Residency

To be considered an in-state resident (in-district or out-of-district) for admissions and tuition, a student must be physically present in Montana for 12 or more consecutive months for purposes other than education, without an absence more than 30 days total. The student must demonstrate intent to make Montana their permanent home during the 12 month period by:

• • Obtaining a Montana driver’s license or Montana State ID

    • • A student cannot apply for in-state residency with a current license or ID from another state
    • • If a vehicle owner, the student must license their vehicle in Montana within the required legal time limit

• • Filing a Montana income tax return as a resident

Supplemental information includes:

• • Proof of home ownership or copy of lease demonstrating 12 months residency in Montana

• • Pay stub dated 12 months or older demonstrating Montana earnings

• • Utility bill in student’s name demonstrating 12 months continued residency in Montana

When applicable, also include:

• • Montana vehicle registration

• • Montana voter registration

Current students seeking to gain residency must not enroll in more than 7 credits per semester during the 12 months of establishing residency.

A student must demonstrate intent to make Montana their permanent home during a 12 month period as described above in “Out of State to In State Reclassification,” while also fulfilling one of the following to be considered in-district:

• • Live in or dependent whose parents have a permanent residence in Flathead of Lincoln County for one continuous year

• • Own, reside or pay taxes or dependent whose parents own, reside or pay taxes on real property located in Flathead or Lincoln County

Persons 24 and under may be considered a resident if:

• The student normally resides with a parent who is a resident of Montana,
• If the parent who takes the student as an exemption for federal income tax purposes, or supplies the majority of their financial support (51%), is a Montana resident.

Members of the armed forces stationed in Montana on regular active duty, their spouse, and dependent children will be classified as residents during the tour of duty. This does not include service in the Montana National Guard and/or Reserve Units unless full-time, active duty status can be proven.

A person living in Montana who is employed in a permanent, full-time job, his/her spouse, and dependent children are considered residents of Montana without fulfilling the 12-month period, if demonstrated proof can be provided that the primary purpose for the move to Montana was not education, and that all legal ties have been changed to Montana, i.e. driver’s licenses, vehicle and voter registrations, etc. This exemption to the 12-month period is based upon a permanent, full time job offer and acceptance of that offer prior to the individual’s move to Montana, or the submission of any application for admissions materials to a college or university in the state.

Any graduate of a Montana high school accredited by the Board of Public Education who is a citizen of the U.S. or a Permanent Resident Alien, who registers as any unit (college) of the Montana University System no later than the fall fourth term following the student’s high school graduation shall be eligible for in-state fee status for six years from the date of initial registration or until the achievement of a baccalaureate degree, whichever occurs first, provided that the individual attended the Montana high school for the entire senior year.