Frequently Asked Questions

A residence policy is a set of guidelines that determines a student’s tuition and fee rate. A resident student pays in-state tuition, which is lower than out-of-state (no-nresident) or international tuition. Students who can prove that they are residents of a state — according to those guidelines — pay less tuition and fees than non-resident students.

As a public institution, Purdue University receives funding from the State of Indiana. Resident students pay less tuition and fees than non-resident students because they or their families have paid taxes that contribute to Purdue’s state funding.

Information provided by students during the admission application process determines their residency status. A student’s residency is determined when the student is admitted to the university by either the Office of Admissions (for undergraduates and non-degree), Graduate School (for graduate studies), College of Pharmacy (for Doctor of Pharmacy), or College of Veterinary Medicine (for Doctor of Veterinary Medicine).

No, if you live outside of Indiana you cannot quality for in-state tuition. Purdue West Lafayette (PWL) does not have any reciprocity agreements (agreements between bordering states to offer in-state tuition or tuition discounts).

However, some of the Polytechnic Statewide campuses as well as Purdue Fort Wayne (PFW) do offer reciprocity agreements. If you attend one of these campuses, please contact your Registrar’s office for more information on residency classification.

Qualified service members (or their dependents) who are admitted to Purdue University and meet certain requirements may be eligible for resident status for tuition and fee purposes. The resident status criteria, as well as the application, can be found here. Questions about eligibility for military personnel should be directed to the Veteran and Military Success Center at (765) 494-7638 or dogtags@purdue.edu.

If you wish to be considered for reclassification for both your citizenship status and your resident status, then you should file a residency reclassification application in addition to the Change of Citizenship Status form.

If you only want to change your status from international to permanent resident you need to file a Change of Citizenship Status form. This will automatically adjust your resident status from international to non-resident.

We do not consider any time spent out-of-state as a student against you as long as you return to Indiana within one year following your last enrollment or graduation, and provided you continued to maintain your permanent residence in Indiana while away from the state.

No. A student may submit a residency reclassification application at the beginning of the first semester after the Domicile and Predominant Purpose requirements have been met, but no later than 15 business days after the first day of classes of the academic semester/session for which reclassification is sought.

No. Applications are only reviewed for the current semester/session. Additionally, a student must maintain enrollment in the semester/session during which they are seeking residency reclassification to qualify.

For the summer term, a student must be enrolled (and maintain enrollment) in at least one course to qualify for residency reclassification.

Yes. The state of Indiana determines the requirements for becoming a legal resident of the state for specific purposes such as obtaining a driver's license, identification card, voter registration, etc. However, the state legislature has delegated to Indiana's institutions of higher education the responsibility of determining when a person becomes eligible for resident student status for tuition and fees purposes.

Purdue’s definition of the term resident is different from the definitions developed by other non-university agencies. Purdue University does not recognize declarations of resident status made by other agencies.

For example, a person who is an Indiana resident for tax or voting purposes may not qualify as a resident for Purdue University’s tuition and fees purposes. People who live in Indiana for the main purpose of education are considered non-residents for tuition and fees paying purposes at the university.

No. People who are in Indiana for the main purpose of education do not become eligible for resident status for tuition and fees on the basis of paying taxes to the state.

The two ways to qualify for classification as a resident for tuition purposes are:

1. As a dependent student: Your parent(s) or legal g­­­uardian(s) remain(s) partially or wholly financially responsible for you and/or you are being claimed as a dependent on someone else’s personal income taxes and your parent(s) satisfies the permanent residence requirement in Indiana prior to the first day of the academic semester/session for which resident classification is sought. The move to Indiana must be predominantly for reasons other than to enable you to gain resident status for tuition and fees purposes. If your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) is(are) married both parent(s)/spouse(s) must reside in Indiana.
2. As an independent student: You are responsible for your own financial needs and have not been dependent upon your parent or legal guardian for financial support for at least 12 consecutive months and cannot be claimed as a dependent on anyone else’s personal income taxes and have been a permanent resident in Indiana for at least 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the first day of classes of the academic session for which resident reclassification is sought. Your permanent residence must be established for a predominant purpose other than attending an institution of higher education.

Applications are read in the order they are received. An application is not considered ready until all initial documentation has been submitted. The Residency Office aims to have a response within the semester a student applies; however, a variety of factors can affect this timeline. Students will receive updates via their Purdue email.

The student must permanently reside in Indiana for 12 consecutive months for a primary purpose other than attending an institution of higher education to establish residency for tuition and fees purposes. The 12 months must be met prior to the first day of classes of the academic semester/session for which residence reclassification is sought. Either the date of move or the date the previous permanent residence is abandoned (sale of home/termination of lease), whichever is later, will be used to calculate the beginning of the 12-month period.

Exceptions to the 12-month establishment of permanent residence may apply to dependent students.

Either the date when your previous permanent residence is abandoned or the date the Indiana permanent residence was acquired, whichever is later. This would be either the date listed on the bill of sale or the termination of a lease.

Additionally, for dependent students whose parents are legally married, the 12-month period begins when both parents reside in Indiana. For married, independent students, the 12-month period begins when both the student and the spouse reside in Indiana.

No. It is necessary to file a residency reclassification application and provide the required supporting documents to the Office of the Registrar.

Students who want to request a review of their non-resident status should submit the residency reclassification application and all required supporting documentation to the Office of the Registrar for their campus no later than 15 business days after the first day of classes. Students must be enrolled (and maintain enrollment) in the semester/session in which they are seeking reclassification.

All applications are reviewed in the order that they are received. If the file is not complete, including if any requested additional documentation is still needed, a decision will not be rendered at that time. The student will be notified by email of the final decision or with a request for any additional information that may be needed.

Purdue West Lafayette, Indianapolis, and Polytechnic Statewide Students
All Residence Reclassification applications for Purdue West Lafayette and Polytechnic Statewide students must be submitted through the Slate portal using your Boiler Key login information.

Purdue University Fort Wayne and Purdue University Northwest students
Please visit your campus websites for more information and a link to your specific Residence Form.

Examples of documentation that may be required during the residence reclassification process include, but are not limited to:

1. Immigration paperwork (if applicable)
2. Driver's license/State issued ID
3. Vehicle registration (if applicable)
4. Most recent signed state and federal income tax returns
5. Most recent W-2
6. Employment records including a statement from current employer outlining work dates (hire date, ending date) and modality
7. Most recent paystub
8. Professional licensing documentation (if applicable)
9. Dated rental agreement, purchase agreement or 1098 tax form
10. Divorce decree (if applicable)
11. Statement from a health care provider (if applicable)
12. Proof of abandonment of previous permanent residence. Either bill of sale or termination of lease agreement.
13. Personal statement that provides the following: 1) Indication of your purpose for relocation to Indiana. 2) Any Unusual or special circumstances regarding your relocation. 3) Any relevant information not covered in the above categories.

If a student is applying as a dependent and their parents remain legally married, then documentation for both parents must be submitted. By filling out a residency reclassification application, the student is agreeing to submit any requested documentation in a timely manner. Failure to upload initial documentation will result in the denial of the residency reclassification request.

Yes. All students should be prepared to pay their tuition as billed. If reclassification to a resident is granted the non-resident portion of the tuition and fees already paid will be refunded. This process is handled by the Bursar and questions about the timeline of refunds should be directed to their office.

No. Work obtained due to your status as a student (i.e., being a Teaching Assistant or an intern, etc.) would not qualify as a predominant purpose outside of education.

A dependent student may be exempt from the 12-month requirement if the job was a required transfer. Taking a new job with a new company/organization does not meet the requirements of a required job transfer and would not qualify a student to be exempt from the 12-month permanent residence requirement.

No. Do not wait to register for the semester in which you are seeking residency reclassification. You will pay at the rate of your current classification, and if you are granted a residency change any applicable overpayment will be refunded.

No. The alumni status of a parent or relative is not a factor in determining residence reclassification.

No. If you or your parent(s) are employees at Purdue, that does not automatically qualify you for resident status.

If you left Indiana for reasons such as a temporary employment reassignment (normally not to exceed four years) you may maintain resident status, provided you continued to maintain your permanent residence in Indiana while away from the state.

Requirements for establishing residency must be met prior to the first day of classes for the semester/session for which you are seeking reclassification.

No. The university’s definition of the term resident is different from the definitions developed by other non-University agencies. Purdue University does not recognize declarations of Resident status made by other agencies.

No. Although marriage to a resident of Indiana is one of the factors considered in the determination of predominant purpose, this factor does not necessarily mean the student meets the requirements for residency.

A student may be eligible for reclassification 12 months after the date of marriage to an Indiana resident. It is necessary to file a residency reclassification application and provide documentation to the Office of the Registrar. The student and spouse must both reside in Indiana for the duration of the 12 months.

A student who is dependent, and whose parents or legal guardians are no longer legally married, is eligible for resident status so long as one parent or legal guardian is a resident of the state of Indiana, as defined in the policy, and remains partially or wholly financially responsible for the dependent student.

Yes. Students who have already completed a residency reclassification application through the Slate portal and received a denial of their application from the Office of the Registrar can appeal that decision to the Residence Appeal Committee by contacting the Residency Office at residency@purdue.edu

The appeal must be filed within thirty (30) days after the original decision has been rendered. Failure to file an appeal within the specified time limit shall constitute a waiver of all claims to reconsideration for that academic session. The committee will review the original application and a written statement from the student. The decision of the committee in all cases is final.

If an appeal is filed, the student will be notified about the Committee’s decision via their Purdue email. The decision of the committee in all cases is final.