Idaho Residency

Initial Determination of Residency Status

When you apply to the University of Idaho, the Admissions Office determines your status as a resident or non-resident for tuition purposes. If you are an incoming student and have questions about your residency, contact the Admissions Office.

Requesting a Change of Residency

A student who feels they meet the following qualifications for Idaho residency must submit an Idaho Residency Determination Worksheet and all supporting documentation.  The deadline for submission is the 10th day of the semester, although all qualifications must have been met before the beginning date of the semester.  The student is responsible for payment of fees by the first day of the semester; if Idaho residency is granted after this date, the difference in fees will be refunded to the student.

How Do I Become an Idaho Resident?

Following are the (lettered) options under which a student may qualify for Idaho residency; at least one of these options must be met. Under most of the options, the individual upon whom the residency is based must also prove establishment of domicile.

1. One or more parent(s)/legal guardian(s) of the student is a resident of the state of Idaho and provides at least 50% of the student's financial support (i.e. dependent). The parent(s)/legal guardian(s) must have maintained a bona fide domicile¹ in the state of Idaho for at least 12 months prior to the semester in which the student is applying for residency. [The parent/guardian must prove establishment of domicile.]
2. The student receives less than 50% financial support from their parent(s)/legal guardian(s) (i.e. non-dependent) and has continuously resided² in and maintained a bona fide domicile¹ in Idaho primarily for purposes other than education³ for at least 12 months prior to the semester in which the student is applying for residency. [The student must prove establishment of domicile.]
3. The student graduated from an accredited Idaho high school and immediately following, enrolled in an Idaho college or university and has continued to be and is presently enrolled in an Idaho college or university. [The student must prove continuous enrollment in an Idaho institution.]
4. The student is married to an Idaho resident. [The student's spouse must prove establishment of domicile if not a current resident student.]
5. The student is a member of the Armed Forces⁴ stationed in the state of Idaho on military orders.
6. The student is an officer or enlisted member in the Idaho National Guard.
7. One or more of the student's parent(s)/legal guardian(s) is a member of the Armed Forces⁴ stationed in the state of Idaho on military orders and provides at least 50% of the student's financial support (i.e. dependent).
8. The student is separated under honorable conditions from the Armed Forces⁴ after at least two years of service and at the time of separation designated the state of Idaho as their intended domicile or indicated Idaho as their home of record of service; and will be entering the university within one year of the date of separation, or who moves to Idaho for the purpose of establishing domicile; provided however, to maintain status as a resident student, such person must actively establish domicile in Idaho within one (1) year of matriculation in a public institution of higher education in Idaho. The dependent of a person who qualifies as a resident student under this paragraph and who receives at least fifty percent (50%) support from such person shall also be a resident student.
9. The student has been away from the state of Idaho less than 30 months, not including time spent at an out-of-state post-secondary institution, and has not established legal residence elsewhere; and the student continuously resided² in Idaho for at least 12 months immediately prior to departure. [Student must prove establishment of domicile for the period in Idaho.]
10. The student is a member of one of the following Native American tribes: (i) Coeur d'Alene; (ii) Shoshone-Paiute; (iii) Nez Perce; (iv)Shoshone-Bannock; or (v) Kootenai.

¹Domicile is an individual's permanent home; the place where they intend to remain and expect to return to when leaving without establishing a new home elsewhere.

²Continuously Resided consists of physical presence in the state of Idaho for 12 consecutive months without absences totaling more than 30 days.

³Primarily Educational Purposes is defined by a student being enrolled in more than 8 credit hours in any semester during the past 12 month period.

⁴Armed Forces is defined as United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Cost Guard; it does not include National Guard from states other than Idaho and other reserve forces.

How Does an Individual Establish Domicile in Idaho?

The individual must be physically present in Idaho primarily for purposes other than education.  If the individual is a student and has been enrolled for more than 8 credits at any time during the past 12 months, Idaho considers that primarily for educational purposes disqualifying them from Idaho residency, unless the student can rebut that presumption by proving establishment of domicile.  To establish domicile, the individual must have continuously resided² in Idaho for 12 consecutive months and have met one of the following criteria prior to the opening day of the semester for which the student is applying for residency:

1. Filing a full-year resident Idaho state income tax return (current year) OR
2. Maintained permanent, full-time employment in the state of Idaho for at least 12 months OR
3. Student has owned their own living quarters for at least 12 months.  (This applies only to students who are basing residency on themselves; does not apply when residency is based on parent/legal guardian.) OR
4. Establishment of 5 of the following 7 factors; each factor must have been done for at least 12 months prior to the semester which the student is applying for residency:
   
   1. Registration and payment of Idaho taxes or fees on a motor vehicle, motor home, travel trailer, or other item of personal property for which state registration and the payment of a state tax or fee is required;
   2. Registration to vote for state elected officials in Idaho at a general election;
   3. Holding an Idaho driver's license or Idaho state-issued ID card;
   4. Evidence of abandonment of previous domicile;
   5. Presence of household goods in Idaho (living in University housing cannot be used as a factor);
   6. Establishment of accounts with Idaho financial institutions;
   7. Other similar factors indicating intent to be domiciled in Idaho and maintenance of such domicile.  Factors may include but are not limited to enrollment of dependent children in Idaho primary or secondary schools, establishment of acceptance or an offer of permanent employment for self in Idaho, or documented need to care for a relative in Idaho.

*Special note for students currently participating in Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE)— WUE has been classified as financial assistance provided by another state or agency thereof, and therefore is a disqualifying factor for Idaho residency.  This is described in section 2 of the Idaho Residency Law.

Supporting Documentation

The following information is a guide to ensuring all required documentation is submitted with a residency application.  Remember that ALL documentation must be in the name of the person on which the residency is being based.  Documentation is required only for those questions that apply to the situation of the applicant.  All documentation must be submitted with the Idaho Residency Determination Worksheet  from the student.

PART II

Option A: applicant must document dependency via copy of tax return (first page only unless included as Part IV Idaho tax return noted below) of parent/legal guardian

Option B: applicants under 25 must document non-dependency via tax return (first page only) of parent/legal guardian

Option C: medical and veterinary school applicants must include a (unofficial) transcript from their Idaho post-secondary institution to document full enrollment period

Option I: if time out of state includes enrollment in a post-secondary institution, include a (unofficial) transcript to document full enrollment period

PART IV

Income Tax Return: must be the Idaho state tax form, not a federal tax form (supplemental forms not required, only two-page Idaho return)

Employment:

• Current pay stub and a pay stub from 12 months ago; the pay stubs must show hours worked and date range for pay OR
• Statement from employer confirming hours worked per week and length of employment

Home Ownership: Note: leasing or renting is not ownership

• Dated purchase agreement OR
• Property tax bill(s) covering at least 12 months

PART V

Motor Vehicle Registration: Current vehicle registration (part kept in vehicle, not the title)

Voter Registration:

• Original voter registration application confirming registration date OR
• Statement from Voter Registration Office confirming registration date (the card mailed confirming voting location does not confirm registration date)

Driver's License: Current Idaho driver's license or state ID card

Abandonment of Previous Domicile:

• Deed of sale of prior home OR
• Moving expenses bill with date, rental location, and return date and location OR
• Letter from prior landlord/rental agency confirming location of rental and date moved away from

Household Goods:

• Property tax statement (if home is owned) OR
• Lease agreement for rental (multiple agreements may need to be provided to document past 12 months); note: University housing cannot count as a factor of domicile

Banking:

• Current bank statement and a statement from 12 months ago; statements must be for same bank account and have address of customer OR
• Letter from bank confirming date account established and customer address

Dependent Children School Enrollment: Letter from school confirming dates of enrollment of child

Care of Relative: Letter from physician confirming care requirements