Ways to Qualify for Ohio Residency

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Regular Residency

1. Dependent Student (C-1)-The dependent student of a parent/ legal guardian who has been a resident of Ohio for at least the 12 consecutive months preceding the quarter in question is considered a resident. Students who feel they meet the Ohio Board of Regents guidelines as the dependent student of an Ohio resident parent should submit in addition to the Request to Change Residency Status application, a letter of support and appropriate documentation from their parent/legal guardian that contains the following information:
   1. Student's name and Social Security number
   2. Number of years parent has lived in Ohio and copies of lease(s) or closing statement(s) for the preceding 12 consecutive months
   3. Number of years parent has paid taxes in Ohio (copy of most recent Ohio personal income tax return)
   4. Whether or not at least one parent has claimed the student as a dependent for tax purposes since birth (copy of most recent federal income tax return showing dependent section)
      
      
2. Independent Student (C-2)-An independent student who meets all of the following criteria may be classified as a resident upon review of the Request To Change Residency Status application and submission of the documentation indicated, but not limited to the following:
   1. The student is expected to live in Ohio for a full, 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the quarter for which she/he is applying for residency. The expectation is that the student should not be absent from the state any longer than the December break, spring break, and three weeks during the summer.
   2. The student should demonstrate his/her intent to become an Ohio resident by transferring any applicable items of registration to Ohio, such as a driver's license, automobile registration, and voter registration at the beginning of the 12-month period immediately preceding the quarter for which reclassification is desired.
   3. The student must demonstrate that during the 12-month period while establishing residency, he or she has had sufficient Ohio- based income to meet all expenses without the need of money from outside the state of Ohio. Documentation of income sources used during the 12-month period is required.

This type of residency allows the dependent child or spouse of a person who is living and working on a full-time, self-sustaining basis in Ohio to be classified as a resident. Once the employed individual has established domicile in Ohio and has begun working in Ohio, his or her dependent spouse/children are eligible for instant residency the next term. Students applying for instant residency must complete the Request to Change Residency Status application and submit the following documents for review:

1. A letter from the employed person's employer, on company letterhead or notarized, that indicates:
   1. name of employed person.
   2. date employment began.
   3. full-time status.
2. One of the following to verify that an Ohio domicile has been established by the parent or spouse:
   1. A copy of a rental agreement/lease for an apartment or home
   2. A copy of the closing statement verifying the purchase of a home
   3. If living with someone, a notarized letter from the owner of the residence certifying that the parent or spouse resides at that residence and the date the parent or spouse began living there
3. One of the following to verify that the student is dependent upon the full-time employed individual:
   1. If the student is a dependent child, submit a parental letter of support that indicates the student's name and Social Security number and state whether or not the child has been claimed continuously as a dependent by the parent since the student's birth. (Attach copies of most recent federal income tax return, showing dependent section);
   2. If the student is dependent upon a spouse who is employed full-time, submit a copy of the marriage license/certificate.

Conditional residency allows an individual who is living in Ohio and is employed on a full-time or part-time and self-sustaining basis in Ohio to enroll at the in-state rate for part-time studies, regardless of how long the individual has lived here. Conditional residents must be able to demonstrate that they are self-supporting solely on their current employment income. In determining whether or not a student qualifies for conditional residency, financial aid, savings, or other sources of income (i.e. VA benefits, Social Security) cannot be considered as income contributing to a student's self-supporting status, but can be used over and above the amount necessary to meet expenses. Conditional residents may not register for more than 11 hours (undergraduate student) or seven hours (graduate student), or they will be billed as a nonresident for all hours.

Students who want to apply for conditional residency should complete a Request to Change Residency Status application and submit a photocopy of their most recent pay stub or check and a letter from their employer on official company letterhead or notarized copy verifying the following:

1. date employment began;
2. full-time employment status;
3. or if part-time employee, number of hours a week the student is working and the rate of pay per hour.

1. (E-2)-A person who enters and remains on active duty status in the U.S. military while a resident of Ohio for all other legal purposes (and his or her dependents) shall be considered a resident of Ohio for tuition purposes as long as Ohio remains the state of that person's domicile. To apply, complete a Request for Change in Residency Status application and submit both of the following.
   1. Verification of Ohio Home of Record-acceptable documents include enlistment papers, DD214 (discharge papers), or a letter from the base personnel officer verifying your HOR.
   2. Documentation verifying that Ohio income taxes have been paid during the 12-month period prior to enrollment-submit your most recent W-2 and/or most recent Leave and Earnings Statement (LES).
      
      
2. (E-3)-A person on active duty status in the United States military who is both stationed and residing in Ohio (and his or her dependents) shall be considered a resident of Ohio for tax purposes. To apply, complete a Request to Change Residency Status application and submit a copy of your current military orders verifying that you are stationed in Ohio.

For dependent students under either type of military exception, complete a Request to Change Residency Status application and submit the document(s) requested above and verification of your dependent status. For a dependent child, submit a letter from your parents that indicates whether or not you have been claimed as a dependent for tax purposes since birth (copy of most recent federal income tax return, showing dependent section). For a dependent spouse, submit a copy of the marriage license/certificate. Military dependents should also submit a photo copy of their military I.D.

International Students
A student who is not a U. S. citizen may be considered for Ohio residency for tuition purposes provided he or she meets the criteria established in Ohio Board of Regents Rule 3333-1-10 and whose legal status is in one of the following categories:

• Permanent Resident Alien
• Political Asylee
• Political Refugee
• Holder of one of the following visas A, E, G, H, I, L, P, R, TC, TD or TN

A student who holds a B, F, J or M visa is not eligible for in-state residency unless he or she has applied for Permanent Resident Alien Status and is financially dependent on a spouse or parent who is a bona fide Ohio resident. To be considered a bona fide Ohio resident, the spouse or parent must meet the residency criteria as established in the Ohio Board of Regents Rule 3333-1-10. The student’s financial dependence on spouse or parent must be documented on the most current federal tax return.

A student who has applied for Permanent Resident Alien status or whose immigration status is pending is eligible to apply for Ohio residency for tuition purposes only if his or her most recent immigration status was one of those eligible for residency as explained in the above paragraphs.