Residency Affidavit
The Residency Affidavit is the recommended application for eligible students. It is the easiest and does not ask questions about immigration status or financial independence. This application should be used by any student who has lived in Washington at least 12 months prior to attending any Washington college for more than 6 credits/term. Official name: Washington State Higher Education Residency Affidavit.
Students using the WASFA
If you completed the WASFA, no further action is required. The WASFA includes the Residency Affidavit, though some students opt to also submit the online application for earlier residency processing. You are not required to submit the WASFA to use the Residency Affidavit.
Eligibility Requirements
Students who have lived in Washington for 12 months before admission at ANY Washington college are eligible to use the easier Residency Affidavit. Students who moved to the state and started college for more than 6 credits per term within 12 months must use the Traditional Application. Are you eligible for the Residency Affidavit? - take a quiz to find out.
Per Senate Bill 5194, effective 7/25/21 for terms starting Fall 2021 or later, 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.
Primarily for purposes other than postsecondary education
Students must live continuously in the state of Washington for at least one year primarily for purposes other than postsecondary education before admittance to a Washington college or university. 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.
Online Residency Affidavit
DEADLINE: The 30th day of the semester. Affidavits received after that date will be applied to the next semester. If you already completed the WASFA, read the next section for Students using the WASFA. This application is not always open - the application dates are posted on the homepage.
Processing takes several weeks
Allow several weeks for processing of the online Residency Affidavit. If you submitted the WASFA, your application must be processed by financial aid before it is released to residency. You may submit an online Residency Affidavit if you wish to expedite processing.
Residency Affidavits for high school seniors are provisionally approved pending successful completion of high school requirements. Additional documentation may be requested via your WSU email. Emails may come from Smartsheet, residency@wsu.edu, or jill.freuden@wsu.edu.
Did I get resident tuition?
Your WSU email address will receive a notification when your residency affidavit is processed. Check your residency in myWSU.
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.