Students can apply for residency under eleven different categories. Some categories require 12 months proof of residence in Nevada, others do not. If you or your family has relocated to Nevada for the PRIMARY purpose of employment and NOT just to attend school, the 12-month period may not apply. Please review each category on the application to see which best fits your needs.

This is not a university-established requirement. This is a State of Nevada requirement. Nevada law requires new residents to change your license or ID within 30 days of relocating. You can keep your out-of-state license if you are to be considered an out-of-state student. The 12-month period during which you establish residency does not start until you change your license. However, there are multiple options you can choose from to show that you have lived here for 12 months, all which can be found on the application in the appropriate category.

Yes, any student that has become discontinued, which happens after two semesters, of inactivity (not including summer) must re-apply for residency regardless if they had residency during a previous semester at UNLV.

No, that is not true. You may only qualify for Nevada residency under the 6-Month Rule if your first matriculation at a Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) institution (including UNLV) occurred between Fall Semester 1995 through Spring Semester 2005. For more information about the 6-Month Rule, refer to the Board of Regents’ decision on Nevada residency.

For tuition purposes, you are a resident of the state in which you filed taxes or claimed as a dependent. Educational institutions receive monetary support to subsidize the educations of their residents. Since Nevada does not receive any monetary support for nonresidents, we must charge out-of-state tuition to make up the difference. You cannot be reclassified as a resident for tuition purposes if you file taxes in another state or if your parents claim you on their taxes and they live out of state. If your parents claim you on their taxes and they live in the state of Nevada, you may choose to go through a parent/guardian to gain residency.

You can be considered a dependent of the parent who resides in Nevada by proving that this parent does provide financial support. A copy of the divorce decree or proof of child support payments should be submitted in addition to the other required documents. This may have to go through the residency appeals committee to be approved if clear and convincing evidence is not provided that the parent in Nevada does not provide financial support.

You are eligible to be claimed as a dependent if at least 50% of your support comes from another source. To be considered a resident for tuition purposes, you must show that you are financially independent through filing your own taxes in the state of Nevada as well as submitting other documents asked for in the residency category for which you are applying. If you can show that you have filed in the state of Nevada and can accurately turn in the appropriate number of proofs from the bottom portion of the category you choose, you may be eligible for in-state residency.

Yes. A copy of your extension request must be submitted with your application in lieu of the return.

We do not EXPECT you to work full time; however, if you wish to be considered a Nevada resident, you must show that you are financially independent. If you are not working or cannot show that your wages/financial aid/scholarships/etc. support your expenses, we assume that your primary purpose for living in Nevada is to attend school and that you are receiving support from outside sources thereby making you an out-of-state student.

If you are moving to Nevada for permanent full time employment prior to your matriculation date at UNLV, you may qualify for Nevada residency under category J. Please note that you would have to have a past pay stub, a Nevada driver’s license (or vehicle or voter registration) and a start date prior to ever taking any courses at UNLV to be considered for category ‘J’. If you have already taken classes prior to starting the employment, category ‘J’ would not be an option for you.

The person you are residing with must be a legal parent, guardian or spouse in order for you to qualify as a dependent.

Living with a family member does not qualify you for resident status for tuition purposes. To qualify for residency, you must demonstrate that you are a dependent of the Nevada resident (claimed on income tax) and that the Nevada resident is your parent or legal guardian.

Becoming the spouse of a Nevada resident does not automatically qualify a student for Nevada residency. However if the spouse has lived in Nevada 12 months, a joint tax return in addition to the other materials in the spouse’s name can be provided as proof of financial independence, regardless of which spouse actually earned the money.

These documents are not necessarily sufficient for 12-months proof. The address on the lease agreement must be the same as the address on the residency application and must show that you have lived in that residence for the past 12 months. If you have lived in two or more residences during the past 12 months, you will need to provide appropriate and verifiable evidence to that effect. If the apartment complex can provide a letter, payment ledger, copies of rent receipts indicating that you paid each month, this document can be reviewed as 12-months proof. Note: In the interest of reducing the amount of paper documentation received with your application, we encourage you to provide proof of residence that is no more than one or 2 pages in length.

Utility companies and banks will provide you with a one-page statement indicating the length of time you have had an account or will have a 1-2 page summary of the last 12 months payments. These options are preferred because it reduces the amount of paper documentation that is received and reviewed. It also helps to expedite the residency decision-making process. Please ensure that the utility and bank statements indicate your name and NV address listed on the documentation submitted.

No. A copy of the first two pages of your 1040 or 1040 EZ is sufficient.

Yes, as stated in the Board of Regents handbook,a student who was initially enrolled in a NSHE institution under the WUE program shall not be reclassified as a resident student following matriculation unless the student disenrolls from the WUE program and pays full nonresident tuition for at least twelve months.

Yes. Simply owning property in Nevada does not make you a Nevada resident.

Many military personnel list Nevada as their state of residence because Nevada residents do not pay state income tax. This is not sufficient to qualify for residency for tuition purposes. Unless the student (or military parent as is usually the case) can show ties to the state of Nevada (federal income tax returns, maintaining a residence), the application for residency cannot be approved.

No. The only way your residency status would revert to out-of-state is if you were approved under false pretenses or if you become discontinued after two semesters of non-attendance (not including summer).

The Board of Regents and the State of Nevada establish the requirements for residency. Residency applications are processed through the Office of the Registrar. If an application for residency is denied, students have the right to submit a letter of appeal and supporting documentation within 30 days of the denial decision. The Residency Appeals Committee will review the application and make a final decision.

To apply for residency, download and complete the Nevada Residency Application and turn it in to the office listed on the application.

Yes, a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces who was honorably discharged within five years immediately preceding the date of matriculation at UNLV is eligible for Nevada residency. You will need to bring your DD214 Copy 4 as documentation. There is no time requirement you have to live in the state of Nevada to receive this benefit as long as you were honorably discharged within the past 5 years. If it has been longer than 5 years since you were honorably discharged, you cannot apply under this category.