What are the requirements for establishing Ohio residency for tuition purposes?

In general, a student must demonstrate that s/he meets all of the following criteria:

1. The student is expected to live in Ohio for a full, 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the semester for which s/he is applying for residency. The expectation is that the student should not be absent from the state any longer than Winter Break, Spring Break, and 3 weeks during the summer.
2. The student should demonstrate his/her intent to become an Ohio resident by transferring any items of registration to Ohio, such as a driver's license, automobile registration, and voter registration (if applicable) at the beginning of the 12-month period immediately preceding the semester for which reclassification is desired.
3. The student must demonstrate that during the 12-month period while establishing residency, he or she has had sufficient income to meet all expenses without the need of money from outside the State of Ohio. Documentation of income sources used during the 12-month period is required.

New students appealing their nonresident status at the time of their admission should apply for residency at the admissions office. Current and former students should apply for residency at the Office of Student Services. The application is available or can be picked up at the Office of the Student Service or by calling (330) 325-6476. Application materials and all appropriate documentation must be submitted by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for the term reclassification is desired.

Fall Term: August 1; Winter Term: December 1; Spring Term: February 15

What documentation do I need to submit to apply for residency?

Application instructions vary depending on how you are applying for residency. In general, you must submit a notarized NEOUCOM Application for Resident Tuition Status form. In addition to the Request for Resident Classification for Tuition Purposes form, you must submit documentation for all sources of income used during the 12-month period you have been trying to establish residency as well as other required documentation. Instructions for completing the Request for Resident Classification for Tuition Purposes form and the required documentation that is to be submitted are listed on the form.

If my parents or spouse move to Ohio, when am I eligible to become a resident?

You may be eligible for "instant residency" if you are dependent upon a parent or spouse who is working full-time and has established domicile in Ohio as of the beginning of the term for reasons other than gaining the benefit of a state-supported education. See Instant Residency in the application handout for information on how to apply for this type of residency.

If I am moving to Ohio to attend NEOUCOM and my spouse is a graduate student and will be on a fellowship or assistantship, do I qualify for "instant residency?"

No. To be eligible for instant residency, a student must be dependent upon a spouse or parent who has full-time employment in Ohio. A graduate fellowship or assistantship is not considered full-time employment. The student could apply for regular residency once s/he lived in Ohio for 12 months. At that time, the income earned by the spouse through a fellowship or assistantship would be considered eligible income (if earned in Ohio).

Can I qualify for "instant residency" through someone other than my parent/legal guardian or spouse?

No. A student cannot qualify for "instant residency" through other relatives, fiancées, in-laws, etc. A student may only be reviewed for "instant residency" through their dependency upon a parent/legal guardian or spouse who is living and working on a full-time basis in Ohio.

Does marrying an Ohio resident automatically make me a resident?

Marriage to an Ohio resident does not automatically make you an Ohio resident for tuition purposes. If your spouse is employed full-time in Ohio, you would be eligible to apply for instant residency. Otherwise, you would need to apply for residency on your own using the Request for Resident Classification for Tuition Purposes and meet the criteria for residency as an independent student.

If my legal guardian is an Ohio resident will I be considered a resident for tuition purposes?

The residency guidelines allow students to be considered residents if they have a legal guardian who is an Ohio resident. However, setting up a legal guardianship with an Ohio resident in order to qualify for residency is not permitted. The burden of proof is upon the student to show that a legal guardianship was not arranged in order for the student to gain residency. In general, the expectation will be that the legal guardianship has been in effect for at least 12 months, and that the student has been financially dependent upon the legal guardian during that time. The student's relationship and involvement with his or her parents will also be a consideration.

If my parents move out of Ohio, how is my residency affected?

The state residency guidelines have two "grandfather clauses" to address this. If your parents are Ohio residents and move out of the state while you are an enrolled resident student at NEOUCOM, you will continue to be classified as a resident through the completion of your degree program, provided that you maintain continuous enrollment.

Similarly, if you are a dependent student applying for admission to NEOUCOM and your Ohio resident parents move out of the state, you will be considered a resident as long as you matriculate within 12 months of the date your parents moved out of Ohio.

I am currently considered a resident of Ohio. How is my residency affected if I leave Ohio?

The Ohio Board of Regents Guidelines allows Ohio residents 12 months out of the state before they "lose" their residency. If you leave the state for more than 12 months, your residency will likely be questioned. If you can clearly demonstrate that your reason for leaving the state is solely for educational purposes (i.e. attending an out-of-state school), and that you have maintained all other ties to Ohio (i.e. subjecting your income to Ohio taxation, maintaining an Ohio driver's license and voter registration, etc.) you may still be considered a resident. However, if you leave for reasons other than educational ones, for example, to accept employment in another state, you would likely lose your residency after 12 months. It is important to consider future residency implications when planning a move or extended stay outside Ohio.

Except for the past couple of years, I lived in Ohio my entire life. Shouldn't I (and/or my children and spouse) still be considered a resident?

In determining a person's eligibility for residency, the state guidelines are primarily concerned only with the 12-month period immediately preceding the term for which the student is applying for residency. The cumulative time a person lived in Ohio is not relevant if the person has been away from Ohio for more than the 12 months immediately preceding enrollment.

My parents are divorced, but one of them lives in Ohio. Does that make me a resident?

As long as a dependent student has one parent who has been an Ohio resident for at least the 12 months immediately preceding enrollment, s/he will be considered a resident whether or not the student actually lives in Ohio. In addition to submitting a completed, notarized NEOUCOM Application for Resident for Tuition Status, the student should submit documentation supporting the following:

A notarized statement from either of the student's parents stating that they are divorced or separated.

A copy of the lease, rent checks, mortgage, etc., indicating the Ohio parent has lived in Ohio for at least the 12 months immediately preceding the student’s enrollment.

A copy of the Ohio personal income tax return filed in the past 12 months by the Ohio parent

A copy of the federal income tax return filed in the past 12 months by the parent who claimed the student as a tax dependent

How does being in the military affect my (or my children or spouse's) residency?

For individuals who are on full-time, active duty status with the military, the state has two exceptions in the residency guidelines:

1. If you are an Ohio resident on full-time, active duty status with the military, you and your dependents are considered residents as long as Ohio has remained your state of domicile and you have fulfilled your tax obligation to the state while on active duty.
2. If you are not an Ohio resident but are stationed in Ohio on a full-time, active duty status, you and your dependents will be considered residents for tuition purposes.

If you are not considered full-time, active duty military, the military exceptions do not apply to you. For information on how to apply, see Military Exceptions in the application handout.

If I am currently working full-time in Ohio, am I eligible for residency?

If you are employed on a full-time or part-time and self-sustaining basis, you may be eligible for Conditional Residency.

What is Conditional Residency?

Conditional Residency allows an individual who is living in Ohio and is employed on a full-time or part-time and self-sustaining basis in Ohio to enroll as an in-state student for part-time studies, regardless of how long the individual has lived here. Conditional Residents must be able to demonstrate that they are self-supporting solely on their current employment income. In determining whether or not a student qualifies for Conditional Residency, financial aid, savings, or other sources of income (i.e. VA benefits, social security) cannot be considered as income contributing to a student's self-supporting status, but can be used over and above the amount necessary to meet expenses. Conditional Residents may not register for more than 11 hours if they are undergraduate students or 7 hours for graduate students, or they will be billed as a non-resident for all hours. See Conditional Residency in the application handout for information on how to apply for this type of residency.

If I am paying taxes to Ohio, doesn't that make me a resident?

Not necessarily. If you are trying to establish residency in Ohio, paying taxes in Ohio is an indicator of your intent to become an Ohio resident. However, you must meet all the residency criteria to be eligible for residency for tuition purposes.

If you are paying Ohio taxes because you are currently living and working full-time in Ohio, you may be eligible for Conditional Residency.

Will I automatically become a resident for tuition purposes once I have lived in Ohio for a year?

No. Any student who has been classified as a non-resident must apply for reclassification as a resident. Even if you are a Conditional Resident, you must apply if you want to be reviewed for regular residency once you have been in Ohio for 12 months.

Are non-U.S. citizens eligible for residency for tuition purposes?

Permanent Resident Aliens, Political Refugees, and Political Asylees are eligible to be reviewed for in-state residency. Students who hold the following visas may also be reviewed for in-state residency: A, E, G, H, I, L, O, P, R, TD, TN. Students who hold F or J visas are not eligible to become Ohio residents for tuition purposes.

I own property or a business in Ohio, but live in another state. Does that make my dependents or me Ohio residents for tuition purposes?

The state guidelines do not grant residency to individuals or their dependents solely on the basis that they own property or a business in Ohio.

In submitting the Request for Resident Classification for Tuition Purposes, what are some examples of acceptable income documentation?

The following are examples of some of the income documents you may submit with your Request for Resident Classification for Tuition Purposes: W-2 forms, pay stubs, financial aid award letters, notarized letters of support from Ohio residents, bank statements, and statements showing receipt of government benefits.

What types of income sources are not eligible for helping me establish in-state residency?

The following are examples of income sources that would not be viewed as eligible from a residency standpoint:

• Support from individuals who are not residents of Ohio
• PLUS loan money taken out by the non-Ohio resident parent of a student
• "Loans" from individuals who are not Ohio residents
• Savings that have not been in an account in your name for at least a year prior to your move to Ohio
• Financial aid that required you to be a resident of another state in order to receive it
• Credit card debt

How important is it that I obtain an Ohio driver's license or register to vote in Ohio?

Obtaining an Ohio driver's license and registering to vote in Ohio demonstrate your intent to make Ohio your state of residence. Since the Ohio Board of Regents Guidelines is meant to exclude from residency those who are in Ohio for educational purposes only, transferring these items of registration is a way to show that you intend to become an Ohio resident.

I am currently trying to establish residency. How does leaving Ohio for the summer affect my residency application?

The expectation is that students who are in the process of establishing their residency are physically living in the State of Ohio for the 12 consecutive months prior to the semester for which they are requesting reclassification. Leaving the state for the summer or for any length of time longer than a 3-week period seriously jeopardizes your claim to Ohio residency.

After reading the residency guidelines, I think I should have been considered a resident months ago. Can I apply for a prior semester and get a refund if I can show I was a resident then?

No. The state guidelines prohibit retroactive residency decisions. You must apply by the deadline for the semester in question in order to be reviewed for residency for that semester.

Where can I get more information about residency for tuition purposes?

New students appealing their nonresident status at the time of their admission should contact the admissions office. Current and former students can request that a NEOUCOM Application for Resident Tuition Status packet be sent to them.