Residency FAQs

How is my residency status for tuition purposes determined?

Initial residency classification is determined from information you provide when you apply for admission. If you are living or attending school outside Kansas, if you recently moved to Kansas, or if you graduate from high school outside the state of Kansas, you may be classified as a nonresident for tuition purposes. After you are admitted, you will receive notification if you have been classified as a nonresident. It is your responsibility to provide any additional information that may be required to make an accurate residency determination. To have your status reviewed, contact the Office of Recruitment and Admissions at k-state@k-state.edu.

I lived in Kansas my whole life and my family had to move to Texas for my father's job two years ago? Can I still pay resident tuition?

The 5-year grace provision of the residency laws allows a bona fide Kansas resident to return to live in Kansas within five years of leaving and retain their resident status for tuition purposes. There is a form for the student to complete to verify their prior Kansas resident status.

My parents are divorced/separated and I live with my mother in Georgia. My father lives in Kansas and I am considering attending college in Kansas. Would I have to pay out-of-state tuition at K-State?

If your father is a bona fide Kansas resident, you are eligible to be classified as a resident for tuition purposes at K-State. You and your father must complete a form and provide documentation of his Kansas resident status (usually the most recent Kansas tax return filed).

My dad is a K-State graduate and we live in Texas. I heard that I can pay resident tuition at K-State.

The residency regulations do not address children of alumni and their residency status. If you are Texas residents, you will be classified as a nonresident for tuition purposes. K-State has the Heritage Scholarship for children and grandchildren of K-State graduates who are not Kansas residents. View all of our scholarship information.

My mom just accepted a new job (or job transfer) in Kansas. We are moving to Kansas in July. Will I be able to pay resident tuition for the Fall Semester?

Since your move to Kansas is the result of a job recruitment (or transfer), and you will have been living in Kansas less than one year when you will start school at K-State, the out-of-state tuition costs will be waived for the year that is required to establish residency in Kansas for tuition purposes. There is a form for the student, employee and employer to complete to verify employment. Once you have lived in Kansas for one year, you will be asked to complete the Application for Resident Tuition to verify that all ties with Kansas have been established. Your status will then be changed to resident for tuition purposes.

Common Misconceptions:

• A student who comes to Kansas to attend a Community College may be changed to resident for tuition purposes after meeting the criteria established for the Community Colleges (different than that for the Kansas Regent's Institutions). But when they apply to finish their degree at K-State, they will be classified as nonresidents if they have not met the criteria established for K-State.
• A student's residency status does not automatically change from nonresident to resident after they have been living in Kansas and attending school at K-State for one year.
• We do not have any agreements for automatic resident tuition with states or counties adjacent to Kansas (KC metro area, etc.).
• A student is not eligible to pay resident tuition if their parent works in Kansas but lives in Missouri. Residency for tuition purposes is based on where the family lives, not where the parent works.
• A student is not eligible to pay resident tuition if their family lives in another state but owns property (a home, farm, etc.) in Kansas.