Qualified Individuals
Qualified Petitioners
You are a qualified individual and eligible to establish domicile separate from your parents if, at the beginning of the 12-month domicile year, you were one of the following:
- 22 years of age or older
- Married
- Emancipated
- A graduate student
- Unaccompanied homeless youth
An emancipated minor is an individual under 23 years of age who is no longer considered a dependent and is not supported by their parent(s) or any other individual. An emancipated minor can begin establishing their domicile on the date they become emancipated. Please see the emancipated individuals section below for more information.
Parent Petitioners
Parents who have moved to Colorado and meet the domicile requirements may submit a “Petition for In-State Tuition Classification” which supports their domicile. If their petition is approved, their natural/born or legally adopted dependent children are eligible for Colorado residency for tuition purposes.
Court Appointed Legal Guardian
A student may qualify for Colorado residency based on the domicile of their court appointed legal guardian if the guardianship has been in effect for at least one year. The legal guardian must provide court documents certifying that the primary purpose of the appointment is other than to qualify the student for Colorado residency. The court must also certify that the student’s parents do not provide financial support.
Emancipated Individuals
Emancipation must be proven in the following way:
- Parents or other individuals must no longer support the minor and make no provision for support. Support includes gifts, trust funds, loans, and assets established by parents or someone other than yourself on your behalf regardless of the date of receipt.
- Parents must no longer claim the minor on their federal and state income tax returns.
- The minor must document that they are independently able to meet all financial obligations without any financial help from any other individual.
Examples of financial obligations may include:
- Tuition and fees
- Rent and food
- Medical expenses, including health insurance
- Vehicle expenses, including insurance
The financial emancipation requirement makes it extremely difficult for most undergraduate students whose parents are not Colorado residents, including students from community colleges and other post-secondary institutions within Colorado, to qualify for classification as a resident at Colorado State University. Transfer students who were classified as residents of Colorado at their previous school should not assume that they will be classified as residents at CSU.
If you are granted Colorado residency as an emancipated minor, you must continue to independently meet all your financial obligations, including the cost of education, without financial assistance from your parents or any other individual.
WICHE: WUE & WRGP
Students receiving the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) award are eligible to establish domicile for residency in Colorado. You must be able to meet residency requirements as determined by state law.
Students receiving the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) discounted tuition rate are not eligible to establish domicile for residency in Colorado while receiving the WRGP tuition benefit.