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Residency Affidavit

Official name: Washington State Higher Education Residency Affidavit

General Information

Students who have lived in Washington for 12 months prior to starting college my be eligible using the easier Residency Affidavit. If you completed the WASFA, no further action is required - the WASFA includes the Residency Affidavit. Are you eligible - take a quiz to find out. We do not collect your answers.

Deadline

The 30th day of the semester. Affidavits received after that date will be applied to the next semester, though the application will not typically be available until the main application open. Visit the Residency homepage for the current dates when the applications are available.

Eligibility Requirements

Anyone meeting the eligibility requirements may use a Residency Affidavit. 

Effective June 9, 2022

Students must continuously live in the state of Washington for at least one year primarily for purposes other than postsecondary education before admittance to a college or university. Students attending college for more than six credits each term may not count that time towards the waiting period.

  • Students using a J-1 Visa (Exchange Visitor) or F-1 Visa (Academic Student) are considered to be in Washington for educational purposes. 
  • Students who move to Washington and attend college more than 6 credits/term during the waiting period are not eligible for the Residency Affidavit. Those students may be eligible using the traditional residency application

Terms starting Fall 2021 or later

Per Senate Bill 5194, effective 7/25/21, and as interpreted by the Washington Student Achievement Council, students may qualify for resident tuition at WSU if they:

  • Earn a high school diploma, GED, or diploma equivalent before the first term at WSU, AND
  • Maintain a primary residence in Washington for at least one year (12 consecutive months) (effective 6/9/22) for primarily for purposes other than postsecondary education, AND
  • Sign an affidavit stating that they meet the above requirements, AND
  • Students who are not US citizens, national, or permanent resident agree to file an application to become a permanent resident of the US as soon as they are eligible to apply. They additionally agree to engage in activities designed to prepare them for citizenship, including citizenship or civics review courses.

Are you eligible? Find out!

Try our Residency Affidavit Survey to see if you are eligible to use this affidavit.


How long does this take?

Allow several weeks for processing of a paper or online Residency Affidavit. High school seniors may submit a Residency Affidavit after they have applied for admission. Residency Affidavits submitted prior to high school graduation will be preliminarily approved pending receipt of documentation that demonstrates that the student is eligible. We will provisionally code you as a Resident if you appear to meet the qualifications. If you are a high school senior, and have not graduated when you submit your WASFA, we will review your updated high school transcript when your school submits it to WSU. Additional documentation may be required for students who did not immediately attend WSU after high school. Watch your email for emails from Smartsheet or residency@wsu.edu.RA old laws

How to apply

WASFA filers

The WASFA includes the Residency Affidavit. There is no need to submit a form. Your affidavit will be processed after it is reviewed by financial aid. If the term has started, or you completed the WASFA quite a while ago, use the online application.

Students who did not apply for financial aid or filed FAFSA

Online Residency Affidavit

WSU has an online process for Residency Affidavits. Use this if you did NOT complete the WASFA. 


Do I do this every year?

No, the affidavit is submitted once and does not need to be renewed unless you re-apply to WSU, perhaps after a gap year or if you wish to attend Graduate School.


Financial Aid

There are financial resources for undocumented students available through Student Financial Services. Students who complete the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) starting in 2019 may have already submitted the Residency Affidavit. 


Did I get resident tuition?

If you provided your WSU Email address with your online application, we will email you when your residency affidavit is processed. For all other students, you can determine if you are paying resident tuition in myWSU. How do I read my tuition bill?


Prior Residency Laws

Residency Affidavit
Residency for Tuition