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Residency for Tuition Purposes

Residency information for special populations, such as medical students and military personnel, can be found in Residency Groups.

Alerts for Residency Applicants

Students preparing residency applications for Autumn 2025 or later should save their supporting documents in single files by type (e.g., driver’s license, tax forms, bank statements, etc.).

Residency Office Closure

December 10, 2025
The Residence Classification Office will be closed December 23-26. Students may continue to submit applications, documents, and appeals via the Residency Application system. All deadlines remain in effect. Residency staff will respond to your emails upon our return on December 29.

New Residency Application System

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

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.

How to Contact the Residency Team

There are two ways to contact the Residency Team at UW Seattle. Our goal is to respond to email inquiries within 5 business days. For pressing or complicated advising questions, please schedule an appointment.

Current Students & Residency Applicants

Non-Students & General Inquiries

What is Washington 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.

How and when is a student’s residency status determined?

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 with the Residence Classification Office to request verification.

There are three ways a student may qualify to apply for residency for tuition purposes. Select the application type for additional information about requirements and how to apply. Each form has its own requirements. Students should file the application that best fits their circumstances.

  1. Residency Affidavit – for students who have a high school diploma (or equivalent) and have maintained a primary residence, for purposes other than postsecondary education, in Washington for at least one year prior to starting at the University of Washington.
  2. Residence Questionnaire: Financially Dependent Students – for financially dependent students with a parent who has met Washington residency requirements.
  3. Residence Questionnaire: Financially Independent Students – for financially independent students who have met Washington residency requirements.

Top 5 Residency Questions

  1. How do I get residency in Washington if I don’t meet the affidavit requirements?
  2. Where is the residence questionnaire application?
  3. I am a Washington resident but went to school out of state. What do I do?
  4. When is the deadline to submit the application?
  5. How do I contact the Residency Office?

Residency Policies

Residency policies are set by the Washington legislature and applied uniformly throughout Washington’s colleges and universities. For more details regarding residence classification, please review the various pages of our website, and also reference the following links to read the relevant Revised Code of Washington and the Washington Administrative Code.