Residency for Tuition Purposes

In general, you must be a bona fide resident of Wisconsin for at least 12 continuous months prior to enrollment to be eligible for resident tuition. Students who come to and remain in Wisconsin primarily for educational purposes are presumed to continue to reside outside the state. If you move to Wisconsin to attend school, you will not automatically become a resident of Wisconsin for tuition purposes, even after living in Wisconsin for a year or more. In determining residence for tuition purposes, different standards are used than those that may be used for voting, paying taxes, etc.

If you do not qualify as a Wisconsin resident or the university lacks sufficient information to determine that you qualify as a Wisconsin resident, you will be assessed nonresident tuition.

If you are unsure whether you qualify for resident tuition under Wisconsin Statutes 36.27(2), please contact a residency specialist by emailing residency-tuition@uwm.edu. We are serving students through phone calls, email and video chats at this time. The mailing address to send documents for residency determinations is:

Residency Specialist UW-Milwaukee
PO Box 749
Milwaukee, WI 53201

It is our goal to make students residents whenever possible in accordance with the state law. While every student has the right to submit an appeal, consulting with a residency specialist can help you determine whether moving forward with an appeal is a practical decision. The specialist will provide guidance and will give a professional opinion about the likelihood of a successful appeal based on the circumstances of your situation. Having a clear understanding of the law and the appeals process could save you a good deal of time and energy. You must contact a residency specialist to obtain the nonresident tuition appeal form. Appeal forms are available no earlier than the semester prior to the semester for which you want to appeal. Completed appeals with supporting documentation must be received no later than the date tuition is due for the semester for which you are appealing. You must be a registered student to have your appeal heard by the Nonresident Tuition Appeals Committee. To avoid cancellation of your registration for nonpayment of tuition and fees, you must pay at least the minimum balance due while your appeal is pending.

To obtain a nonresident tuition appeal form, please email residency-tuition@uwm.edu to make an appointment with a residency specialist.

UWM offers a special Non-Resident Midwest tuition rate, which is available to students who meet the criteria and are residents of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio and South Dakota. Midwest Tuition applies to all on-campus associate, bachelor’s and graduate programs. Non-degree students are also eligible.

Students are automatically reviewed for eligibility for the special Non-Resident Midwest Tuition rate and will be notified via their letter upon admission to the university.

Non-Resident Midwest Tuition eligibility criteria are as follows:

• The Non-Resident Midwest Tuition rate will apply for all on-campus degree program levels, associate and undergraduate bachelor’s degrees as well as graduate programs.
• Students must be US citizens and have a permanent address listed in one of the participating states within the Non-Resident Midwest Tuition program.

Find more information on the Midwest Residence cost and financial aid page.

The Minnesota-Wisconsin Tuition Reciprocity Agreement says that residents of Minnesota can attend Wisconsin institutions in approved programs and be assessed at the approved reciprocity tuition rate, plus segregated fees assessed for all students. Minnesota residents who wish to take advantage of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Tuition Reciprocity Agreement should apply for certification as a Minnesota resident at The Minnesota Office of Higher Education website.

Minnesota-Wisconsin Tuition Reciprocity Agreement should apply for certification as a Minnesota resident at The Minnesota Office of Higher Education website.

You can direct any eligibility questions to:

State of Minnesota Office of Higher Education Reciprocity Program
1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350
St. Paul, MN 55108-5227
651-355-0613 or 800-657-3866

Learn more: The Minnesota-Wisconsin Tuition Reciprocity Agreement

If you have a parent who has lived continuously in Wisconsin for at least 12 months and you:

• Graduated from a Wisconsin High school, OR
• Are claimed as a tax dependent for federal income tax purposes by one of your parents

You may be considered a resident for tuition purposes.

To qualify, one or both of your parents must have lived continuously as residents in Wisconsin, and maintained all legal ties to Wisconsin, for at least the 12 months prior to the start of the term (or your last surviving parent was a resident of the state for the year before death). Your parents must also be US Citizens, Permanent Residents, or hold a visa that allows for indefinite residency in the United States.

Individuals, their parents, or their spouse who have been relocated to Wisconsin for employment purposes and who remain continuously employed full time by that employer may be eligible for in-state tuition.

Individuals must have accepted their current full-time employment before moving to Wisconsin and before filing an application for admission to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In addition, such individuals must have moved to Wisconsin for employment purposes and must have remained continuously employed full time by that same employer since their arrival in order to continue to qualify under this section of the statute.

If you are not a U.S. citizen or Green Card holder, you need to be in possession of a visa that permits indefinite residence in the United States or have been approved as a resident alien of the United States for the 12 months immediately prior to the beginning of your intended term of enrollment. In addition, you must qualify for residency under some part of Wisconsin Statutes 36.27(2) in order to be classified as a resident for tuition purposes at the UW-Milwaukee.

There is an exception to this for approved asylees or refugees. If you moved to Wisconsin immediately upon arrival in the United States and you have resided in Wisconsin continuously since moving here, you will be classified a resident for tuition purposes.

You may be classified as a Wisconsin resident for tuition purposed under one of the following exemptions, due to military or veteran status: 

1. Anyone who is stationed on Active Duty in the State of Wisconsin, as long as the individual remains stationed in Wisconsin. This also includes their spouse and children.
2. Anyone who is stationed at a military installation located within 90 miles of the State of Wisconsin AND who resides in Wisconsin, as long as that individual remains stationed within 90 miles of Wisconsin and continues to reside in Wisconsin. This also includes their spouse and children.
3. Anyone who served on Active Duty in the US Armed Forces for at least 10 years, who was honorably discharged from that service within the 4 years immediately prior to the student’s enrollment at this institution, and who filed Wisconsin state income tax returns for at least 8 of the last 10 years of active duty in the US Armed Forces. This also includes their spouse and children.
4. Anyone who resides in Wisconsin at the time they enroll at this institution, and who is a veteran as defined in Wisconsin Statutes 45.01(12). The individual must physically reside in Wisconsin before they are granted a resident classification. This does not include the spouse and children of that person.
5. Anyone who has served as a member of the Wisconsin National Guard or any U.S. Military Reserves unit for the six-months directly prior to the beginning of a semester AND who has physically resided in Wisconsin for that same period. The student must maintain their enlistment during their enrollment period or must document an honorable discharge to maintain eligibility. This is a limited form of residency which lasts for 128 credits or 8 semesters, whichever is more. This does not include the spouse and children of that person.

All five of these require additional documentation that will be requested during a residence review sometime after the student submits their residence application.

(This part can all remain the same) The Military Education Benefits Office is dedicated to providing current and past members of the military, as well as their qualifying dependents, with accurate information and timely processing of their state and federal military educational benefits. Learn more: The Military Education Benefits Office

If you are a minor and your parents move out of the state during the 12 months prior to your enrollment at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, you will be classified as a nonresident unless you have lived in Wisconsin during a substantial portion of your life and for the full year before enrollment. If your parents move out of the state, you are 18 or older, and you are living in the state of Wisconsin and maintaining your legal ties, you can retain your resident status for tuition purposes in your own right.

If you are 18 or older and move out of the state with your parents, you will be considered a nonresident.

If you enter and remain in Wisconsin principally to attend an educational institution, you are presumed to continue to reside outside the state. This presumption remains in effect unless you are able to demonstrate you have overcome the presumption with clear and convincing evidence of bona fide residence in the state. This evidence must be in place for 12 months prior to the term for which you wish to enroll at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. See Wisconsin Statutes 36.27(2) Section (e).

If after twelve months of the change in the student’s reason for being in Wisconsin, the student may wish to inquire about appealing their nonresident status. Please do so by reaching out to the residency team.