The process for determining residency
UC determines residency based on information you provide in the Statement of Legal Residence (SLR) — a form all new students submit (usually online) to the campus residence deputy in the Office of the Registrar. You submit this form after committing to a campus by filing your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR).
Each campus has specific instructions for how to fill out and submit the Statement of Legal Residence (SLR), so be sure to check with the campus you plan to attend. If you’re returning to campus after a leave of absence or transferring from another postsecondary institution, you’ll also need to submit an SLR.
If you're a currently enrolled nonresident student and want to petition for a resident classification, the process may differ.
Supporting documentation
After an initial review of your SLR, the residence deputy may request additional information or documents. These might include:
- Driver’s licenses/ID cards
- Tax returns
- Vehicle, voter or selective service registration
- California State social benefits eligibility
- Employment or housing verification
- Bank statements
This is your one opportunity to provide the residence deputy with clear and convincing proof of California residence for purposes of tuition. Once the residence deputy has made a decision about your residency, no additional information or documentation is accepted. If you don't submit the requested information, the residence deputy will make a decision based on the documents or information available.
Deadlines
Deadlines for submitting the SLR are different for newly admitted students, continuing students and graduate students on each UC campus. Make sure to file your SLR as soon as it's requested (usually this is shortly after you file the SIR) and check campus filing deadlines. For continuing students petitioning for reclassification, check with your campus residence deputy to make sure you have the right deadline for the right term.
If you don't submit the SLR or supporting documentation when requested, you will be classified as a nonresident and charged fees as a nonresident on your billing statement. In addition, if you don’t submit an SLR and then become classified as a California resident after the deadline, your classification will apply only to future terms — you will not be retroactively reimbursed.