Frequently Asked Questions

A residence policy is a set of guidelines that determine if a student has lived in a state long enough to quality for in-state tuition, which is lower than out-of-state (nonresident) tuition. Students who can prove that they have been residents of a state — according to those guidelines — pay less tuition and fees than nonresident students.

As a public institution, Purdue University receives funding from the State of Indiana. Resident students pay less tuition and fees than non-resident students because they or their families have paid taxes that contribute to Purdue’s state funding.

Information provided by students during the admission application process determines their residency. Residency is determined when students are admitted to the University by either the Office of Admissions (for undergraduates and non-degree), Graduate School (for graduate studies), College of Pharmacy (for Doctor of Pharmacy), or College of Veterinary Medicine (for Doctor of Veterinary Medicine).

Your initial residency classification can be found at the bottom of your admission letter, on your billing statements, and in your myPurdue portal. It is the responsibility of the student to know their residency classification.

No, if you live outside of Indiana you cannot quality for in-state tuition. Purdue West Lafayette (PWL) does not have any reciprocity agreements (agreements between bordering states to offer in-state tuition or tuition discounts).

However, some of the Polytechnic Statewide campuses as well as Purdue Fort Wayne (PFW) do offer reciprocity agreements. If you attend one of these campuses, please contact your Registrar’s office for more information on residency classification.

Qualified service members (or their dependents) who are admitted to Purdue University and meet certain requirements may be eligible for resident status for tuition and fee purposes. The resident status criteria, as well as the application, can be found here. Questions about eligibility for military personnel should be directed to the Veteran and Military Success Center at (765) 494-7638 or dogtags@purdue.edu.

If you wish to be considered for reclassification for both your citizenship status and your resident status, then you should file a residency reclassification application in addition to the Change of Citizenship Status form.

If you only want to change your status from international to permanent resident you need to file a Change of Citizenship Status form and should not file a Residency Reclassification application. All students who hold Permanent Resident cards are granted a nonresident residency classification.

Only certain visas are eligible for reclassification, if you are unsure if your visa qualifies, please reach out. Below are the guidelines on reclassification if you are on an eligible visa type:

1. You (and your parent(s) if dependent) have been on an eligible visa for a minimum of 12 consecutive months prior to the start of the semester in which you apply for reclassification. AND

2. You can provide proof that you (or your parent(s) if dependent) have been domiciled in the US for a minimum of 12 consecutive months prior to the start of the semester in which you apply AND have abandoned all domiciles outside of the US.

If your parents are legally married, then they both must meet the above criteria. A dependent is defined as a student who is either financially dependent on their parent(s)/legal guardian(s) OR can be claimed on someone else’s income tax return.

If you are seeking in-state residency in addition to meeting the Indiana requirements, you (or your parent(s) if dependent) must be able to provide clear and convincing evidence of predominant purpose (primary reason) for relocation that is unrelated to your educational pursuits.

You can apply for reclassification at the beginning of the first semester in which you are enrolled AND meet the above requirements.

Please note that adjusting residency DOES NOT adjust citizenship, and it DOES NOT allow for a student to apply for government aid/scholarships.

We do not consider any time spent out-of-state as a student against you as long as you return to Indiana within one year following your last enrollment or graduation, and provided you continued to maintain your permanent residence in Indiana while away from the state.

No. A student may submit a Residency Reclassification application after the Domicile and Predominant Purpose requirements have been met, but no later than 15 business days after the first day of classes of the academic semester/session for which reclassification is sought.

No. Applications are only reviewed for the current semester/session. Additionally, a student must maintain enrollment in the semester/session during which they are seeking residency reclassification to qualify.

For the summer term, a student must be enrolled (and maintain enrollment) in at least one course to qualify for residency reclassification.

A student cannot apply for reclassification during the Winter term.

Yes. The state of Indiana determines the requirements for becoming a legal resident of the state for specific purposes such as obtaining a driver's license, identification card, voter registration, etc. However, the state legislature has delegated to Indiana's institutions of higher education the responsibility of determining when a person becomes eligible for resident student status for tuition and fees purposes.

Purdue’s definition of the term resident is different from the definitions developed by other non-university agencies. Purdue University does not recognize declarations of resident status made by other agencies.

For example, a person who is an Indiana resident for tax or voting purposes may not qualify as a resident for Purdue University’s tuition and fees purposes. People who live in Indiana for the main purpose of education are considered non-residents for tuition and fees paying purposes at the university.

No. People who are in Indiana for the main purpose of education do not become eligible for resident status for tuition and fees on the basis of paying taxes to the state.

Additionally, you must also be domiciled in Indiana to qualify for resident tuition. Owning a business or working for a company in Indiana while being domiciled outside of Indiana does not make you eligible for resident tuition.

The two ways to qualify for classification as a resident for tuition purposes are:

1. As a dependent student: Your parent(s) or legal g­­­guardian(s) remain(s) partially or wholly financially responsible for you and/or you are being claimed as a dependent on someone else’s personal income taxes and your parent(s) satisfies the permanent residence requirement (domiciled in Indiana for a minimum of 12 continuous months) prior to the first day of the academic semester/session for which resident classification is sought. The move to Indiana must be predominantly for reasons other than to enable you to gain resident status for tuition and fees purposes. If your parent or legal guardian are married both parent(s/legal guardians) must reside in Indiana. If your parents are legally divorced, separated or never married only one parent needs to meet the domicile requirements. 
2. As an independent student: You are responsible for your own financial needs and have not been dependent upon your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) for financial support for at least 12 consecutive months and cannot be claimed as a dependent on anyone else’s personal income taxes and have been a permanent resident in Indiana for at least 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the first day of classes of the academic session for which resident reclassification is sought. Your permanent residence must be established for a predominant purpose other than attending an institution of higher education.

Applications are read in the order they are received. An application is not considered complete until all initial documentation has been submitted. The Residency Office aims to have a response within the semester a student applies; however, a variety of factors can affect this timeline. Students will receive updates via their Purdue email.

If the student is applying as a dependent, their parent(s)/legal guardian(s) must permanently reside in Indiana for 12 consecutive months for a primary purpose other than attending an institution of higher education to establish residency for tuition and fees purposes, if the student is applying as independent the student must meet the 12 month requirement. The 12 months must be met prior to the first day of classes of the academic semester/session for which residence reclassification is sought. Either the date of move or the date the previous permanent residence is abandoned (sale of home/termination of lease), whichever is later, will be used to calculate the beginning of the 12-month period.

Exceptions to the 12-month establishment of permanent residence may apply.

Either the date when your previous permanent residence is abandoned or the date the Indiana permanent residence was acquired, whichever is later. This would be either the date listed on the bill of sale or the termination of a lease.

Additionally, for dependent students whose parents are legally married, the 12-month period begins when both parents reside in Indiana. 

No. It is necessary to file a residence reclassification application and provide the required supporting documents to the Office of the Registrar.

Students who want to request a review of their non-resident status should submit the residency reclassification application and all required supporting documentation to the Office of the Registrar for their campus no later than 15 business days after the first day of classes. Students must be enrolled (and maintain enrollment) in the semester/session in which they are seeking reclassification.

All applications are reviewed in the order that they are received. If the file is not complete, including any requested additional documentation, a decision will not be rendered at that time. The student will be communicated with via their Purdue email of the final decision or with a request for any additional information that may be needed.

Students who fail to submit requested documentation by the deadlines will automatically be denied for that semester/term.

Purdue West Lafayette, Indianapolis, and Polytechnic Statewide Students
All Residence Reclassification applications for Purdue West Lafayette and Polytechnic Statewide students must be submitted through the Residency Reclassification Portal using your Boiler Key login information.

Purdue University Fort Wayne and Purdue University Northwest students
Please visit your campus websites for more information and a link to your specific Residence Form.

Examples of documentation that may be required during the residence reclassification process include, but are not limited to:

1. Driver's license/State issued ID
2. Vehicle registration (if applicable)
3. Most recent signed state and federal income tax returns
4. Most recent W-2
5. Employment records including a statement from current employer outlining work dates (hire date, ending date) and modality (remote, hybrid, or in-person)
6. Most recent paystub
7. Dated rental agreement, purchase agreement or 1098 tax form
8. Proof of abandonment of previous permanent residence.  Either bill of sale or termination of lease agreement.
9. Divorce decree (if applicable)
10. Statement from a health care provider (if applicable)
11. Professional licensing documentation (if applicable)
12. Immigration paperwork (if applicable)
13. Personal statement that provides the following: 1) Indication of your purpose for relocation to Indiana. 2) Any Unusual or special circumstances regarding your relocation. 3) Any relevant information not covered in the above categories.

More information about the required documentation can be found on the Applying for Residency Reclassification website.

Yes. All students should be prepared to pay their tuition as billed. If reclassification to a resident is granted the non-resident portion of the tuition and fees already paid will be refunded. This process is handled by the Bursar and questions about the timeline of refunds should be directed to their office.

No. Work obtained due to your status as a student (i.e., being a Teaching Assistant or an intern, etc.) would not qualify as a predominant purpose outside of education.

Graduate students classified as nonresidents who hold a graduate appointment are typically exempt from paying nonresident tuition and fees: however, this does not change your residency status. If you previously held a graduate appointment but do not for the semester you are enrolled in, you will be required to pay the nonresident portion of your tuition and fees.

A dependent student may be exempt from the 12-month requirement if the job was a required transfer. Taking a new job with a new company/organization does not meet the requirements of a required job transfer and would not qualify a student to be exempt from the 12-month permanent residence requirement.

If the parent is an employee of Purdue there may be an exemption to the 12-month requirement.

No. Do not wait to register for the semester in which you are seeking residency reclassification. You will pay at the rate of your current classification, and if you are granted a residency change any applicable overpayment will be refunded.

No. The alumni status of a parent or relative is not a factor in determining residence reclassification.

Potentially. If you/your parent(s) domicile in Indiana, as an employee of Purdue they, their spouse, and their dependents qualify for resident tuition beginning the first semester after the start of employment.

You must still apply for reclassification.

If you left Indiana for reasons such as a temporary employment reassignment (normally not to exceed 12 months) you may maintain resident status, provided you continued to maintain your permanent residence in Indiana while away from the state.

Requirements for establishing residency must be met prior to the first day of classes for the semester/session for which you are seeking reclassification.

No. The university’s definition of the term resident is different from the definitions developed by other non-University agencies. Purdue University does not recognize declarations of Resident status made by other agencies.

No. Although marriage to a resident of Indiana is one of the factors considered in the determination of predominant purpose, this factor does not necessarily mean the student meets the requirements for residency.

A student may be eligible for reclassification 12 months after the date of marriage to an Indiana resident. It is necessary to file a residency reclassification application and provide documentation to the Office of the Registrar. The student and spouse must both reside in Indiana for the duration of the 12 months.

A student who is dependent, and whose parents or legal guardians are legally divorced, legally separated, or never married, is eligible for resident status so long as one parent or legal guardian is a resident of the state of Indiana, as defined in the policy, and remains partially or wholly financially responsible for the dependent student.

Yes. Students who have already completed a residency reclassification application through the Residency Reclassification Portal and received a denial of their application from the Office of the Registrar can appeal that decision to the Residence Appeal Committee by contacting the Residency Office at residency@purdue.edu

The appeal must be filed within thirty (30) days after the original decision has been rendered. Failure to file an appeal within the specified time limit shall constitute a waiver of all claims to reconsideration for that academic session. The committee will review the original application and a written statement from the student. The decision of the committee in all cases is final. 

More information on the appeal process can be found in our Operating Procedures.

No, the University does not grant retroactive residency barring extenuating circumstances (e.g. University error in initial classification). If a student is granted a retroactive residency reclassification, it will not extend beyond one academic year. In all cases it is the responsibility of the student to know how they are classified for residency purposes.