Tuition Classification for Current Students

The information on this website is considered to be general guidance and is not legal advice. Refer to the  to view the actual law.

Changing Your Residency

If you are currently classified as a nonresident, but you will qualify for Colorado residency for a future semester, complete the petition process and submit all required documentation by the petition deadline.

Who Can Petition for Residency

To be eligible to petition for Colorado residency as an adult student, you must have:

  • Been living in Colorado for at least one year
  • Established verifiable ties to Colorado

You must also be one of the following:

 

  • At least 23 years of age prior to the first day of classes
  • Married for at least one year prior to the first day of classes
  • A second-year graduate student

Learn more about qualifying as an adult student 

To be eligible to petition for Colorado residency as a dependent student using your parent or guardian's residency information:

  • Your parent or guardian must have been living in Colorado for at least one year and have established verifiable ties to Colorado.
  • You must be younger than 23 years of age on the first day of classes.

Learn more about qualifying as a dependent student â€‹

To be eligible to petition for Colorado residency as an emancipated student, you must:

  • Be financially and residentially independent
  • Have lived in Colorado for at least one year
  • Have established verifiable ties to Colorado

Learn more about qualifying as an emancipated student â€‹

To be eligible to petition for Colorado residency as an international student using an adultparent or emancipation petition, you must:

  • Be a nonimmigrant alien who has resided in Colorado for purposes other than education for at least one year
  • Not be a nonimmigrant in category F-1, F-2, H-3, H-4 (if the visa holder is the spouse or child of an H-3), J-1 or J-2 (if the J-1 visa holder is a student or trainee), M-1 and M-2 (the nonimmigrant categories subject to this provision are determined by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education)

Due to the unique situations and statutory changes related to issues of international study and immigration, we encourage international students to email tuitclass@colorado.edu for specific information. Please include your full name, student ID and current visa type to assist in our response to you.

In rare cases, the following students may qualify for a domicile exception for tuition classification purposes:

  • ASSET students
  • Graduate students in the Western Regional Graduate Program
  • Members of the Colorado National Guard, active duty military members and honorably discharged veterans residing in Colorado
  • Special immigrants and refugees
  • U.S. Olympic athletes

Additional exceptions are available for dependents of qualified military, new faculty and other unique situations.

Learn more about qualifying for a domicile exception â€‹

Upcoming Petition Deadlines

If a semester isn't listed below, then the deadline to petition for that semester has passed. To view past submission deadlines, see the academic calendar for that semester.

CU Boulder TermDomicile
Qualifying Date*
Earliest Petition
Submission Date
Petition
Submission Deadline
Winter/Spring 2025Jan. 12, 2024Oct. 1, 2024Friday, Dec. 13, 2024
Summer 2025 (May-Aug.)May 11, 2024March 3, 2025Friday, May 2, 2025
Fall 2025August 20, 2024March 3, 2025Friday, July 18, 2025
Winter/Spring 2026January 7, 2025Oct. 1, 2025Friday, Dec. 12, 2025
Summer 2026May 3, 2025March 2, 2026Friday, May 1, 2026
Fall 2026August 19, 2025March 2, 2026Friday, July 10, 2026

*The domicile qualifying date is the date by which you must have established your permanent residence in Colorado to qualify to petition for the corresponding term.