Residency Operating Procedures
Understand how residency classification is determined for tuition purposes and what to do if you need to request a change in residency status.
About These Operating Procedures
The operating procedures listed below supplement the Purdue University policy on Residence Classification of Students for Tuition Purposes (II.D.1). Refer to the policy for contact information and applicable definitions.
Responsible office: Office of the Registrar, West Lafayette
Effective date: Aug. 1, 2017
Updated: June 30, 2025
Determining Your Residency Classification
A university official determines your residency classification and considers your individual situation. It’s your responsibility to know your residency classification.
A residency classification decision may consider contributing conditions such as the items listed below. No single condition guarantees you’ll be classified as a resident.
Contributing conditions may include:
- Non-academic reasons for coming to Indiana and abandoning a previous permanent residence
- Indiana driver’s license and automobile registration in Indiana
- Reliance on Indiana sources of income and/or paying Indiana income tax
- Acceptance of an offer of permanent employment in Indiana
- A significant change in family circumstances that affects you or an immediate family member you permanently live with and requires relocation to Indiana
- Immigration status
- Graduation from an Indiana high school and one parent living in Indiana
- Parents are divorced, legally separated or never married and one parent (who remains financially responsible for you) lives in Indiana
- Student/spouse/parent is a university employee (as defined in the policy) and lives in Indiana
Request a Change from Nonresident to Resident
Purdue presumes an initial nonresident classification is accurate unless sufficient evidence supports a change to resident. Your nonresident status remains in effect unless and until enough documentation is provided and your request is approved.
Key expectations include:
- The burden of proof of resident status is on you (the student).
- Here in the Registrar’s Office, we review reclassification applications and make a decision.
- You must provide all requested documentation by the stated deadlines before a decision can be made.
- Requests must be submitted using the appropriate application form to be reviewed.
Report a Change That Could Affect Resident Status
If you’re currently classified as a resident, you must notify us of any change that might prevent you from continuing to meet the definition of resident.
Examples include:
- A change in your permanent residence (if independent), or your parent/legal guardian’s permanent residence (if dependent).
- A change by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in your resident or immigration status.
Appeal a Residency Reclassification Decision
If you completed a residency reclassification application through the Residency Reclassification Portal and disagree with the decision, you may appeal. Denials due to documentation not being submitted by stated deadlines cannot be appealed.
Appeal Deadline
Submit your appeal within 30 calendar days after the original decision was rendered. Missing the deadline waives reconsideration for that academic term.
Appeal Committee Decision
Consistent with the intent and purpose of the policy, the Residence Appeal Committee may uphold or reverse the decision. The committee may classify a student as a resident within the general scope of the policy, and the decision is final.
REGIONAL CAMPUS CONTACTS
If you attend a Purdue regional campus, contact your Registrar’s Office to begin the appeal process.