Overview
To qualify for in-state tuition and fees a student must meet the official residency requirements established by the State of Missouri.
A student who wishes to have his or her status changed may obtain a petition form from the Office of Admissions or by selecting one of the following forms:
Emancipated Petition for Residency
Download Petition 
Petition for students who are not claimed on their parent's state income taxes and meet all of the following requirements:
- Last 12 month residency in Missouri
- Minimum $6000 Missouri or Federal earnings
- Missouri Driver's License or Identification Card
- Missouri Voter Registration Card
- Completed Parent's Tax Certification
- Missouri Property Tax (if property is owned in state)
- Personal Vehicle titled in state (if in student's name)
- Missouri Income Tax
Unemancipated Petition for Residency
Download Petition
The following qualifications apply to the unemancipated petition for residency:
- Student is married to a Missouri resident
- Student's family has relocated to Missouri for the purposes of full-time employment, retirement, professional practice or to conduct a business full-time, OR
- Student is stationed in Missouri as part of full-time military service.
Petition forms must be completed in full, notarized and submitted to the Office of Admissions prior to the semester for which the petition is made. It is the student's responsibility to submit all necessary documentation to Admissions by this deadline.
View specific State of Missouri policies regarding residency »
State of Missouri Policies For Determination of Student Residency For Fee Purposes
I. Classifications used in determining residency
All subsections listed below have applicability only as they support the intent to make the State of Missouri a permanent home for an indefinite period of time.
- Adult Students. If a student who has attained the age of twenty-one years shall present sufficient proof of the establishment of permanent domicile with the State of Missouri, the student may be granted resident status at the first enrollment following the establishment of said domicile, providing the student was not taken as an income tax deduction by a second party other than a spouse.
- Unemancipated Minor Students. The domicile of an unemancipated minor is presumed to be that of the individual(s) having legal custody of the student, since the student is still under their care, custody, or support. If those having custody of the student establish a Missouri domicile, that student shall be granted resident status at the first enrollment following the establishment of the Missouri domicile. See also III A and III C (for military personnel and nonresidents who pay Missouri income tax).
- Emancipated Minor Students. The domicile of emancipated minor students shall be determined as if they were adults. A minor may become emancipated through marriage, formal court action, abandonment or positive action of alienation on the part of the minor. In all cases, alienation from care, custody, and support shall be complete. In no instance shall a minor student be eligible for emancipation when a second party other than a spouse took that student as an income tax deduction.
II. Establishment of domicile
With intent to make the State of Missouri a permanent home, either of the following two ways is sufficient proof of the domicile of a person and their dependents within the State of Missouri.
- Proof of presence within the State of Missouri for the purposes of full-time employment, retirement, professional practice, or to conduct a business full-time.
- Proof of presence within the State of Missouri for the past twelve consecutive months and sufficient proof of an intent to make the State of Missouri a permanent home for an indefinite period by the following means:
- Factors given weight in determining intent: continuous presence in the State of Missouri during those periods not enrolled as a student; presence within Missouri upon marriage to a Missouri resident; substantial reliance on sources within Missouri for financial support (i.e. a minimum of $6,000 income from Missouri and Federal sources in the past twelve months); former domicile within the state and maintenance of significant connections while absent; ownership of a home in Missouri; income tax return from the prior year showing independence.
- These additional factors are applicable in determining intent only as they support the intent shown by: registration for voting; part-time employment; lease of living quarters; a statement of intention to establish a domicile in Missouri; automobile registration; Missouri drivers license; and payment of income, personal and property taxes in Missouri.
III. Special factors
- Members of the Military Forces. Students shall neither gain nor lose resident status solely as a consequence of military service. Military personnel, when stationed in Missouri, their spouses and unemancipated minor children shall be regarded as holding Missouri resident status. Military personnel who are stationed outside of Missouri but whose official home of record is on file with the military as the State of Missouri shall be considered residents, along with their spouses, and unemancipated minor children.
- Noncitizens of the United States. Students who are noncitizens must possess resident alien status, as determined by federal authority, prior to consideration for resident status. Aliens and their dependents holding A, L, or G visa may be granted resident status if determined to be individually designated as representatives of their governments and whose education is not government funded.
- Nonresidents Who Pay Missouri Income Tax. The nonresident student fee shall be credited in an amount equal to the actual Missouri income tax paid for the previous calendar year except that the remaining obligation shall not be less than the amount of the resident student fee. Unemancipated minor students are eligible by reason of payment of Missouri income tax by the nonresident individual(s) having legal custody of the student. Students covered by this policy remain classified as nonresidents. Students entering in January shall be regarded as entering in the fall for purposes of determining previous calendar year. For students entering after January, previous year means immediate past calendar year. Students must provide this documentation to the Office of Student Account Services to request a partial fee waiver.
IV. Procedures for changing residence classification
- A student's residency status is determined at the time of admission. A student who wishes to have his or her status changed may obtain a petition form in the Office of Admissions, second floor, Administration Building, Maryville, MO 64468-6001 or by contacting Admissions.
- Petition forms must be completed in full, notarized and submitted to Admissions at least three weeks prior to the semester for which the petition is made. Appropriate documentation to support residency status is the responsibility of the student and must be submitted with the petition prior to the three-week deadline. Petition forms received after the deadline date will be acted upon, but the decision will not go into effect until the next semester.
- Petitions are reviewed and acted upon by the Residency Committee, according to the residency policies of the Missouri Coordinating Board of Higher Education. Students will be notified in writing of the action on their petition. The offices of Student Account Services Admissions and Registrar will also be notified concerning approved petitions.
- Decisions of the Residency Committee may be appealed to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Vice President for Finance who will serve as an oversight committee.
Northwest Policies For Determination of Student Residency For Fee Purposes
I. Classifications used in determining residency
All subsections listed below have applicability only as they support the intent to make the State of Missouri a permanent home for an indefinite period of time.
- Adult Students. If a student who has attained the age of twenty-one years shall present sufficient proof of the establishment of permanent domicile with the State of Missouri, the student may be granted resident status at the first enrollment following the establishment of said domicile, providing the student was not taken as an income tax deduction by a second party other than a spouse.
- Unemancipated Minor Students. The domicile of an unemancipated minor is presumed to be that of the individual(s) having legal custody of the student, since the student is still under their care, custody, or support. If those having custody of the student establish a Missouri domicile, that student shall be granted resident status at the first enrollment following the establishment of the Missouri domicile. See also III A and III C (for military personnel and nonresidents who pay Missouri income tax).
- Emancipated Minor Students. The domicile of emancipated minor students shall be determined as if they were adults. A minor may become emancipated through marriage, formal court action, abandonment or positive action of alienation on the part of the minor. In all cases, alienation from care, custody, and support shall be complete. In no instance shall a minor student be eligible for emancipation when a second party other than a spouse took that student as an income tax deduction.
II. Establishment of domicile
With intent to make the State of Missouri a permanent home, either of the following two ways is sufficient proof of the domicile of a person and their dependents within the State of Missouri.
- Presence within the state of Missouri for the purpose of retirement, full-time employment, full-time professional practice, or to conduct a business full-time coupled with proof of intent to make the state of Missouri a permanent home for an indefinite period.
- Proof of presence within the State of Missouri for the past twelve consecutive months and sufficient proof of an intent to make the State of Missouri a permanent home for an indefinite period by the following means:
- Factors given weight in determining intent: continuous presence in the State of Missouri during those periods not enrolled as a student; presence within Missouri upon marriage to a Missouri resident; substantial reliance on sources within Missouri for financial support (i.e. a minimum of $6,000 income from Missouri and Federal sources in the past twelve months); former domicile within the state and maintenance of significant connections while absent; ownership of a primary home in Missouri; income tax return from the prior year showing independence.
- These additional factors are applicable in determining intent only as they support the intent shown by: registration for voting; part-time employment; lease of living quarters; a statement of intention to establish a domicile in Missouri; automobile registration; Missouri driver’s license; and payment of income, personal and property taxes in Missouri.
III. Special factors
- Members of the Military Forces. Students shall neither gain nor lose resident status solely as a consequence of military service. Military personnel, when stationed in Missouri, their spouses and unemancipated minor children shall be regarded as holding Missouri resident status. Military personnel who are stationed outside of Missouri but whose official "home of record" is on file with the military as the State of Missouri shall be considered residents, along with their spouses, and unemancipated minor children.
- Noncitizens of the United States. Students who are noncitizens must possess resident alien status, as determined by federal authority, prior to consideration for resident status. Aliens and their dependents holding A, L, or G visas may be granted resident status if determined to be individually designated as representatives of their governments and whose education is not government funded.
- Nonresidents Who Pay Missouri Income Tax. The nonresident student fee shall be credited in an amount equal to the actual Missouri income tax paid for the previous calendar year except that the remaining obligation shall not be less than the amount of the resident student fee. Unemancipated minor students are eligible by reason of payment of Missouri income tax by the nonresident individual(s) having legal custody of the student. Students covered by this policy remain classified as nonresidents. Students entering in January shall be regarded as entering in the fall for purposes of determining previous calendar year. For students entering after January, previous year means immediate past calendar year.
IV. Procedures for changing residence classification
- A student's residency status is determined at the time of admission. A student who wishes to have his or her status changed may obtain a petition form in the Admissions Office, second floor, Administration Building.
- Petition forms must be completed in full, notarized and submitted to the Admissions Office prior to the semester for which the petition is made. Appropriate documentation to support residency status is the responsibility of the student and must be submitted with the petition prior to the semester. Petition forms received after the deadline date will be acted upon, but the decision will not go into effect until the next semester.
- Petitions are reviewed and acted upon by the Residency Committee, according to the residency policies of the Missouri Coordinating Board of Higher Education. Students will be notified in writing of the action on their petition. The University Treasurer, Admissions Office, Registrar, and Financial Assistance Office will also be notified concerning approved petitions.
- Decisions of the Residency Committee may be appealed to the Vice President of Academic Affairs and the Vice President for Finance who will serve as an oversight committee.
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