Out-of-state students at the University of Utah are presented with an opportunity not many other states provide — establishing residency while enrolled in school. 

“Utah is one of the few states that allows this,” said Pamela Wagner, residency officer for the Office of Admissions, in an email interview. “It is a huge benefit for our out-of-state students.”

The process ensures that students are residents of the state of Utah for at least one year, by providing proof of physical presence in the state. That way students can gain access to the benefits in-state students enjoy, such as reduced tuition. 

“The U’s tuition structure is complex and the tuition rate depends on a variety of factors (of which residency is one),” said Anthony Jones, the executive director of Scholarships and Financial Aid at the U, in an email interview.

The U has a tuition and fees estimator which is meant to help both in-state and out-of-state students find an estimate of what they will be paying for tuition.

There are several key differences between being a resident of Utah, and being a non-resident and attending the U. Students who choose to forgo their residency in the state that they are from qualify for the in-state tuition price. According to the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, the average tuition cost for out-of-state students is $30,488, compared to the in-state price of $9,002 per year.

Jones said students who are curious about what they can expect to pay can look at the cost of attendance budgets that are “reasonable and appropriate estimates of the costs associated with pursuing a degree program at the U.”

Wagner explained how students can get more clarity on the residency process.

“If you are interested, we have live residency presentations via Zoom where we walk through the requirements for the Undergraduate Policy and answer questions from parents and students,” Wagner said.

Students can register for these sessions at the admissions website under Residency Information Sessions, where there is also a pre-recorded session available to view.

The homepage for the residency sector of university admissions contains information about how-tos and deadlines. There are deadlines for establishing domiciliary ties (May 1) and applying for reclassification of residency (July 1).

In order to better assist out-of-state students in the transition toward becoming Utah residents, the Office of Admissions has issued a checklist to keep students on track.

This process consists of six steps — the student must be in the state 12 months before, show they are actually in the state and establish domiciliary ties in Utah, such as obtaining a Utah driver’s license and registering to vote, by the deadline. The student then must file their taxes as an independent and complete a reclassification application for the university, along with all the documents needed. The final step is to monitor one’s Umail.

The website states that in addition to showing “proof of physical presence” in the state for 12 consecutive months, the student, “may not be absent from the state for more than a total of 29 days.”  

Physical presence can be proved by registration in classes, proof of employment in Utah, bank or credit card statements and other methods as determined by the state of Utah. This information, along with information about what does or does not count as proof of physical presence, can be found on the admissions website as well.

Aynaelyssya Thomas is an out-of-state first-year student who is originally from Medford, Oregon. She is currently undergoing the process to gain residency.

“It’s been hard not being able to go back home whenever I want, because I can only be out of the state for so many days,” Thomas said.

Wagner warns students about being aware of their days out of the state.

“Many students go over the 29 day out-of-state limit unintentionally or are claimed as tax dependents by out-of-state parents or guardians,” Wagner said. “We recommend that students read the requirements of the applicable residency policies carefully and make note of all of the necessary steps and documentation.”

Thomas explained the reason why she chose to stay in Utah rather than Oregon was the lack of job opportunities there. She said she has gained most of her knowledge about how to get residency simply by talking to friends and other students who have gone through the same thing.

Students must apply for residency on the Utah admissions website and are advised to monitor their university email account after applying for any further action.

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