| Application Name |
Residency Affidavit |
Financially Dependent |
Financially Independent |
Military |
American Indian |
Freely Associated States |
| Waiting Period |
12 months after student moves to Washington |
12 months after parent, step-parent, legal guardian moves to Washington |
12 months after student moves to Washington |
None |
None |
None |
| Student living in WA required |
Student must live in WA 12 months before attending any WA college more than 6 credits each term. |
Not required |
Student must live in WA 12 months prior to the term |
Varies |
Must live in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, or Montana. |
Not required |
| Washington documents (domicile) |
Student must document living in Washington. |
Parent, step-parent, or legal guardian must have Washington documents |
Student must obtain Washington documents at least 11 months prior to the term |
Varies |
Not required |
Not required |
| Financial independence |
Not considered |
Student must be financially dependent* |
Student must be financially independent* |
Not considered |
Not considered |
Not considered |
| Parent, Step-parent, or legal guardian lives in WA |
Not considered |
A parent, step-parent, or legal guardian must live in WA 12 months prior to the term. |
Not considered |
Varies |
Not considered |
Not considered |
| WUE/Cougar Award & Presumption+ |
Students taking more than 6 credits per term during the waiting period are not eligible |
WUE is okay |
Financially independent students may not use the time receiving the Cougar Award towards the waiting period.+ |
WUE is okay |
WUE is okay |
WUE is okay |
| Military affiliation |
Not considered |
Parent may live outside of WA when they maintained WA domicile |
Student may live outside of WA when they maintained WA domicile |
Students eligible for VA Educational benefits and others. |
Not considered |
Not considered |
| American Indian tribal membership |
Not considered |
Not considered |
Not considered |
Not considered |
Members of certain federally recognized tribes |
Not considered |
| Immigration status |
Not considered |
Student and parent must have an eligible immigration status during entire waiting period. |
Student must have an eligible immigration status during entire waiting period. |
Not considered |
Not considered |
Student must be a citizen of FSM, RMI, or Republic of Palau |
| Residency status granted |
Full resident status |
Full resident status |
Full Resident status |
Resident tuition only |
Resident tuition only |
Resident tuition only |
| More Information |
Residency Affidavit information |
Financially Dependent information |
Financially Independent information |
Military Residency information |
American Indian Residency information |
Freely Associated States information |
| Time Requirement to complete application |
Less than 5 minutes |
30 minutes if documentation is prepared in advance |
60 minutes if documentation is prepared in advance |
Less than 5 minutes |
Less than 5 minutes |
Less than 5 minutes |
| Type of documentation required |
May be requested. |
Parent proof of domicile. See Dependent Checklist |
Student proof of domicile. See Independent Checklist |
Varies. Certificate of Eligibility |
Tribal membership card |
Citizenship documentation |
| *Financial status: Financially dependent students are claimed on someone else's taxes and receive more than half of their support elsewhere. Financially independent students are NOT claimed on someone else's taxes and have personal financial resources of at least 51% of the estimated cost of attendance. |
| +WUE and Presumption: Financially independent students must overcome the presumption that they have moved to the state for higher education purposes. Students receiving the WUE are considered to be in the state for educational purposes and may not use the time that they are receiving the WUE towards the 12 month waiting period. Financially dependent students may receive the WUE and be eligible for residency. |