Residence for Tuition Purposes: Nonresident to Resident Status

  Appeals

  Contact information

  Dates and deadlines

  Establishing residence

  Exemptions and waivers

  FAQ

  Financial independence

  Forms

  Glossary

  Incorrect classification

  Intent

  Military

  Minors

  Noncitizens and aliens

  Registration fees

  Status change (nonresident     to resident)

  Temporary absence (reclaim     residence)

A continuing UCLA nonresident student seeking residence status who feels he or she has met all the UC residence requirements may apply for a change of residence status for tuition purposes by filing a Petition for Residence Classification. For answers to some specific questions about filing a petition, see the residence petition section of the FAQ.

Filing Procedure

A continuing nonresident student who wishes to be classified as a California resident must file the petition by the deadline for the applicable term. The petition for the appropriate term is available online, during the month shown below for the applicable term.

          Fall Term -- June       Winter Term -- November       Spring Term -- February

Complete the petition and attachment in ink. Submit the petition by dropping it off in person between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. or by mailing it to the Residence Deputy, 1113 Murphy Hall, Box 951429, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1429.

Filing Deadlines

Students are urged to apply early to avoid paying late registration fees, and to apply as soon as the petition is available online. Submit petitions at least three weeks in advance of the registration fee payment deadline of the term for which you are applying. Response time is approximately two weeks. Petitions must be received no later than the registration fee payment deadline. No late petitions are accepted. Students are responsible for payment of all fees by the applicable fee payment deadline. If a student is denied residence and appeals the campus decision, a response from the Legal Analyst takes six to eight weeks.

Documentation is not accepted after the last day of the applicable term. If a document cannot be submitted along with the petition, the student should attach an explanation of that document instead. Should the document be required, the student will be contacted by the residence deputy. If a student fails to provide any or all of the required documentation by the end of the applicable term, the petition will not be processed and the student will not be classified as a resident for that term.

Required Documentation

Students must provide documentation for all of the information provided on the petition as specified in the Documentation section of the form. All documents should identify the student by name and be dated. Personal information such as account, social security, and license numbers should be blocked out. All documentation is subject to the approval of the residence deputy.

If it is not possible to provide any or all of the required documentation by the end of the applicable term and the student wishes to file for the following term, a new petition must be submitted by the applicable deadline for that following term. Existing documentation may be re-used for a subsequent petition by indicating on the new petition the last term for which residency was denied.

Actions throughout the Year

Summer actions count! A student's actions during the entire year--including the summer--affect the determination made regarding residence status for tuition purposes. A student who is in California solely for educational purposes is not eligible for California residence for tuition purposes regardless of the length of his or her stay.

If a student returns to his or her former place of residence (outside California), he or she will be presumed to be in California solely for educational purposed and only strong evidence to the contrary will rebut this presumption. A student seeking to establish California residence who accepts employment or conducts research outside of California will be questioned regarding his or her attempts to find employment and/or conduct research within California. Leaving the state for a unique research opportunity or for special circumstances (such as a medical emergency) may not preclude the student from being classified as a resident, but the burden will be on the student to provide convincing evidence that leaving the state was not inconsistent with his or her claim of permanent residence. See Temporary Absence.

Residence Determinations

Residence determinations are made on a case-by-case basis. Neither departments nor individual students should assume that one year presence in California automatically results in a positive residence determination. At the campus level, the residence deputy is the only person qualified to answer residence questions or to make a determination regarding residence status.