Residency

A student seeking to pay in-state tuition at a California State University campus as a first-time freshman, transfer student, or post-baccalaureate/graduate student must:

• Have an eligible immigration status to establish residency,
• Be physically present in California by the Residence Determination Date (RDD), and
• Demonstrate intent to remain in California indefinitely

These requirements must be met more than one year immediately preceding the Residence Determination Date.

If the student is under the age of 19 (with limited exceptions​), the student’s residency status is derived from the parent’s or from that of the legal guardian.

1. Physical Presence. The student or parent/guardian must be physically present in California for more than one year immediately preceding the Residence Determination Date in which enrollment is contemplated. For example, if a student plans to attend the CSU for the Fall 2026 academic term, and the Residence Determination Date for that term is September 20, 2026, the student must establish physical presence in California no later than September 19, 2025.
2. Intent. California law stipulates the burden of proof rests with the student, and merely living in California for a year does not support a claim for residency for tuition purposes. The student, or in some cases a parent or legal guardian, must demonstrate intent to remain indefinitely in the state for more than one year immediately preceding the Residence Determination Date (RDD) and sever all residential ties with the former state or country of residence. If the student is under the age of 19, the student's residence status is derived from that of the parent or legal guardian unless an exception applies. There must be sufficient documentation to demonstrate that intent was established more than one year (a minimum of one year and one day) before the RDD
3. Eligible Immigration Status. A student seeking to pay in-state tuition at a California State University campus as a first-time freshman, transfer, or post-baccalaureate/graduate student must have an eligible immigration status to establish residency. Therefore, the student must be a United States citizen, a permanent resident (Green Card holder), or hold an eligible visa status (see Visa Types and Nonimmigrant Status).

Documents Required:

A minimum of three documents is required. At least one document must be from list A, and the remaining documents may be selected from either List A or List B.

Options to meet the requirement:

• Option 1: One document from list A and two documents from List B
• Option 2: Two documents from list A and one document from List B
• Option 3: All three documents from list A (for example, CA driver's license, CA vehicle registration, and CA Voter Registration card)

Please note: Additional documents may be requested in addition to the documents listed in List A and B to determine the residence status            

List A Supporting Documents

• California State Income Tax Return
• Ownership of residential property as a primary residence in California (must meet RDD)
• Continuous occupancy of rented or leased property in California (must meet RDD)
• Obtaining a California Driver's License or Identification Card (must meet RDD)
• Registering To Vote and Voting history (must meet RDD)
• Registering a Motor Vehicle Operated in California (must meet RDD)
• Permanent Military Address or Home of Record on Military Records
• Receipt of California state services (e.g., unemployment, disability, CalFresh) (must meet RDD)
• Payment of non-resident tuition at an out-of-state institution if attended within the past year

List B Supporting Documents

• Federal Income Tax Return with a California address
• Utility bill (e.g., cell phone, gas, electrical) with same California address (must meet RDD, and only one utility bill will be accepted)
• Maintaining Active Resident Memberships in Professional Organizations (e.g., police union, teacher's union) (must meet RDD)
• Maintaining an Active Bank Account with a California address (must meet RDD)
• Employment in California (e.g., verification of employment, W-2, pay stubs) (must meet RDD)
• Vehicle insurance with a California address (student must be listed in the policy) (must meet RDD)
• Selective Service Registration with a California address
• Court documents (e.g., ward of the court, divorce decree, or child support)

A student classified as a nonresident for a prior term may seek reclassification in any subsequent term; however, reclassification requires that, in addition to satisfying the requirements of eligible immigration status, physical presence, and intent to remain indefinitely in the state, the student may also need to satisfy the requirement of financial independence as outlined in Title 5 CCR § 41905.5. The student must contact the appropriate person in the campus admissions office, complete the approved Residence Questionnaire Form, and provide supporting documents.

Reclassification: Financial Independence Requirement

• A nonresident student requesting reclassification to a resident for tuition purposes will be required to demonstrate financial independence if they do not meet one of the criteria below.
• Student has not and will not be claimed as an exemption for state and federal tax purposes by the student’s parent in the calendar year the reclassification application is made and in any of the three calendar years prior to the reclassification application
• Student has not and will not receive more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750) per year in financial assistance from their parent in the calendar year the reclassification application is made and in any of the three calendar years prior to the reclassification application
• Student has not lived and will not live for more than six weeks in the home of their parent during the calendar year the reclassification application is made and in any of the three calendar years prior to the reclassification application

If the student meets at least one of the following criteria, the student does not have to meet the financial independence requirement. Student must provide the campus admissions office supporting documents (e.g., state income tax returns, court documents, marriage certificate, military order form) that demonstrate they meet the criteria.

• Dependent on a parent who has California residence for more than one year immediately preceding the residence determination date;
• Enrolled in a graduate or post‐baccalaureate program, regardless of age;
• Turned 24 years of age by the residence determination date;
• Married or registered domestic partner as of the residence determination date;
• Active-duty members serving in the US Armed Forces
• Veteran of the US Armed Forces
• Legal dependent other than spouse or registered domestic partner
• Former ward of the court, foster youth or both parents are deceased
• Declared by a court to be an emancipated minor
• Unaccompanied youth who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless

Example 1: If a student married in 2024, in order to meet the financial independence criteria, the student must have been married by September 20, 2024 (Fall Residence Determination Date). Document required: Marriage certificate.

Example 2: If a student turns 24 years of age in 2024, the student must turn 24 by September 20, 2024 (Fall Residence Determination Date).  Documents required: California ID/Driver’s license.

To request reclassification, please submit the CSU Residence Questionnaire Form

Students not classified as California residents for tuition purposes may qualify for an exception or an exemption from payment of nonresident tuition. A list of exceptions can be found on the CSU website.

 Below are Common Exceptions

• AB 540/2000/SB68 (California Nonresident Tuition Exemption)
• Military: Exemptions available for to active personnel, their dependents, or to recently discharged military personnel

The CSU is deeply committed to ensuring academic opportunities are available to all the state’s students, regardless of citizenship status.

CSU Resources for Undocumented Students

If you are undocumented, the CSU has many resources available; please refer to the Resources for Undocumented Students website. In addition, our campus has dedicated staff to help you navigate the campus and provide you with resources to succeed. Please visit our Dream Center website for additional information.

California Nonresident Tuition Exemption (AB 540 Exemption)

Nonresident students (including US citizens, permanent residents, and undocumented individuals, including students with a T visa U visa, DACA, asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile visa holder, VAWA, or TPS) may be exempted from paying nonresident tuition (out-of-state tuition). Students seeking the AB 540 Exemption must satisfy attendance and graduation/transfer requirements from a California school (e.g., K-12, adult school, and community college). Students must have a CSU California Nonresident Tuition Exemption Request form (AB 540 form) with official transcripts on file with the campus admissions office and remain classified as nonresidents.

NOTE: Students who qualify for this exemption may also be eligible to apply for and receive funds from certain state and institutional financial assistance programs through the California Dream Act.

California Nonresident Tuition Exemption Request (AB540/AB200)
Students who do not meet the requirements for California resident status by may qualify

CSU Residence Questionnaire Form
Correct reported residency information or request a residence reclassification to California resident status.

The appeals process is intended to ensure state-mandated policy is applied correctly and consistently; it is not designed to grant exceptions. Students are encouraged to review Residency Requirements for Tuition Purposes before submitting an appeal.

While there is no appeal process for the AB540 / AB2000 / SB68 exemption, a student may submit an online appeal of their residence classification within 30 days ONLY if the appeal meets the requirements outlined below.

Any student, following a final campus decision concerning the student’s residency determination, may appeal online to the Chancellor’s Office of the California State University within 30 calendar days of the issuance of the notification of the final campus decision.

Appeal Requirements

Appeals will be accepted only if at least one of the following applies:

1. The decision to classify as a nonresident was based on an error made by the CSU, including:
   1. a significant error of fact by the campus;
   2. a significant procedural error by the campus; or
   3. an incorrect application of law which, if corrected, would require that the student be reclassified as a California resident; and/or,
2. Significant new information, not previously known or available to the student, became available after the date of the campus decision classifying the student as a nonresident and based on the new information, the classification as a nonresident is incorrect. 

A student must explain why the appeal meets one or more of the above appeal criteria and provide relevant supporting documentation.

Appeals based solely on disagreement with the campus decision and that do not meet the above criteria will not be accepted. Appeals that fail to provide a clear explanation, fully supported by relevant documentation, will be rejected.

Appeal Rejection Criteria

An appeal will be rejected IF it:

• is not within 30 calendar days
• does not include the campus notification (denial letter) of the student’s final residency status and/or documentation that supports the basis of the appeal
• is used to correct student errors (e.g., the student checked the incorrect box on the CSU Residency Questionnaire form)
• is not submitted online. Students with a documented disability may contact residencyappeals@calstate.edu for assistance with submission.
• contains attachments that are in a format other than PDF or Microsoft Word format or the appeal is submitted via email, fax, or U.S. mail

After the appeal is accepted for review, the California State University Chancellor’s Office requests information from the campus. The campus will provide the Chancellor’s Office residency appeals staff with a copy of the student’s file and any documents related to the denial of residency.

Instructions to Submit an Appeal:

For detailed instructions on how to file a residency appeal, please refer to the How to File a Residency Appeal (PDF)

• Living in California for 12 months is not an automatic qualification for California residency for tuition purposes. You must prove through official and/or legal documents that you have moved to California permanently and are not merely living in California temporarily while you attend California State University, however long your course of study may take.
• Legal ties that you maintain in another state or country (e.g., state tax liability, a driver’s license, voter’s registration, etc.), regardless of your reasons for maintaining these ties, will disqualify you from California residency for tuition purposes.
• For students requesting residence reclassification, evidence that you are receiving financial support from your parents in any way, either directly (e.g. tuition payments, parent PLUS loans, etc.) or indirectly (e.g., parent-purchased or co-purchased residences, parent-controlled financial portfolios), will disqualify you from California residency for tuition purposes.
• Any documents received after the last day of the term will be processed for the following term.
• It is the responsibility of the students to verify all fee balances prior to the start of the term. Out-of-state tuition will be charged if the student did not meet the residency or non-resident Tuition Exemption (AB540). If a student paid out-of-state tuition in previous terms, the CSU cannot grant retroactive requests or change residency status as evidence of California residency was not provided to the campus by the stated deadlines.

Additional residency information is available on the CSU website

It is the responsibility of the student to verify all fee balances prior to the start of the term. Out-of-state tuition will be charged if the student did not meet the residency or Non-Resident Tuition Exemption (AB540) requirements. If a student paid out-of-state tuition in previous terms, the CSU is unable to grant retroactive requests or change residency status as evidence of California residency was not provided to the campus by the last day of the term.