Current requirements for establishing residency for the purpose of paying in-state tuition at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln went into effect beginning with the Fall Semester, 1995-96. It is important that students who are making plans to attend the University and who are not Nebraska residents are familiar with the effect residency policies may have on their financial preparation for attending the University.

Students who are not attending a Nebraska high school and whose permanent address is not in Nebraska at the time they are admitted, and who are not graduates of an accredited Nebraska high school, will automatically be classified as nonresidents. Students who qualify for any of the residency categories listed below should complete and return the University's "Application for Residency Classification for Tuition Purposes," within the time frame indicated on the application.

1. Application for residency

   The Residency Application and a complete list of the residency requirements can be downloaded. You can view and print a copy of the Residency application on a PostScript printer using Adobe Acrobat© Reader.

2. Who will qualify for residency?
   • Persons of legal age (19 or older) or emancipated minors who have established a home in Nebraska for at least 12 months, and can verify by documentation that she or he intends to make Nebraska her or his permanent residence. An individual who moves to Nebraska primarily to enroll in a post-secondary institution in Nebraska will be considered a nonresident for tuition purposes for the duration of his or her attendance.
     Note: Enrolling at a university, college or community college in Nebraska during the 12 months immediately preceding the term for which residency classification is sought will be considered strong evidence that an individual moved to Nebraska primarily to enroll in a post-secondary institution in Nebraska. The student would therefore be considered a non-resident for tuition purposes for the duration of his or her attendance at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
   • Dependent students whose parent/guardian has established a home in Nebraska.
   • Persons who are married to Nebraska residents who had established a home in Nebraska prior to the marriage.
   • Permanent resident aliens or individual who have been granted asylee or refugee status and who have established a home in Nebraska for at least 12 months.
   • Dependents or spouses of permanent University, state college, or community college employees in the State of Nebraska who have at least part-time (.5 FTE) employment status.
   • Active duty military personnel and their dependents whose permanent duty station or Home of Record is in Nebraska.
   • Persons who graduated from an accredited high school in Nebraska and were legal residents of Nebraska at the time of graduation.
   • Individuals who previously attended the University of Nebraska or one of the Nebraska state colleges as a resident within the last two years.
   • The following have been identified as native American tribes indigenous to Nebraska or tribes that historically migrated to or from the State of Nebraska. Members of these tribes who live outside the State of Nebraska qualify for in-state tuition rates upon providing documentation of membership. It is the responsibility of the student to submit a copy of his or her tribal card to the Office of Admissions if she or he wants to be considered a resident for tuition purposes. Students who do not provide this documentation will be determined to be non-residents without further notification.

     Arapaho	Hidatsa	Missouria	Sac and Fox
     Arikara	Jicarilla Apache	Omaha	Dakota Sioux
     Northern Cheyenne	Iowa	Otoe	Lakota Sioux
     Southern Cheyenne	Kickapoo	Pawnee	Nakota Sioux
     Comanche	Kiowa	Ponca	Santee Sioux
     Crow	Mandan	Potawatomie	Winnebago

   • Individuals, and their spouses and dependents, who were recruited for full-time employment to the State of Nebraska because of their special talents or skills.
3. Is financial assistance available for students who do not meet the qualifications for residency?

   The University of Nebraska-Lincoln offers a variety of scholarships to out-of-state students. Visit the scholarships page for more information.

4. What is the difference between resident and non-resident costs?

   Costs for the 2009-2010 Academic Year can be found here.

5. Do children of alumni (graduates) qualify for in-state tuition?

   The Nebraska Legacy Scholarship provides qualified applicants with one of two levels of scholarship awards, one which pays the full nonresident portion of tuition and another which pays 50% of the nonresident portion of tuition charges. The scholarship is available to qualified children of University of Nebraska graduates and is renewable for up to four years.

6. What if I pay Nebraska taxes?

   Individuals who reside outside of Nebraska but pay Nebraska income tax, and the spouses or dependents of such individuals, are entitled to tuition credit upon documented evidence of such payment to the State. The tuition credit granted shall equal the amount of Nebraska income tax paid for the immediately preceding calendar year except that the remaining obligation cannot be less than the amount of resident tuition.

   Paying property taxes isn't considered a way of demonstrating residency for the purpose of paying in-state tuition at the University of Nebraska.

7. Are there any other options for paying other than full out-of-state tuition?

   UNL is a member of the Midwestern Student Exchange Program (MSEP), and admitted students from the states of Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, and Missouri are automatically reviewed for MSEP eligibility. Students who qualify for MSEP pay 150% of resident tuition and cannot establish residency while they are MSEP participants.

8. Further questions?

   If you have additional questions about the University's residency policy, or if you would like to have more detailed information about the University of Nebraska Board of Regents' policy on establishing residency, please contact the Office of Admissions at 402-472-2023.