Applying for In-State Residency

Student receiving Veteran and Military Benefits – Please refer to the following resources.

• Establishing Residency for Tuition Purposes (additional information for veterans)
• Additional questions can be directed to Maria Gonzalez at megonzal@pnw.edu or Barb Phillips at bphillips@pnw.edu.
• Veteran Services at PNW

Step 1 – Review

Start by reading this very important information which will help you understand what qualifies as in-state status and which documents you will need to provide.  Multiple factors are considered in residency determination beyond the applicant physically residing at an Indiana address. You are strongly encouraged to review the definitions listed at the bottom of the of the page.

• Residency Operating Procedures
• Guide to Residency Reclassification and Frequently Asked Questions

Step 2 – Complete

Print out the Residence Classification form. (Forms are not accepted electronically.) Fill out and sign the Residence Classification form. Make copies of supporting documents to submit along with your completed application.  The various types of acceptable documents are listed on page 2 of the form.

• Residence Classification Form (PDF)

Residence Classification forms are also available for pick up in person in the Office of the Registrar.

Step 3 – Submit

Submit the Residence Classification form and documents by mail or in person to the Office of the Registrar at Purdue University Northwest. Residence classification forms and documents are not accepted via email.

Do NOT send forms and documents to Purdue West Lafayette.  Your completed application must be sent to one of the following addresses based on your home campus.

Office of the Registrar
2200 169th Street
Lawshe Hall, Room 130
Hammond, IN 46323

Office of the Registrar
1401 South US 421
Schwarz Hall, Room 120
Westville, IN 46391

Resident

Our university definition of the term resident is different from the definitions developed by other non-university agencies. Purdue University does not recognize declarations of resident status made by other agencies. Thus, a person who is an Indiana resident for tax or voting purposes, for example, may not qualify as a resident for Purdue University tuition and fee purposes.

For the purposes of this policy, a resident is a student who meets one the following criteria:

• A student who is dependent upon his or her parent(s) or legal guardian and whose parent’s or legal guardian’s domicile is in Indiana
  • for a predominant purpose and
  • prior to the first day of classes of the academic semester or session for which residence classification is sought.
• An independent student whose domicile is in Indiana for
  • a predominant purpose and
  • at least 12 continuous months directly preceding the first day of classes of the academic semester or session for which residence classification is sought.

Independent

A status whereby a student is responsible for their own financial needs, has not been dependent upon their parent or legal guardian for financial support for at least 12 months and cannot be claimed as a dependent on anyone else’s personal income taxes.

Domicile

A person’s permanent home. A person has only one domicile at a given time, although that person may maintain more than one residence at a time. Establishment of a new domicile requires demonstration that the former domicile has been abandoned, with no intent to return. Regardless of age, a student’s domicile is assumed to be that of their parent(s) or legal guardian until such time as the student becomes independent.

Predominant Purpose

Residence in the state of Indiana for a primary purpose other than attending an institution of higher education.

Note: Per the Office of Legal Counsel, university regulations state that “half-time academic status” or more shows that the primary purpose of domicile in Indiana is education. Therefore, an independent student coming to Indiana for the purpose of attending school is not considered to have a primary purpose of becoming an Indiana resident, but rather is domiciled in Indiana to get an education. An independent student living in Indiana while attending school in half-time academic status or more would not be considered for in-state residency. The academic load amount of half-time or more is defined by the Department of Education and would be determined by a student’s classification as an undergraduate, graduate, or professional student.

Additional policy information and definitions about residence classification of students can be found here.