August 3, 2026
The Residence Classification Office is aware that there was a technical issue preventing students from submitting Autumn 2026 residency applications. We are grateful to our support team for working to resolve this issue and to everyone who reached out to let us know. If you tried to submit a residency application between Saturday morning, August 1, and approximately 10am on Monday morning, August 3, and received an error that you did not select an application term, please try to resubmit your application at this time.
MyUW Cost of Attendance – Incorrect Estimates
March 4, 2026
The Residency Office is aware of an issue impacting newly admitted first-year undergraduate students who previously attended UW as non-matriculated students. When these students are admitted as residents for autumn quarter, their current residency status will reflect the previous enrollment as non-resident and non-matriculated until closer to the start of autumn quarter. It appears the Cost of Attendance estimate is reflecting costs based upon the current non-resident status instead of the admitted resident status for Autumn 2026. We are working with the Office of Student Financial Aid to correct this issue. We apologize for any confusion.
Admitted Students for Autumn 2026 and Residency Verification
February 27, 2026
Congratulations on your admission to the University of Washington! Your admission letter should include your current residency classification (resident or non-resident). The Residency Office will begin accepting residency applications beginning March 1, 2026 from Autumn 2026 admitted students who were admitted as a non-resident but believe they meet residency requirement – OR – who have been asked by the Office of Student Financial Aid to verify residency.
Newly admitted first-year undergraduates who indicated residency on their admission application but were admitted as non-residents because some additional information is required will receive instructions via email within one week of their admission decision.
Please allow 24 to 48 hours after you receive your admission decision for your login information to be available in the residency system.
Prompt submission of the residency application and any requested additional documents helps the Residency Team provide timely decisions whenever possible.
The Residency Team may not always be able to provide an explanation for why a student was classified as a non-resident. It may be as simple as transposing a date or not providing certain information on the admission application.
The March 1, 2026, residency application opening date does not reflect the intended release date for any specific admission decision, as it encompasses all University programs, many of which release admission decisions on a rolling basis. The Residency Team cannot verify admission decisions or when decisions will be released.
Current, continuing, and returning students should not use the residency application system for admitted students and must use the regular autumn residency application, which opens August 1, 2026.
New Residency Application System – Alert
December 5, 2025
The new Residency Application for Winter 2026 is now available for all students! The Residency Application is available from the Application Submission webpage. If you encounter any technical difficulties with the new system, please contact the Residency Team with your name, student number, and a detailed description of the issue.
WA High School Completion Program – New Requirement
November 26, 2025
Beginning in Winter 2026, students utilizing a degree from a Washington high school completion program to address educational presumption must demonstrate enrollment in predominantly high school-level courses (courses with a sub-100 course number) for at least one year. While students may be enrolled in college-level courses during this period, these courses must represent fewer than seven (7) credits during this time period.
Residency for Tuition Purposes
As a state public university, the University of Washington has different tuition rates for state residents and non-residents. State law sets the rules governing who qualifies as a resident for tuition-paying purposes. Students must meet these requirements to be verified as residents for tuition purposes.
Initial Residency Status
A student’s initial residence classification is set during the admissions process based on information provided on the student’s admission application. Students who are classified as a non-resident when they are admitted to the University and believe they qualify as a resident for tuition purposes must file a residency application to request verification.
Transfer Students
Residency classification at any other Washington state 4-year universities (including Bothell/Tacoma campuses) or Washington state Community & Technical College (CTC) does not transfer between schools. Students should understand both the residency requirements and the residency application process before applying for admission.
Special Populations
Reduced tuition and residency information for special populations, such as medical students, military personnel & others, can be found in Residency Groups.
Applying for Residency
There are three pathways for students, who qualify, to apply for residency via the new residency application process. Each pathway has its own requirements. Students should select the pathway that best aligns with their situation.
Affidavit
Students with a high school diploma (or equivalent) and who maintained primary residence in Washington state for at least one year for purposes other than college.
Applications must be submitted no later than the 30th day of the quarter in accordance with WAC 250-18-025. Students who have not yet resided in Washington state for 12 months should not submit a residency application any earlier than the first posted date for each quarter.
Autumn 2026
Winter 2027
Spring 2027
Aug 1-Oct 30
Dec 5, 2026-Feb 3, 2027
Feb 27-Apr 28
Residency Policies
Residency policies are set by the Washington state legislature and applied uniformly throughout Washington’s colleges and universities. Additional details regarding residence classification are referenced throughout the Residency webpages. We recommended reviewing the relevant Revised Code of Washington (RCW) and the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) statutes.
Substitute House Bill 2543 [PDF] – RCW 2B15.012(2)(i), RCW 2B15.012(2)(x), RCW 2B15.012(2)(p), RCW 2B15.012(2)(n), RCW 2B15.012(2)(q)
Contact the Residency Team
There are two ways to contact the Residency Team at UW Seattle. Generally, staff respond to email inquiries within five (5) business days. For pressing or complicated advising questions, please schedule an appointment.
Students whose parents or court-appointed legal guardians do not reside in Washington, and who do not meet the requirements of the Residency Affidavit, can only obtain residency for tuition purposes by fulfilling the requirements as a financially independent student. Students must complete and sign the Residence Questionnaire form online and provide all documentation as requested. Review the Materials Guide for Financially Independent Students for more information.
The Residency Application system is open to UW students. Review the Application Process to learn more about applying for residency, deadlines, and how to collect & submit supporting documents. PDF versions of the residency application are no longer accepted.
To be considered as financially independent, students must meet all of the following criteria in addition to meeting all of the other bona fide residency requirements:
Parents/legal guardians or others (except spouse) have not claimed and will not claim the student as a dependent on Federal Income Tax returns for the current and previous calendar years;
Parents/legal guardians or others (except spouse) have not and will not provide the student with significant financial assistance, directly or indirectly, for the current and previous calendar years;
Students have been and will be independently paying at least 51% of their combined total expenses (cost of attendance and room/board) with their own independent income/resources for the current calendar year and previous calendar year.
Students by Age
25 Years of Age or Younger – Married/Domestic Partnership
Students who are receiving significant financial assistance from a spouse or registered domestic partner may qualify as financially independent as long as the marriage or domestic partnership has been in place for at least one calendar year prior to the quarter of application for residency for tuition purposes. Documentation of marital or domestic partnership and financial information must be provided.
25 Years of Age or Younger – Married & Dependent
Students who are receiving significant financial assistance from someone other than their spouse or registered domestic partner will be considered financially dependent regardless of their marital or domestic partnership status if they do not meet the three criteria of financial independence.
25 Years of Age or Older
Students that are 25 years of age (for the entire academic year prior to the quarter of application) and older may be presumed financially independent unless there is evidence proving otherwise. In this situation, students may not be required to provide information from their parent/legal guardians; however, they are still required to provide their own financial information.
Questionnaire: Financially Dependent Students
The Residency Application system is open to UW students. Review the Application Process to learn more about applying for residency, deadlines, and how to collect & submit supporting documents. PDF versions of the residency application are no longer accepted.
Financially Dependent Students
Students who are financially dependent upon parents, legal guardians, or others (excepting spouses) must provide documentation to prove their parents/court-appointed legal guardians have established a bona fide domicile in the state of Washington. Documentation of financial dependence is also required. To be considered, students and parents/legal guardians must have a qualifying citizenship/immigration status to apply.
The Financially Dependent Residence Questionnaire requires information from both the student and their Washington resident parent/legal guardian. The student must initiate the residency review process by starting an application through the Residency Application system and providing parent contact information.
Once the student has submitted their portion of the application, the parent will receive a one-time link containing instructions to complete the parent section of the application and upload any necessary supporting documents.
Please review the Materials Requirements for the Financially Dependent application and prepare the corresponding materials in advance, as the parent portion of the form and uploads must be completed within one session. Once the parent portion has been submitted, any additional materials should be uploaded by the student.
In cases of legal guardianship, documentation is required to verify the guardianship is court-appointed.
Dependents of parents/legal guardians who are either divorced or legally separated may be classified as residents as long as the dependent student demonstrates financial dependence (claimed as a dependent exemption on income taxes for the most recent tax year or shows actual financial dependence) and at least one parent/legal guardian has established bona fide domicile in Washington state. This process requires documentation of:
Bona fide legal domicile from the Washington resident parent/legal guardian and
Taxes from the person who claimed the student or documentation of the significant financial support received by the student in the current and/or previous calendar year.
The documentation of bona fide legal domicile will be of the parent/legal guardian signing the residency application (not a combination of documents between two parents/legal guardians).
Married Students
Married students are to complete their residency application as a financially independent applicant unless they are significantly financially dependent on someone other than their spouse.
Residency Requirements (Non-affidavit)
The following information applies to students who do not meet the requirements to apply for residency using the Residency Affidavit. Students who do meet the requirements of the affidavit should submit that form.
Establishing Bona Fide Domicile
The advice from the Office of the Attorney General, Education Division concerning presumption is that before domicile is established, an individual must complete all basic requirements that a legal Washington resident is required to do by law.
Individuals must provide documentation showing they meet the following guidelines to establish WA domicile:
Physically reside in the state for at least 12 consecutive months prior to the first day of the quarter students are seeking residency.
A legal resident must also relinquish all valid legal ties with their former state/country of residence and affirmatively create legal ties and relationships in the state of Washington in accordance with state and local legislation.
Driver’s License/State ID: One must obtain a Washington State Driver’s Licensewithin 30 days of their arrival if they have a valid out-of-state driver’s license, including an international driver’s license. If an individual does not drive or possess a driver’s license from any state or country, they should obtain a Washington State Identification Card within 30 days of arrival.
Vehicle Registration: Individuals who own or operate a vehicle in Washington must have their vehicle registered in Washingtonwithin 30 days of their arrival.
Voter Registration: Individuals who have previously registered to vote in their former state of residence must register to vote in Washington. If one has registered to vote in another state and does not register to vote in Washington, this means they may still vote absentee in the prior state of residency. Permanent Resident cardholders or any other status with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) are exempt from registering to vote.
Establish a bank account in Washington: Existing bank account(s) prior to arriving in Washington is sufficient as long as one’s name and Washington address are associated with the account and documented.
Lease/home agreement
Students who are establishing bona fide domicile, as a financially independent student, must complete the following requirements in addition to the previously listed guidelines:
Students must demonstrate they are financially independent for the current calendar year for which they are applying for residency and the previous calendar year. This means they have and will be paying for the majority of their expenses (cost of attendance and room/board) with their own independent income and resources, that they are not and have not received significant financial assistance in any form, directly or indirectly, from parents, legal guardians, relatives, or others during that time period, and that they were not and will not be claimed as a dependent on anyone’s tax returns for the previous and current calendar years.
Students who are enrolled for seven (7) credits or more in any term during the period in which they are establishing bona fide legal domicile are presumed by law to be in Washington State for purposes of education. Students cannot qualify for resident tuition unless they can demonstrate conclusively that they have resided in Washington primarily for purposes other than education for a consecutive 12-month period. All domicile must be established prior to the start of this consecutive 12-month period. Examples of situations that can demonstrate a primarily non-educational purpose for residing in Washington include a student residing in the state due to full-time employment for themselves or a spouse/partner, or to take care of a family member. The burden of proof lies on the student to demonstrate they have conclusively overcome this presumption.
Examples of other factors that may help students establish proof of domicile include the disposition of property in the former state of residence, relocation of household members, and generally becoming involved in activities that will help prove their intent to make Washington their official state of residence.
All domicile must be established at least one year immediately prior to the first day of the quarter the student is seeking residency. Once the individual is in full compliance with all of Washington State’s requirements for residency for tuition purposes, then they, as of that final date of compliance, have established a domicile and are eligible to apply for residency for tuition purposes.
It is the student’s responsibility to apply for a change in residency status once all requirements have been met.
The Residency Application system is open to UW students. Review the Application Process to learn more about applying for residency, deadlines, and how to collect & submit supporting documents. PDF versions of the residency application are no longer accepted.