For Members of the Military
  For Spouses, Registered Domestic Partners, or Dependent Children of Military Personnel
  Important Imformation

 
For Members of the Military

You must be stationed in California on active duty when you begin school and you must not be stationed here for purposes of enrolling in a state-supported school. Additionally, you must have been in California less than one year when you start school.

After you have been in California for one year, you become ineligible for the waiver. Therefore, to avoid paying nonresident tuition when the waiver period ends, it is very important that you take steps to establish California residence when you first move to California (your indicia of intent must be dated at least one year prior to the applicable semester).

Such steps would include, but not limited to, changing your State of Legal Residence on your military records, registering to vote and voting, obtaining a California driver's license and vehicle registration and paying taxes as a California resident.

For Spouses, Registered Domestic Partners, or Dependent Children of Military Personnel

The military member of your family must still be stationed in California on active duty when you begin school. If he or she is transferred from California, is discharged, or retires before you begin school, you will not normally be eligible for the waiver.

If you are the child of a military member, you must be his or her dependent; i.e., you must be claimed as a dependent for federal income tax purposes.

Adult children, spouses, and registered domestic partners may only receive the waiver the first year they are in California. Children under age 18 can receive the waiver up to their 19th birthdays.

To avoid paying nonresident fees when the waiver period ends, it is very important that you take steps to establish California residence when you first move to California (or when you turn 18, if you are a minor). Such steps would include, but not limited to, registering to vote in CA and voting, obtaining a California driver's license and vehicle registration, paying taxes as a resident of California, remaining in California during nonacademic periods, using a California permanent address on all records, etc.

Important Information

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 Legal Residence Information and Establishing Legal Residence for Tuition Purposes or see the Residence Affairs Officer for more details.