Financial Dependence Residency Review

Submission of the documentation listed is necessary for the Residency Office to review your questionnaire. You may require additional documentation or clarification in order to determine whether you meet the requirements showing qualification for residency for tuition purposes. Submitting the Residency Questionnaire, checklist, and any supporting documentation does not guarantee residency for tuition purposes.

Students are financially dependent if they are:

• claimed as dependents on their parent’s/legal guardian’s tax forms for the last year, or receive significant financial support* during the current or previous calendar year.
• has spent at least seventy-five percent of both junior and senior years in high school in this state, who has at least one parent or legal guardian who had been domiciled in the state for a period of at least one year within the five-year period before the student graduates from high school, and who has enrolled in an institution within six months of leaving high school. The student shall retain resident student status so long as the student remains continuously enrolled for three quarters or two semesters in any calendar year.
• Example: Fall 2022 starts on 8/22/22. To be eligible for Fall 2022 residency, the parent must move to Washington state no later than 8/22/21.

Domicile Requirement

Residency for Tuition Purposes requires three basic actions from the parent/legal guardian:

• Move to or live in Washington state for reasons other than education, AND
• Establish a domicile. Surrender previous state documents and obtain Washington documents, including identification, voter registration (if desired), and vehicle registration (if you drive), AND
• Wait 12 months from the date of moving to Washington or the date of last action to establish a domicile, whichever is later.

Students are considered financially dependent when they are claimed on someone else’s federal income taxes and/or they receive more than half of their support from another person. The residency of a financially dependent student is based on the domicile of the student’s parent/step-parent or legal guardian, not the domicile of the student. It does not matter where the student lives. It is possible for a student to be considered a resident in more than one state when parents are separated or divorced.

Note: If you are 24 years of age or younger, you will need to demonstrate that you are NOT claimed on your parent’s/legal guardian’s taxes by submitting a copy of the first page of their tax return.

*Significant financial assistance is usually defined as more than what the student provides through their income.