Graduate & Professional Student Waiver

*****IMPORTANT PLEASE READ:

At the direction of the UW Regents the below waiver program will be discontinued effective July 1, 2012. That means that the waiver will no longer be available for any graduate or professional student who is admitted to the University and begins enrollment Autumn Quarter 2012, and after.

However, all graduate and professional students admitted and enrolled prior to July 1, 2012 are eligible to apply for the waiver and if approved, continue receiving the waiver as long as they maintain continuous enrollment status and submit an application every year until graduation.*****

---

In July 2005, the University of Washington Regents approved an operating fee waiver, effective Autumn Quarter 2005, for nonresident graduate and professional students. This is an annual waiver of the differential between resident and nonresident tuition.

The waiver is for graduate and professional students who have lived in the state for at least one year (except students whose visa status precludes them from establishing permanent residency) and who have applied for resident status but failed to overcome the presumption they are residing in Washington primarily for educational purposes (i.e., did not work for 30 hours a week while taking over 6 credits a quarter).

When applying for the waiver, students must submit a completed Residence Questionnaire, be able to document financial independence for the current and prior calendar years, and show 12 consecutive months of legal residency in Washington state prior to the quarter of application. Students must file a residency application annually to either become reclassified as bona fide residents or to establish eligibility for this operating fee waiver.

There is no separate application to fill out for the waiver; the residency specialist will determine if students are approved/denied with the Residence Questionnaire.

Waiver Guidelines

To be approved for the Graduate and Professional Waiver, students must meet the following guidelines:

• Live in the state for at least 12 consecutive months as legal residents. A legal resident is an individual who has relinquished all valid legal ties (for example, driver's license, voter registration, etc.) with their former state of residence and established such ties in Washington in accordance with state and local legislation.
• Establish legal ties:
  • Driver's license/state ID. If students possess current, out-of-state driver's licenses, they must obtain a Washington State Driver's License within 30 days of arrival. If they do not have a driver's license from any state, they must obtain a Washington State Identification Card.
  • Vehicle registration. If students own or drive vehicles in Washington, the vehicles must be registered in Washington within 30 days of arrival.
  • Voter registration. If students have current, out-of-state voter's registrations, they must be registered to vote in Washington within 30 days of arrival.
  • Establish a bank account in Washington.
  • Medical/automobile insurance independent of parents.
• Be financially independent for the current and prior calendar years.

Residency Requirements for Externships and Internships

The following parameters have been developed that pertain to students who plan to apply for residency for tuition purposes and who want to leave the state for an internship or other educational opportunity prior to residing in Washington for 12 months. The requirements are as follows.

Students applying for the graduate and professional nonresident tuition waiver would be allowed to leave the state during the summer months within the first twelve months of residency in Washington, provided the following conditions are met:

• student's absence is due to an internship, externship, study abroad, or temporary employment relating to their educational study.
• students must provide official verification from their department, school, or the company/firm where the internship is taking place;
• student must be registered for autumn quarter classes before leaving for the summer internship;
• student must provide verification of continued domicile in Washington, ie lease, storage of personal items, etc.;
• student must maintain all Washington legal ties and financial independence.