<p>We heard from some graduate students that you can claim in-state residency after living in Washington state for 1 year (after establishing residency by changing voting registration, drivers license, etc.). Does anyone know if that is true? How hard is it? The website is unclear. It appears that you definitely cannot do that as an undergraduate, but they claimed it is not the same for graduate students.</p>
<p>bump…
Anyone have any helpful information? How hard is this to secure as a graduate student? What is the full process? There is a long complicated form online, outlining the requirements, but it is very unclear to me. Has anyone done this?</p>
<p>From another thread in this forum:</p>
<p>Establishing A Bona Fide Domicile (Residency Requirements)</p>
<p>The advice from the Office of the Attorney General, Education Division concerning presumption is that before domicile is established, an individual must do everything a resident of Washington is required to do (please see numbers 1-4 below).</p>
<p>To establish domicile in the state of Washington, students must provide documentation showing they meet the following guidelines:</p>
<ol>
<li>Students must prove conclusively that they have not come to Washington State primarily for educational purposes. Current guidelines require students who are enrolled for 7 credits or more a quarter must be employed at least 30 hours per week at a non-student job to overcome the presumption of educational purposes.</li>
<li>Live in the state for at least 12 consecutive months as legal residents. A legal resident is an individual who has relinquished all valid legal ties (e.g., driver’s license, voter registration, etc.) with their former state of residence and established such ties in Washington in accordance with state and local legislation.</li>
<li>Establish legal ties:</li>
<li>Employment (if taking more than 6 credits a quarter during the first year of being present in Washington State).</li>
<li>Driver’s license/state ID. Students must obtain a Washington State Driver’s License within 30 days of arrival if they have a current out-of-state driver’s license. Students who do not possess a driver’s license from any state, must obtain a Washington State Identification Card.</li>
<li>Vehicle registration. Students who own or drive a vehicle in Washington must be registered in Washington within 30 days of arrival.</li>
<li>Voter registration. Students who have a current out-of-state voter’s registration must register to vote in Washington within 30 days of arrival. If an individual has previously registered to vote in another state, they must register to vote in Washington. If the student does not register to vote in Washington, this means that s/he may still vote absentee in the prior state of residency</li>
<li>Establish a bank account in Washington.</li>
<li>Be financially independent for the current and prior calendar years. (Students who are not 25 years of age or older must submit their parents’ most recent tax returns).</li>
</ol>
<p>Once the individual is in full compliance with all of Washington’s requirements for residency, then s/he, as of that final date of compliance, has established domicile. Once domicile is established, the student is eligible for in-state tuition 12 months from the date of arrival if all legal ties were in place within 30 days. This is because the Washington statute says that domicile must be in existence for one year immediately prior to the first day of the quarter for which the student wants to be classified as a resident.</p>
<p>Examples of other factors that may help students establish proof of domicile include: disposition of property in the former state of residence, relocation of household members, participation in local community organizations, and generally becoming involved in activities that will help prove their intent to make Washington their official place of residence.
UW Residency - Establishing A Bona Fide Domicile</p>
<p>Thanks cellopop!
However, those are the instructions for undergrad. Graduate instructions actually have a “waiver” that states you don’t have to work the 30 hours a week. (Which would be really tough while pursuing a graduate degree). PLUS, it states that with the waiver, you are not considered a permanent resident! BUT it also states all the other requirements that you listed apply, including self-sufficiency, and all the legal paperwork changes (voter registration, drivers license, etc.). So, it is very confusing. If you are not considered a permanent resident with the graduate waiver, I don’t understand why you need to change all the legal classifications.</p>
<p>I’ve known some students going for PhD’s in other state universities, where they were REQUIRED to change residency to that state, in order to continue to receive funding. That is not the case here, but I though perhaps the graduate waiver implies it? Asked the department, and they simply said to read the same information online. </p>
<p>The hope is to move permanently to WA. Changing to in-state status the second year is almost imperative financially. Yet, given all the restrictions, I’m concerned they may find reasons to deny it after having spent the first year there paying out-of-state. I really need to know upfront before committing to UW, and am trying to find students who have been through the process.</p>