Residency FAQs

All admissions applications for the university are screened by the admitting offices for any of the out-of-state activity listed under part I, section B.1. of the university’s Guidelines for Qualifying for In-State Tuition. If your application shows any of this activity, then you will need to submit an Application for In-State Tuition and be approved before your status can be adjusted to in-state residency.

This is dependent upon the volume of applications in the queue. It is currently taking at least 14 weeks for an initial review of the application. The Residency Classification Office reviews the applications in the date order submitted. Once our team has started the review, we’ll contact you at the email address you listed on the application if additional information is needed and once the decision has been finalized.

No, you don’t need to wait for an admissions decision. We encourage all applicants to apply well before their intended term of enrollment. We can accept applications up to one year in advance of your enrollment term.

Please see Guidelines for Qualifying for In-state Tuition, part VII for instructions. You will need your eight digit U-M ID number and either a uniqname or Friend Account in order to apply. 

Note: On Feb. 25, 2026, U-M changed to a new authentication tool, Okta. Friend accounts created in the year prior to this date remain active with Okta, and new friend accounts will use Okta going forward. Friend accounts older than one year from this date will no longer be active, and users must create a new account. Learn more about friend accounts and Okta.

Under part I, Establishing Eligibility Through Michigan Residence, you will need to initially provide all of the following documents from the person/persons on whom you are basing your eligibility, per part IB3 of the Guidelines for Qualifying for In-state Tuition:

• driver’s license(s)
• most recent income tax returns:
  • Federal 1040: pages 1 & 2 (with Schedules 1, C and E, if applicable)
  • MI 1040: pages 1, 2, & 3 (with Schedule W, if applicable)
• W-2(s) (align with tax return year)
• most recent pay stub(s)

Under part II, Establishing Eligibility by Attending Michigan Schools, you will need to provide a copy of your high school transcript or GED certificate (indicating your graduation date was, or will be, within 40 months of your planned enrollment at the University of Michigan) and a copy of your middle/junior high school record showing a full year of attendance/enrollment in 7th and 8th grades.

Under part III, Establishing Eligibility through Service, you will need to provide a copy of your DD Form 214 which contains your character of service, or active duty orders and military ID. Depending on your circumstances, alternative documents may be required.

In ALL cases, provide documents in PDF or TIFF format. You may redact social security and driver’s license numbers from your documents. See samples of required documents.

Once the review of your application begins, you may be emailed a request for additional documents. Be concise, submit only what is requested. Submitting excessive documentation can complicate the process, delay review times, and delay your decision.

The deadlines are the same each year and depend on the term: 

• fall term - Sept. 30
• winter term - Jan. 31
• spring, spring/summer, and summer terms - July 31

It depends on which campus you are attending/plan to attend. For Ann Arbor campus applicants, go to the New and Prospective Student Business tile under your Wolverine Access account, then click on Residency Status, and then View Application Status. For UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint applicants, visit the New and Prospective Student Business tile in Wolverine Access; use the NavBar or compass to access the menu, then Self Service>Residency>In-State Application Status.

There is no durational requirement to establish eligibility for in-state tuition. Under part I, an applicant needs to show that they/their family has established a primary domicile in Michigan and severed their out-of-state ties; see Guidelines for Qualifying for In-state Tuition part I, section B.2.a.

Yes, but they will need to submit the Application for In-State Tuition. Please see Guidelines for Qualifying for In-state Tuition, part III, Establishing Eligibility Through Service.

An applicant may qualify for in-state tuition, regardless of immigration status, under part II of the Guidelines for Qualifying for In-state Tuition, Establishing Eligibility by Attending Michigan Schools, by demonstrating that all of the required criteria are met.

Yes, if your application is denied, you have 30 days to file an appeal of the decision. Your appeal should briefly state why you believe your situation merits further consideration and how the guidelines support your claim. For further instructions, see part V of the Guidelines for Qualifying for In-state Tuition.

If your residency application is still under review at the time a tuition bill is due, the university requests that you make an on-time payment for the in-state tuition rate. You may register for up to one term of classes, provided the in-state rate is paid, while you await your decision. If it is determined that your classification is non-resident, you would owe the remaining balance due on the account, to be resolved prior to registering for a future term.

Please contact the Residency Classification Office at [email protected] to learn more about in-state eligibility for citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the Republic of Palau.

• You will receive a prompt, written response by emailing [email protected].
• You can also call us Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-4:45 p.m., at 734-764-1400.
• Residency office hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday.