Missouri Residency & the Petition Process

Residency status is determined at the time of application based on the state of residence. 

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 students must download and complete the Petition for Missouri Residency Status and submit photocopies of all the required documentation, in order to be considered for Missouri residency. Information on how to submit the petition can be found below. 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. 

Term Deadline
Fall October 1
Spring March 1
Summer July 1

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

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

  1. Reside in Missouri continuously for the 12 months prior to the academic term for which residency is being petitioned. 
  2. Have a minimum of $2,000 taxable earned income in Missouri during the 12 months prior to the academic term for which you are petitioning. 
  3. Show intent of making Missouri a permanent state of residence.  

The checklist on page four of the petition will help guide students on the required documentation that is needed.

International Students

Noncitizen students may petition for Missouri residency if they have lawful immigration status. This includes many visa types including refugee and asylum. Students holding F, J and M visas are NOT eligible for Missouri in-state tuition.  

Optometry Students

Students in the Optometry program must present one additional documents:

  • 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.  Email the residency officer a copy of your military orders. 

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. 

Please note:

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.  

How to submit the residency petition and supporting documentation 

The residency petition should be submitted using the Secure Document Upload function in MyView to safeguard and protect personal information.

When uploading documents for the residency team, please select Records Office on the department drop down menu.

Preparing documents:

Ensure all documents/forms are completed with the necessary information. The preferred method is that documents are in a PDF format

Submitting Documents:

Log into MyView and navigate to Student Center.

Select the the Secure Document Upload tile

 secure document uploader

Once the secure file upload portal has opened, complete the following steps to submit documents:

    1. Select Records Office / Department.
    2. Select the document type of Residency Petition. Once the document type is selected, additional information regarding that document type may appear below the selection box.
    3. Include any additional information in the comment box
    4. Click the "Add Attachment" button to attach the document to upload.
    5. A pop-up box will confirm if the file was uploaded. Select the close option
    6. A confirmation email will be sent confirming the successful upload. 

There are a couple requirements in order to successfully upload documents/forms. 

    • Only acceptable file types can be submitted through the secure file upload. These include: .jpg, .png, .pdf, and .doc file types.
    • Files cannot exceed 17 MB (megabytes) 
    • Files cannot have unusual or special characters in the file name (for example: * % @ ! &)

For questions, please contact admissions at admissions@umsl.edu.

Midwest Student Exchange Program

The Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP) is an initiative designed to increase interstate educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in its member states.Created by the Midwestern Higher Education Commission, the program enables residents of the following states to enroll in the institutions and specified programs located outside their home state at reduced tuition levels:

  • Indiana 
  • Kansas 
  • Minnesota 
  • Missouri 
  • Nebraska 
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Wisconsin

Students gain a more affordable opportunity to attend an out-of-state institutions, while participating institutions gain increased enrollment efficiency in programs with excess capacity.

Tuition Cost

Actual savings through MSEP varies from institution to institution. An MSEP student at UMSL pays 150 percent of the institution's regular resident tuition plus any required fees. The Current Fee Schedules are available from the Cashier's Office. 

 

 

Participating in the Program

Students wishing to take advantage of the Midwest Student Exchange Program and lower tuition rate should first apply for admission to UMSL through the normal process. 

Once admitted to the university, students should submit their completed application along with their supporting documentation through the secure document upload process. Please see the application for information on the supporting documentation that is required. Instructions for submitting documents can be found below.  

Students retain their MSEP status as long as they remain enrolled in a participating degree program, maintain residency in a participating state, and make satisfactory progress toward program completion. MSEP status is revoked if a student changes to a non-participating degree program.

 

 

Participating UMSL Degree Programs

The Midwest Student Exchange program is limited to degree seeking students only. All undergraduate and graduate degree programs qualify to participate in the program. Most doctoral programs qualify except for the doctor of optometry degree.

IMPORTANT - PLEASE BE AWARE OF THE FOLLOWING

Students will need to weigh the benefits of MSEP versus any other offered awards, scholarships, and waivers. Please check with your financial aid coordinator to assist you in weighing the benefits. 

A student's enrollment will be checked each semester to verify they are in a participating MSEP program. If a student is no longer in a participating degree, they will be taken off the MSEP program.

Submitting Your Application for Participation 

All supporting documents are required to be received by the Campus Residency Officer by the end of the eighth week of the current/future Fall or Spring Semester (by the end of the first week of the current/future Summer Session) for which Missouri Resident Status is sought. Petitions and/or evidentiary material arriving after these deadlines will be considered only for a subsequent semester.

Submitting Documents:

Log into MyView and navigate to Student Center.

Select the the Secure Document Upload tile

secure doc uploader

Once the secure file upload portal has opened, complete the following steps to submit documents:

    1. Select Records Office / Department.
    2. Select the document type of Residency Petition. Once the document type is selected, additional information regarding that document type may appear below the selection box.
    3. Include any additional information in the comment box
    4. Click the "Add Attachment" button to attach the document to upload.
    5. A pop-up box will confirm if the file was uploaded. Select the close option
    6. A confirmation email will be sent confirming the successful upload. 

There are a couple requirements in order to successfully upload documents/forms. 

    • Only acceptable file types can be submitted through the secure file upload. These include: .jpg, .png, .pdf, and .doc file types.
    • Files cannot exceed 17 MB (megabytes) 
    • Files cannot have unusual or special characters in the file name (for example: * % @ ! &)
For More Information Contact:

admissions@umsl.edu