Eligibility Requirements For The Military Waiver Of Nonresident Supplemental Tuition
For Members of the Military (Active duty military members do not include National Guard, or reserve members.)
As an active duty member, you may be eligible for an exemption while continuously enrolled, during which time you must fulfill Federal Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) requirements in order to maintain waiver eligibility. If at any time you wish to become a Resident for Tuition Purposes, you must take steps to establish California residency one year prior to the semester you wish to be classified as a resident. After which, you must file an online classification petition with the Office of the Registrar to determine if you to qualify for resident classification.
The student must meet all of the following requirements. You:
- must be on active military duty[1] in California for a period of more than 30 days on or during the residence determination date of the term for which the exemption is requested;
AND
- whose domicile or permanent duty station is in California.
The student must provide the following:
- A statement from her/his commanding officer or personnel officer indicating the specific date of his assignment to California.
[1]Active duty military members do not include National Guard or reserve members.
For Spouses, Registered Domestic Partners, or Dependent Children of Military Personnel
If you are a student who is a dependent natural or adopted child, stepchild, spouse or registered domestic partner of a member of the armed forces of the United Sates who is stationed in CA on active duty, you may be entitled to a resident classification. If, while you are in attendance at UC, the member of the armed forces is (a) transferred outside California where s/he continues to serve on active duty, you will not lose your exemption while continuously enrolled or (b) is retired from active duty, you will not lose your exemption until you have resided in the state the minimum time necessary to become a resident (366 days). Financial independence will not be a requirement and the waiver is available to all children who are dependents for federal income tax purposes; it is not limited to minors.
Requirements:
The student must be the dependent of a member of the armed forces who:
- is stationed in California on active duty on the residence determination date, or
- after serving in California on active duty has been transferred outside California where he continues to serve, or
- has retired from active duty immediately after serving in California.
The student must provide the following:
- A statement from the military member’s commanding officer or personnel officer indicating the specific date(s) of the member’s assignment to California:
- Child: must provide documentation that indicates dependent status (e.g. tax forms, military records, etc.).
- Spouse or Registered Domestic Partner: must also provide documentation verifying marital/partner and dependent status (e.g. marriage certificate, tax forms, military records, etc.). Domestic Partners must provide documentation of registered partner status, as well as dependent status.
For Former Members of the Military
If you are an Undergraduate or Graduate or Professional student and a former active duty member of the military you may be exempt from Nonresident Supplemental Tuition if you:
- were stationed in California;
- were on active duty;
- for more than one year (366 days) immediately prior to being discharged from the military.
You may be eligible for an exemption for the length of time you lived in the state after being discharged up to the minimum time necessary to become a resident.
Sometimes students believe they will continue to pay resident fees as long as they take steps to become a California resident any time during the waiver period. This is NOT correct. If you wait to establish California residence, you delay the earliest time we can classify you as a resident. Be sure to plan ahead so that you take steps to establish California residence a full year before you lose eligibility for the waiver. Refer to the "How to Establish Residency" page.
NOTICE: This summation is not a complete explanation of the laws regarding residence. Additional information is available from the Office of the Registrar. Changes may be made in the residence requirements between the publication date of this statement and the relevant residence determination date.