Purdue University Residence Classification Guidelines

Purpose of the Residence Classification Guidelines

Purdue University enrolls domestic students from all 50 states and international students from around the world. As a public institution, Purdue University is financially supported by the State of Indiana. Resident students pay a lower rate for tuition and fees than nonresident students. Residency status is determined when students are 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 or the online Veterinary Nursing program). Decisions made in these offices are based on information provided by students during the admission application process, in accordance with rules adopted by the Board of Trustees. 

The following guidelines have been developed to ensure that applicants for admission or enrolled students who believe they qualify to be enrolled as a Resident understand why their initial residency classification may be non-resident (or international) and that they may be required to complete a Residence Classification of Students for Tuition Purposes application and provide additional information to document their residency claim.

Applying for Residency Reclassification

The Residence Classification of Students for Tuition Purposes application opens on the first day of each semester/session. A student can submit an application for reclassification for the first semester/session after they have met the requirements. The application must be submitted in the appropriate manner to the Office of the Registrar no later than 15 business days after the first day of classes for that semester/session. A student must be enrolled, and maintain enrollment, in the semester/session in which they are seeking reclassification.

For the summer term, the application deadlines are based on the beginning of the summer term, this may be different from the first day of a student’s course. Please review the summer calendar for those dates.

Purdue West Lafayette 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. The portal will open on the first day of the semester at 12:01 a.m. Please note that for the summer session the portal opens on the first day of the summer term, this may differ from the beginning of your summer course.

Upon completion of the application, a list of required documentation will appear. The required documents will need to be uploaded electronically through the portal and can be formatted as a Word document, PDF, or scanned image file.

Your application is not complete until all required documents are uploaded. When your application is reviewed, if there are any additional documents needed, you will receive a notification via email for additional documentation added to your residency checklist in the portal.

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.

Why You Must File a Residency Application

As a state land-grant institution, Purdue’s Board of Trustees and the Indiana State Legislature require us to perform all due diligence in determining whether a student may be classified as resident, non-resident, or foreign student for tuition and fees purposes. There are many circumstances in which new applicants, re-entering students, and current students who claim resident status may be classified as non-resident (or foreign). Below are many of the situations in which a classification other than resident may be rendered and a Residence Classification of Students for Tuition Purposes application would need to be filed. Please note this is not an exhaustive list of circumstances:

• Your home address is not in Indiana, or you stated you have lived in Indiana for less than 12 months.
• You are a dependent student - Your parent or legal guardian remains 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/guardian’s permanent home address is not in Indiana.
• You are 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 you have not lived or worked in Indiana for 12 months or more.
• You are not a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident Alien (if you are a Permanent Resident Alien, you must have a Permanent Resident Alien number and card).
• You, your spouse, partner, or parent is in Indiana for limited or temporary purposes, such as education, internship or medical residency, other temporary employment.
• You are a dependent student whose parents remain legally married and one parent lives outside of the state of Indiana.
• You have been enrolled in an institution of higher education since moving to Indiana or have been involved in educational pursuits for the majority of time.

The initial non-resident (or international) status will stand until the student’s application for reclassification has been approved.

The university reserves the right to audit prospective or enrolled students at any time regarding eligibility for resident classification and to reclassify students who are classified incorrectly. 

Residence Policy

For an online version of University policy pertaining to "Residence Classification of Students for Tuition Purposes," please refer to the University Regulations and Operating Procedures.

Residence Classification Information for Military Personnel

There are several ways that Purdue provides in-state residence classification for military personnel and their families. Qualified service members (or their dependents) who are admitted to Purdue University and meet the requirements for the applicable categories may be eligible for Resident status for tuition purposes. The criteria for each of these categories, as well as the application, can be found here. Questions regarding eligibility for military personnel should be directed to the Veterans Success Center (VSC). They can be reached by phone at (765) 494-7638 or by email at dogtags@purdue.edu.

Campus Contact Information

Residency Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to frequently asked  questions can be found at Residency FAQs.