Office of the Registrar

Office of the Registrar

Home / Policies and Procedures / Residency
We strive to make pursuing your degree as affordable as possible. Depending on where you live, you could qualify for tuition discounts from UMKC.

Tuition Rates and Discounts

Students from Missouri

All Missouri residents, including lawful permanent residents, pay the lowest tuition rate for both undergraduate and graduate programs.

Tuition and fees

Students from Kansas

We offer a tuition discount equal to the in-state tuition rate to all undergraduate students from Kansas and graduate students from certain Kansas counties.

Kansas rate

Undergraduate students from the Heartland

We offer a tuition discount, equal to 150% of the in-state tuition rate, for all undergraduate students who are residents of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas or Wisconsin.

Heartland Rate

Graduate students from the Kansas City Metro

Graduate students — with the exception of those enrolled in law, medicine, dentistry and pharmacy professional programs — who live in the Kansas City area qualify for the Metro rate, a discount equal to the in-state tuition rate.

Metro rate

Graduate students from the Midwest

Residents of Wisconsin, Kansas, Ohio, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Indiana and North Dakota enrolled in select graduate programs are eligible for the Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP) tuition discount.

MSEP rate

Active military and U.S. veterans

Active military members, as well as those who have been honorably or generally discharged, who are currently living in Missouri or Kansas qualify for a tuition discount. Military spouses and dependents also qualify. 

Veteran and military benefits

Apply for a Change in Residency Status

If you can provide proof of residency in Missouri or Kansas for the 12 months before the semester starts, you may submit an in-state residency status application form and the required documents, along with a $250 non-refundable processing fee. You must be enrolled for the term for which you are petitioning.

Apply for a change in residency status.

How Do We Determine Residency?

  • If you graduated or will graduate from a high school in Missouri and have a Missouri address, you’re a Missouri resident. Same goes for Kansas.
  • If you graduated or will graduate from a high school that's not in Missouri or Kansas, you are a nonresident, even if you or your parents own property in Missouri or Kansas.
  • If you have a previous record as a resident of a state other than Missouri or Kansas, you are considered a nonresident.
  • If you have lived in a state for less than 12 months before applying to UMKC, your residency will be your previous state of residence.
  • If you are under 21, your residency is determined by where your parents live unless you are an emancipated minor or prove your financial independence. Independent students are not claimed on their parents’ taxes and do not receive financial support from their parents. A student may become emancipated through marriage, formal court action, abandonment or positive action of alienation on the part of the student.
  • Students with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status are not eligible for residency.
  • If you are here on an F, J, M visa or on a B visa participating in recreational study, you are not eligible for in-state or discounted tuition rates.
  • Applications from holders of most other visa types, such as H visa, will be reviewed automatically for in-state or discounted tuition rates.
  • Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development Policies and Guidelines on Residency

 

Questions About Residency?

Check out the FAQs below to find answers to commonly asked questions about residency and changing your residency status.

If you have additional questions after reviewing the FAQs below, please email us at residency@umkc.edu. 

  1. Why is there a $250 processing fee?

    This non-refundable fee covers the cost of processing your residency petition and supporting documents. If your petition is not completed or approved for the semester in which you petition, you may choose to reapply for a subsequent semester and pay another processing fee. Your petition will not be reviewed until the fee has been paid; if you submit your petition before the deadline for the term, but do not pay the processing fee your petition may be reviewed for change in residency status for the following term. 
  2. How can I prove that I am a Missouri resident for the purpose of being assessed in-state tuition? 

    There are several factors associated with petitioning for a change in residency status.  These factors include, but are not limited to, providing documentation that you physically resided in Missouri or Kansas for at least one full year (12 consecutive months) prior to the first day of classes for the semester for which you are petitioning; providing documentation that you significantly rely on in-state resources for your financial support;  providing documentation which demonstrates your intent to make Missouri or Kansas your permanent residence indefinitely. Additional requirements can be found at: https://www.umkc.edu/registrar/policies-procedures/residency/residency-application.html#How-to-Submit-Required-Documents

  3. I have resided in Missouri for the past 12 months. Am I automatically considered a Missouri resident? Will my fees automatically change to resident fees? 

    No, just residing in Missouri for 12 consecutive months does not automatically make you a resident. To have your residency status reconsidered, you must petition for a change in residency status and submit supporting documentation. Additional information on this can be found at:  https://www.umkc.edu/registrar/policies-procedures/residency/residency-application.html#How-to-Submit-Required-Documents

  4. Why can't I leave the state for more than 14 days (excluding university breaks) during my 12-month qualifying period? 

    By petitioning for a change in residency status, you are indicating to us that you are a resident of the state with the intent to be a Missouri or Kansas resident for an indefinite period. Leaving the state for a significant amount of time, especially during times of non-enrollment (such as the summer months), does not typically prove intent to make Missouri or Kansas your permanent residence for an indefinite period of time.

  5. Can I still be considered a Missouri resident if I'm claimed on my parents'/legal guardians' taxes in another state?  

    When petitioning for Missouri residency, you are indicating that you are independent of your parents’ or legal custodians’ care, custody, and support, regardless of your age. However, not being claimed as a dependent is not an automatic, nor the primary factor for independent status.
     
  6. How will becoming a Missouri resident affect my student financial aid or my student loans?

    If you receive financial aid or student loans you should contact the UMKC Financial Aid office at 816/235-1154 or finaid@umkc.edu to determine how changing your residency status might affect you.

  7. My parents/legal guardians are not residents of Missouri, but file income taxes and/or property taxes in Missouri, does this qualify me for Missouri resident status?

    No, working in Missouri and/or owning property in in the state that is not your primary domicile does not make one a Missouri resident. Residency is determined by where one physically resides, and the criteria associated with that residence.

  8. Can I petition for Missouri residency if I was not physically in the state for more than 14 days during my 12-month qualifying period if I can prove I was physically present in Missouri for 12 months prior to leaving?

    No, you must have physically resided in Missouri the 12 months immediately prior to the term for which you are petitioning.

  9. May I be granted a change in residency status if I was living in another state, but working in Missouri or Kansas?

    No, you must physically reside in the state for which you are petitioning a change in residency status to. 

  10. My parent/legal guardian is a UMKC alum, does this qualify me for Missouri residency status? 

    No, alumni status has no impact on your residency status.

  11. Does living with a non-parental/non-legal guardian family member in Missouri affect my residency status?

    If you're under 21 years of age your residency is determined by your parents'/legal guardians’ residency status. If your parents/legal guardians are residents of a state other than Missouri, then you are considered a resident of that state. Living with a family member or friend in Missouri does not make you a Missouri resident.

  12. My parents/legal guardians live in another state but I graduated from a Missouri high school, does this qualify me for Missouri resident status?

    No, your residency status is determined by the primary domicile of your parents/legal guardians, until you are 21 years of age.

  13. My parents/legal guardians moved to Missouri after I applied for admission and/or started attending UMKC, will my residency status automatically change?

    If you parents have moved to Missouri or Kansas and established residency in the state after you applied for admission and or started attending classes at UMKC please contact the UMKC Admissions Office at 816/235-8652 or admissions@umkc.edu to discuss your options.

  14. Can I petition for a term for which I am not enrolled?

    No, you must be enrolled for the term your petition is being submitted.

  15. As an international student attending UMKC on a visa, can my Missouri resident status change? 

    International students who have been approved for Missouri resident status whose visa changes to F, J, or M will no longer be eligible for Missouri residency. Student status will be changed to Non-Missouri Resident; International, and students will be assessed international tuition and fees. For more information contact the UMKC International Student Affairs Office at 816/235-1113 or ISAO@umkc.edu

More Ways to Pay for College

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Awards for Missouri residents
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Veteran and military scholarships
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Scholarships for nonresidents
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Funding for international students