Residency for Tuition Purposes

Establishing Residency

How to establish residency

The University of California uses the following information in establishing residence for purposes of tuition and fees:

• Student Information
• 10 Things Undergraduates Need to Know
• 10 Things Graduate Students Need to Know
• UC Residence Policy and Guidelines

Helpful Information Through the Residency Cycle

Residency as an Admitted Student—after submission of Statement of Intent to Register

All admitted students must complete the Statement of Legal Residence (SLR) to be assessed fees accurately each quarter to help determine if you meet the residency requirements. Below is an outline and helpful information that will assist with completing the SLR.

1. Residence Determination. After submitting your Statement of Intent to Register, you will receive a residency determination of Instate, Out of State, or SLR Required, in your Residency Information. Select Personal Information, then select Residency Information from the menu. If your status is SLR Required, you will be asked to complete the Statement of Legal Residence form.
2. How to Complete the SLR. Instructions to navigate to the SLR will be located on your To Do List.  Students who submit their SLR by the deadline will receive priority review:
   • Freshman deadline – May 6
   • Transfer deadline – June 6
   • Graduate deadline – June 6
3. If you are an incoming dependent student under the age of 24, your natural or adoptive parent or parents’ information is used to determine residency for tuition purposes. You will be asked to provide information about your parents’ ties to and time spent in California. It may be helpful to have your parent(s) nearby while you complete the parent section of the SLR.
4. Incorrect Determination. If you feel you received the incorrect classification, email reg-residency@ucsc.edu.
5. Pending Review. The Residence Deputy will review your SLR and may request documents before a determination can be made. In accordance with the UC Residence Policy and Guidelines, we will determine whether you meet the requirements for UC resident tuition or qualify for Nonresident Tuition Exemption.
6. Documents Requested. The Residence Deputy will request documents in your MyUCSC portal, and you will receive the request in your To Do List and/or UCSC email. Some basic information about the requested documents may be found in the Supporting Documentation section on the Process for Determining Residency website. Documents may vary depending on your individual situation. As soon as you receive a document request, gather your documents together. You may need documents from your parents if you are under the age of 24 and their dependent.
7. Continue to check your UCSC To Do List and email for updates.

Deadline to submit documents

To ensure your residency is determined before the assessment of fees in mid-August of the current year, you must submit all documents by the due date listed below:

• Freshman – June 1
• Transfer – July 1
• Graduate Student – July 1

Residency hold

Students required to complete a Statement of Legal Residence and have not submitted it by the deadline will receive an enrollment hold until the form has been submitted. Enrollment holds may take uo to 24 hours to be removed.

If your residency is not determined because of an incomplete SLR or missing documents, your status will revert to nonresident, and you will not be eligible for a retroactive fee adjustment. 

Residency Drop-In Advising Session 

One-on-one virtual advising with a residence deputy is available. You will be placed in a virtual waiting room until the meeting host invites you into the meeting. 

Schedule: Please check the calendar for dates and times. This calendar is updated by 9:00 a.m. if there is a change in the schedule.

Web Access: Join the meeting using this link.

Phone Access: Phone number +1 (669) 900 6833; use Meeting ID: 929 5019 0947; Passcode: 383939

Note: First-come first-served basis, 10 students maximum capacity due to limited resources. Although the Zoom meeting may appear “open” after these cutoff times, we can only advise you if you entered the waiting room by the posted cutoff time and terms.  If time runs out, you may join the next drop-in session. Please have your UCSC ID card or other photo ID ready.  If you don’t have your photo ID, we can only provide general information.