Financial Independence Requirement

On May 15, 1992, The Board of Regents adopted changes in the requirements for resident status for tuition purposes. The changes will not affect students who are financially dependent upon California resident parents or those students who were admitted to and attended a regular session at a UC campus prior to Fall 1993. As of Fall semester 1993, students will be required to demonstrate financial independence in addition to meeting the physical presence and intent requirements when seeking resident classification for tuition purposes.

You may be considered "financially independent" if you:

a) are at least 24 years of age by December 31 of the year you request residence classification;

b) are a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces;

c) are a ward of the court or both of your parents are deceased;

d) have legal dependents other than a spouse;

e) is married or a graduate student¹, and will not be claimed as an income tax deduction by your parents or any other individual for the tax year immediately preceding the request for resident classification; or

f) is a single undergraduate student, and was not claimed by his or her parents or any other individual for the two years immediately preceding the request for resident classification, and demonstrates self-sufficiency for those two years and the current year.

¹The financial independence requirement will not be a factor in determining residence status for graduate student instructors, graduate student teaching assistants, research assistants, junior specialists, post-graduate researchers, graduate student researchers, and teaching associates who are employed at UC for 49% or more of full time (or awarded the equivalent in University-administered funds, e.g. grants, stipends, fellowships) in the term for which resident classification is sought.

NOTE:  The financial independence criteria for establishing residency classification is different from and does not affect independent or dependent status for Financial Aid purposes.

NONRESIDENT UNDERGRADUATES: The process of obtaining California residency for tuition purposes is extremely difficult for undergraduates with nonresident parents (this includes transfer students from community colleges and other post-secondary institutions within California). Virtually all nonresident undergraduates with nonresident parents remain nonresidents for the duration of their undergraduate career at the University.