Sonoma State University
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Determining Residency

Residency 101

To be eligible for resident classification, a student must have established and maintained permanent residence in California at least one full year and one day before the residence determination date. A student is not eligible if s/he moved to California primarily to attend a California higher education institution or because of a financial hardship. The student must prove that s/he moved to California permanently and is not merely living in California temporarily. 

Residence status is based on the Application for Admission, Residence Questionnaire, Reclassification Request Form, or, as necessary, other evidence as furnished by the student. A student who fails to submit adequate information to establish a right to classification as a California resident will be classified as a nonresident. The burden of proof of residency rests solely with the student. 

The Residence Document Deadline is set for each academic term and is part of the Residence Determination Date. The Residence Document Deadline for each term is as follows:

Fall Semester - September 20

Spring Semester - January 25

Summer Semester - June 1

For Residency Appeal Application Instructions, please also refer to the California State University website on determining California Residency (https://www.calstate.edu/apply/california-residency-for-tuition-purposes/Pages/filing-a-residency-appeal.aspx).

The CSU Residence Questionnaire can be found on the CSU website (https://www.calstate.edu/apply/california-residency-for-tuition-purposes/Pages/default.aspx).

Documents Required

A minimum of three documents is required. At least one document must be from List A, and the remaining documents may be selected from either List A or List B:

Option 1: One document from List A and two documents from List B

Option 2: Two documents from List A and one document from List B

Option 3: All three documents from List A (for example, CA driver's license, CA vehicle registration, and CA Voter Registration card)

Please note: The campus residency specialist may require additional documents in addition to those listed in List A and B to determine the residence status.

List A

  • California State Income Tax Return (student can be listed as a dependent on the tax return)
  • Ownership of residential property as a primary residence in California (must meet RDD)
  • Continuous occupancy of rented or leased property in California (must meet RDD)
  • Obtaining a California Driver's License or Identification Card (must meet RDD)
  • Registering To Vote and Voting history (must meet RDD)
  • Registering a Motor Vehicle Operated in California (must meet RDD)
  • Permanent Military Address or Home of Record on Military Records
  • Receipt of California state services (e.g., unemployment, disability, CalFresh) (must meet RDD)
  • Payment of nonresident tuition at an out-of-state institution if attended within the past year

List B

  • Federal Income Tax Return with a California address (student can be listed as a dependent on the tax return)
  • Utility bill (e.g., cell phone, gas, electrical) with the same California address (must meet RDD, and only one utility bill will be accepted)
  • Maintaining Active Resident Memberships in Professional Organizations (e.g., police union, teacher's union) (must meet RDD)
  • Maintaining an Active Bank Account with a California address (must meet RDD)
  • Employment in California (e.g., verification of employment, W-2, pay stubs) (must meet RDD)
  • Vehicle insurance with a California address (student must be listed in the policy) (must meet RDD)
  • Selective Service Registration with a California address
  • Court documents (e.g., ward of the court, divorce decree, or child support)

For more information, visit SSU's Residency Page (with FAQs): https://registrar.sonoma.edu/enrollment-policies/residency-reclassification

 

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