Vermont Academic Calendar

All students at, or applicants to, the University of Vermont are classified as either in-state or out-of-state for tuition purposes under the University of Vermont Board of Trustees Residency Regulations. Students classified as in-state residents pay a lower rate of tuition than out-of-state students. The Residency Regulations are applied uniformly to all students throughout the University’s colleges and schools.

The University of Vermont's Board of Trustees, as mandated by Vermont State Law, sets the criteria to differentiate between Vermont students and others for the purpose of tuition assessment. The qualifications for in-state status at the University of Vermont are independent of the criteria used by other state authorities to determine residency for such purposes as income and property tax liability, driving and voting; such determinations may or may not reflect the residency classification as determined by the University's Residency Officer. Each state-supported institution of higher education determines its own regulations for in-state tuition, as there is no federal legislation governing state tuition classification. It is possible that a student not qualifying for in-state tuition at the University of Vermont will not qualify for in-state residency status in any other state. A student applicant's status at the University of Vermont, however, is governed solely by Vermont law.

The Residency Officer and the Residency Appellate Officer, or their respective designees in the Office of the Vice President for Enrollment Management, administer the University’s residency classification process. They review applications and determine residency classification for purposes of in-state tuition. Residency Officers are bound by the provisions of Vermont State law and the University of Vermont Board of Trustees Residency Regulations (PDF). They are not free to make exceptions.  Many factors are considered in determining residency for in-state tuition purposes. No single factor establishes domicile. In administering the regulations, the Residency Officers must evaluate and interpret each individual’s actions, information, and circumstances.

Residency classification can require extensive documentation. Simply completing the Application for In-State Status is NOT sufficient to prove residency in Vermont for in-state tuition purposes. Verbal or written testimony of a student applicant alone regarding intention with respect to Vermont domicile is not conclusive, and is accepted with considerable reserve. Such declarations have little weight when they conflict with facts. Conduct is of greater evidential value than declarations.

The documentation listed on the last two pages of the Application for In-state Status (PDF) may be helpful to the Residency Officer and/or required when evaluating an application. Student applicants are encouraged to submit clear copies of as many of the documents listed therein as applicable to their situation. This will aid in the process of making an accurate classification by the Residency Officer. The burden of proof as to eligibility for In-State Status rests with the student applicant. Eligibility must be established by clear and convincing evidence.

Failure to provide complete and accurate information or to submit the required documentation with an application will result in a non-resident classification. Student applicants are further advised to include any additional information they feel will help support their application for In-State Status. Student applicants should maintain a photocopy of their application for their own records and submit only copies of supporting documents. All material submitted becomes the property of the University of Vermont and will not be returned or forwarded.

The information contained in the Application for In-State Status as well as all accompanying documentation is kept confidential by the University to the extent permitted by law, and used only by the Residency Officers. Residency files are maintained by the Office of the Registrar in accordance the University's Student Records Access policy.

Student applicants must establish that they are domiciled in Vermont, pursuant to UVM's Residency Regulations, before they will be entitled to pay in-state tuition rates. If the University questions a student applicant's domicile, said student applicant will be required to file an Application for In-State Status in order to be considered for classification as an in-state resident for tuition purposes. In doing so, the student applicant must provide clear and convincing evidence that they have satisfied the Residency Regulations as a whole, and as a result are eligible for in-state tuition status. All applicants for admission, as well as enrolled students, may be asked to complete an Application for In-State Status.

Applicants for In-State Status must meet all In-State Status Regulations under the University of Vermont Board of Trustees Residency Regulations (PDF) in order to be classified as an In-State Resident for Tuition Purposes.

It is possible for a student's residency classification for tuition purposes to change from out-of-state to in-state while attending the University. To do so, the student applicant will be required to document that they meet the criteria as outlined in the University of Vermont Board of Trustees Residency Regulations (PDF), which presumes that a student who enters the University as an out-of-state student remains in the state of Vermont for the purpose of obtaining an education, and not to establish Vermont domicile. The student seeking status reclassification is required to rebut this presumption by providing clear and convincing evidence.

If a student applicant was classified initially as an out-of-state student and believes that changes to their situation justify reclassification, it is the responsibility of that student applicant to resubmit an Application for In-State Status with appropriate documentation supporting that claim. The Residency Officer is not responsible for initiating a change in a student's residency status. A residency decision is based solely on the Application for In-State Status and supporting documentation. An approved reclassification shall be applied to the term for which the application is received. Reclassification is not retroactive and will not be applied to previous terms.

Students who were previously classified as in-state residents for tuition purposes and who re-enroll after an absence of more than one year may be required to submit an Application for In-State Status with appropriate documentation to support claims of continuing eligibility for Vermont residency for tuition purposes.

The University reserves the right to audit the in-state tuition eligibility of any prospective or enrolled students at any time and to reclassify students who are classified incorrectly.

Basis for Appeal

Students who have been classified as out-of-state for tuition purposes by the Residency Officer may appeal the decision on the basis of one or more of the following:

• The presence of new evidence or documentation which was not reasonably available at the time of the initial submission of the Application for In-State Status;
• Change in status, personal circumstances, or situation which may justify reclassification; or
• Clear abuse of discretion of the Residency Officer, which may include failure to consider relevant information, or misinterpretation of documents or evidence provided in the initial residency application.

Submitting an Appeal

To appeal a residency decision, the student must submit the basis for the appeal in writing to the Residency Appellate Officer, citing each regulation which was deemed to have not been met in the Residency Officer's out-of-state classification. This written appeal must be submitted within thirty (30) calendar days of the date of the Residency Officer’s written decision letter.

Any additional evidence or documentation provided as part of the student applicant's appeal should contain an explanation or rationale as to its relevance in the appeal. Please note that the Residency Appellate Officer will have access to all materials submitted with the original Application for In-State Status.

Please submit your written appeal either by mail or electronically to:
E-mail: Residency.Appeals@uvm.edu
Fax: 802-656-8230
Mail: University Residency Appellate Officer, 85 South Prospect Street, 360 Waterman Building, Burlington, VT 05405

Consideration of the Appeal

Upon receipt of the written appeal, the Residency Appellate Officer or designee will review the appeal and may elect to contact the applicant in writing to request additional information. In-person meetings are not needed to make a determination.

Written Appeal Decision

Written decision letters will be sent to the applicant’s address of record with the University.

It is the responsibility of the Residency Officer:

• To establish and maintain written policies and procedures, approved by the University, for administering the regulations;
• To provide a process for students to apply for in-state tuition status, to have that application reviewed by a Residency Officer, and to be notified in writing of the decision;
• To provide a process for students to appeal the Residency Officer’s determination and receive a written notification of the appeal decision; and
• To process any changes due to administrative errors in a timely manner.

Administrative errors may include letters announcing an incorrect residency status, actual misclassification, or incorrect tuition billing notices. In the absence of fraud or knowingly providing false information, if a student receives an erroneous decision notice classifying eligibility for in-state tuition rates, the student shall not be responsible for paying the out-of-state tuition differential for any enrolled semester or term commencing before the student received written notice of the administrative error.