Residency & Midwest Student Exchange Program

Missouri Residency

In order to petition for Missouri residency status, one must be admitted to the University of Missouri - St. Louis.  To obtain Missouri residency status as an out-of-state student, one must live and work in Missouri for 12 consecutive months immediately prior to the semester they petition for residency. Additional requirements must be met to prove domicile/presence in the state of Missouri.  The University of Missouri - St. Louis follows the rules set forth by the Missouri Department of Higher Education in determining Missouri residency status.

To apply for in-state status you must complete the Petition for Missouri Residency Status (PDF 184KB) and submit photocopies of all the required documentation, in order to be considered for Missouri residency. It is the responsibility of the student to initiate the request for change to Missouri residency. There are no automatic reviews/changes to the residency status. Students who have had the petition for Missouri resident status denied and later feel they have met the requirements, must re-petition, supply all supporting documents, and meet required deadlines.  Each petition from an applicant or accepted student is reviewed individually and in accordance with tuition assessment rules; therefore, it is important that the petition be completed accurately and all required supporting evidentiary material be submitted with the petition.

It is required that all material be received by the Campus Residency Officer by the established deadlines in order for the petition to be reviewed for the current semester. 

Other conditions and circumstances may result in residency being granted, the policy cited here notwithstanding.

If you resided in Missouri in 2019, and have been affected by COVID-19, and have been unable to remain in Missouri during your qualifying twelve months, there may be exceptions.  Please contact the residency office.   

Students must meet the requirements listed below in order to be classified as a Resident for Fee Purposes:

1. Cannot be claimed as a dependent in another state. Provide a copy of parent's Federal Income Tax form.
2. Reside in Missouri continuously for the 12 months prior to the academic term for which residency is being requested. Provide a copy of lease or contract for proof of rent and dated paycheck stubs indicating employment. Provide paycheck stubs to cover time periods when not in class attendance. May also provide two documents of evidence of domicile. Examples include utility or phone bill
3. Have minimum of $2,000 taxable earned income in Missouri during the 12 months prior to the academic term for which residency is requested. Provide a copy of dated paycheck stubs and/or W-2 and a letter from your employer (on company letterhead) verifying beginning date of current employment and hours worked per week. If you have filed a Missouri tax form within the past 12 months, submit a copy as well as the Federal tax return.
4. Have a valid Missouri Driver's License, a Missouri Voter Registration Card, and, if a car is registered in the student's name, proof of its registration in Missouri.
5. Noncitizen students may petition for Missouri residency if they have lawful immigration status. This includes many visa types including refugee and asylee. Students holding F, J and M visas are NOT eligible for Missouri in-state tuition.  

Optometry Students at the University of Missouri-St. Louis seeking a change in residency status must present two additional documents:

• A signed statement from the student of intent to make Missouri his/her permanent state of residence.
• A written job offer from a licensed practicing Missouri optometrist or ophthalmologist for a position immediately following graduation and licensure.

Members of the Armed Forces: Missouri Revised Statutes-Section 41.890. For the purposes of student resident status, military personnel, when stationed within the state under military orders, their spouses, and their un-emancipated children under twenty-four years of age who enroll in a Missouri community college, Missouri college, or Missouri state University shall be regarded as holding Missouri resident status.

Illinois Rate: If a student moves from another state into Illinois, they will need to prove Illinois residency the same as if they are seeing Missouri residency by petitioning and providing the supporting documents with intent to make Illinois a permanent place of residence for an indefinite period of time. 

The decision of the Campus Residency Officer will not affect the University refund policy nor any other University fees unrelated to residency.

Because the burden of proof of Missouri residency lies with the student, it is important to answer fully all applicable questions and to provide as much supporting material as possible to the Campus Residency Officer at the following address:

Mary Tackett 
Campus Residency Officer
University of Missouri-St. Louis 
269 Millennium Student Center 
One University Blvd 
Saint Louis, MO 63121-4400 

Office: (314) 516-5545

Residency@umsl.edu