Residency Requirements

Non-resident students apply for residency reclassification by completing the Washington Institutions of Higher Education Residence Questionnaire and by submitting the documents listed on Washington State Residency Requirements checklist page. Remotely, the best way to submit the questionnaire and documents is by Secure Upload. We do NOT accept documents submitted via email. 

Students should inquire (in general) one quarter in advance of becoming a resident student. The college waives the non-resident operating fee differential for eligible students who have submitted all required documents and been approved for residency status within the next three quarters. This significantly reduces the amount of non-resident tuition a student must pay.

Final Deadline – Apply by the 30th calendar day of the quarter. Students should check the online academic calendar for exact dates. By regulation, the college processes applications and documents received after the deadline for the next quarter.

Students who apply or submit their documents after the final deadline do not qualify for a tuition deferment. However, if they later qualify for residency status, they are eligible for a refund of the difference between non-resident and resident tuition. If first residency undetermined, establishing residency is the last day of the quarter. If first non-resident reclassifying as resident for tuition purposes, specific quarterly deadlines are in the academic calendar (the 30th calendar day).

Please note that residency does not automatically update after living in Washington for 12 months as there are other factors that apply. Per RCW 28B.15.012, it is up to the student to provide the institution proof that residency has been established.

Non-resident students apply for residency reclassification by completing a Residence Questionnaire, including supporting documents as outlined on the Washington State Residency Requirements checklist page. Submissions can be received in person (SA 280, second floor of the Student Affairs building) or through the Secure Upload. We are unable to accept documents submitted via email.

Deadline for reclassification

Apply for a residency reclassification no earlier than on quarter before the requested quarter, and no later than the 30th calendar day of the requested quarter. Students should check the online Academic Calendar for exact dates. If a residency change occurs after payment has been made, any difference between non-resident and resident tuition will be refunded to the method it was paid. The college processes applications and documents received after the deadline for the next quarter.

On May 12, 2021, Governor Inslee signed S.B. 5194, which updates the residency requirements under the Affidavit of Residency. Beginning July 25, 2021, students qualify for residency if they meet all the following conditions:

• Received a high school diploma (or equivalent).
• Lived in Washington for at least one year (12 months) immediately prior to starting their first admitted quarter at Green River College.
• Affirm that they are a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or that they will file an application to become a permanent resident of the United States as soon as they are eligible to apply.
• Earn a high school diploma, GED, or diploma equivalent before your first term at the college determining residency, and
• Maintain a primary residence in Washington for at least 12 consecutive months immediately before your first term at the college determining residency. The Washington residence must be for purposes other than college. If you take any courses at another Washington college during the prior 12 months, you cannot have taken more than six credits in any given term. If you exceed that limit you must prove that you have a Washington residence for non-college reasons.
• Earn a high school diploma, GED, or diploma equivalent before your first term at the college determining residency, and
• Maintain a primary residence in Washington for at least 12 consecutive months immediately before your first term at the college determining residency. The Washington residence must be for purposes other than college. If you take any courses at another Washington college during the prior 12 months, you cannot have taken more than six credits in any given term. If you exceed that limit you must prove that you have a Washington residence for non-college reasons.

If you meet all the above requirements, you can use the updated Washington Higher Education Residency Affidavit to request a change in residency status.

We keep this information only in the Office of the Registrar, and your name remains confidential. We do not report your name or any of your information to state or federal government agencies, nor do we reveal your status to any other department or college employee. When approved, you appear as a Washington resident on our college records.

Running Start allows qualified students in grades 11-12 to take college courses online or on the campus of the college offering the courses. The Running Start program covers up to 15 credits of tuition for college-level courses; courses numbered 100 or above, depending on the number of classes taken at the high school.

If a Running Start student enrolls in a course not covered by Running Start funding, the student will be charged tuition for the class according to their residency and the per-credit rate applied for credits. Additionally, Running Start students who enroll in more than 15 credits will be charged tuition for the sixteenth credit and beyond.

Residency policies are set by the Washington legislature and applied uniformly throughout Washington's colleges and universities. For more details about residence classification, please review the various pages of our website and reference the following links to read the relevant Revised Code of Washington and Washington Administrative Code.

State Statute - RCW 28B.15.011-RCW 28B.15.015

State Rules and Regulations - WAC 250-18-010 - WAC 250-18-06

Starting June 9, 2022, military members (including national guard and reservists), veterans, and dependents (spouses, former spouses, and children) who are eligible for VA educational assistance or rehabilitation benefits as defined in Title 38 U.S.C. and Title 10 U.S.C. Chapter 1606 are eligible for the resident tuition rate. There is no time limit for when the student must enroll, and resident student status is maintained as long as they stay continuously enrolled. The student does not need to live in Washington, or actively be using benefits. The military member or veteran does not need to serve for a certain amount of time or have a certain type of service.

Current/Active-Duty Military Members

Current military members are also eligible for resident tuition if they meet one or more of the following conditions:

• Active-duty members stationed in Washington.
• Active-duty members who are stationed out-of-state after being stationed in Washington maintain resident student status as long as they are either:
• Enrolled in a Washington institution prior to the reassignment and stay continuously enrolled after the reassignment or
• Enroll in a Washington institution within three years of the date of reassignment.
• Active-duty members who live in Washington and are stationed in an Oregon county that borders Washington.
• Washington National Guard members (do not have to be on active duty).
• Active-duty members or Washington national guard members stationed out-of-state who entered service as a Washington resident and maintained their Washington domicile.

To update your residency status, submit one of the following documents by the 30^th calendar day of the quarter you plan to obtain resident status:

• Leave and Earning Statement (LES).
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders.

Submissions can be received in person (SA 280, second floor of the Student Affairs building) or through the Secure Upload.

Military Veterans

In addition to qualifying for residency by being eligible for VA educational or rehabilitation benefits, military veterans who meet at least one of the following criteria are eligible for resident tuition:

• Veterans who had at least 10 years of honorable service and at least 90 days of active duty service (separation does not have to be from active duty).
• This is for students who are not eligible for VA educational or rehabilitation benefits.
• They must enter school within three years of separation/retirement from the military.
• They do not need to live in Washington.
• They maintain resident student status as long as they stay continuously enrolled.
• Does not apply to veterans who have a dishonorable discharge from the uniformed services.
• Veterans who were discharged from the uniformed services due to sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.
• They do not need to live in Washington.
• They do not need to enter school within a certain amount of time after separating from the military.
• They maintain resident student status as long as they stay continuously enrolled.
• Does not apply to veterans who have a dishonorable discharge from the uniformed services.

To update your residency status, submit your DD214 Member-2 or Member-4 by the 30^th calendar day of the quarter you plan to obtain resident status. Submissions can be received in person (SA 280, second floor of the Student Affairs building) or through the Secure Upload.

Eligible Military Dependents

In addition to qualifying for residency by being eligible for VA educational or rehabilitation benefits, military dependents who meet at least one of the following criteria are eligible for resident tuition:

• Spouses, state registered domestic partners, or dependents (as defined in Title 10 U.S.C. Sec. 1072(2)) of active-duty members stationed in Washington or of Washington national guard members (national guard members do not have to be on active duty).
  • Enrolled in a Washington institution prior to the reassignment and stay continuously enrolled after the reassignment or
  • Enroll in a Washington institution within three years of the date of reassignment.
• The student does not need to live in Washington.
• If the active-duty member or national guard member is stationed out-of-state, the student maintains resident student status as long as they are either:
• Spouses, state-registered domestic partners, or dependents (as defined in Title 10 U.S.C. Sec. 1072(2)) of active-duty members or Washington national guard members stationed out-of-state who entered service as a Washington resident and maintained their Washington domicile. The student does not need to live in Washington.
• Spouses, state-registered domestic partners and children under 26 of a veteran who separated or retired from the uniformed services with at least ten years of honorable service and at least 90 days of active duty service (separation/retirement does not have to be from active duty).
• This is for students who are not eligible for VA educational or rehabilitation benefits.
• The student must enter school within three years of the veteran's separation/retirement.
• Neither the dependent nor the veteran need to live in Washington.
• The student maintains resident student status as long as they stay continuously enrolled.
• Does not apply if the veteran had a dishonorable discharge from the uniformed services.
• People who live in Washington and are spouses or dependents of active duty members who live in Washington and are stationed in an Oregon county that borders Washington. If the active duty member moves out of Washington or is stationed outside of an Oregon county that borders Washington, the student maintains resident student status as long as they are either:
• Enrolled in a Washington institution prior to the reassignment/move and stay continuously enrolled after the reassignment/move or
• Admitted to an institution before the reassignment/move and enrolled in the institution for the term the student was admitted.

To update your residency status, submit one of the following documents by the 30^th calendar day of the quarter you plan to obtain resident status:

• Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders
• Spouse or parent DD214

Submissions can be received in person (SA 280, second floor of the Student Affairs building) or through the Secure Upload.

On May 12, 2021, Washington State Governor Inslee signed S.B. 5194, which makes it easier for undocumented students to pay resident tuition. To pay resident tuition you must meet the two conditions below:

• Earn a high school diploma, GED, or diploma equivalent before your first term at Green River, and
• Maintain a primary residence in Washington for at least 12 consecutive months immediately before your first term at the college determining residency. The Washington residence must be for purposes other than college. If you take any courses at another Washington college during the prior 12 months, you cannot have taken more than six credits in any given term. If you exceed that limit you must prove that you have a Washington residence for non-college reasons.

You must also complete the online Washington State Residency Affidavit form. Students who complete the Affidavit as part of their Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA), they do not need to submit a separate form to the Office of the Registrar.

DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) Students

If you cannot qualify for resident tuition because you do not have a high school diploma or other credential that is equal to a high school diploma you may still qualify if you do the following:

• Submit a copy of your work authorization card, and
• A copy of your INS Notice of Action receipt for deferred action.

If approved for residency based on the documentation listed above, you must also have lived in Washington State as your primary home for at least 12 months right before you begin taking classes.

Students who are members of one of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribes, whose traditional and customary tribal boundaries included portions of the state of Washington, or whose tribe was granted reserved lands within the state of Washington, are eligible for resident tuition per RCW 28B.15.0131.

Members of Native American Tribes with traditional tribal boundaries that include parts of Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho may qualify for residency status by meeting both of the following conditions:

• Live in one or a combination of states that include Washington, Oregon, Montana and Idaho for at least 12-months before you apply
• Submit documented membership in one of the federally recognized tribes eligible for resident tuition to the Office of the Registrar. Submissions can be received in person (SA 280, second floor of the Student Affairs building) or through the Secure Upload.

International students who are reclassifying to domestic student status because they are no longer holding international status or received a Temporary Protected Status must do the following:

• Inform your International Advisor regarding residency reclassification
• Submit a domestic student application found on Green River's Getting Started page
• Submit documentation of your new immigration status AND expired Visa / I-94 of status duration
• Communicate to the Office of the Registrar of your intentions of reclassifying at OTR@greenriver.edu

This process may take upwards of 3-5 business days for review. Students should provide all documentation of their immigration status to prevent the delay of review. All residency reclassifications are reviewed on an independent basis and are dependent on each student's individual circumstances.

• Driver’s license or state ID
• Vehicle registration
• Voter registration
• Establishing a bank account in WA
• Lease or home agreement
• Employment in WA

Individuals are considered “financially independent” if they meet the following criteria for the current and previous calendar years (January – December):

• • Were not claimed as a dependent on someone’s tax return
  • Did not receive significant financial assistance from parents, relatives, legal guardians, or others (excluding spouse)

For students who are financially independent, we must determine if the students have established domicile in the state of WA. Students may be asked to provide documentation to prove financial independence. For students who are financially dependent upon their parent(s) or legal guardian(s), we must determine if the parent(s) or guardian(s) have established domicile in the state of WA.

When getting ready to transfer to a four-year public university in Washington State or to attend a different Community and Technical College, it’s important to look closely at the school you want to transfer to and understand their requirements for resident tuition. Your residency status at any educational institution in Washington doesn’t carry over to other schools. Make sure you understand both the requirements and how to apply for residency before you apply for admission.

Washington State legislation sets the laws that determine residency under the following statutes, rules and regulations:
State Statute – RCW 28B.15.011 - RCW 28B.15.015 
State Rules and Regulations – WAC 250-18-010   – WAC 250-18-06  

The Washington Student Achievement  (WSAC), in collaboration with our State Attorney General’s office, helps interpret the laws for college and university residency officers to uphold.

If students have a tuition balance due, they can view the details of the charges in the ctcLink Financial Account tile. The details will show if the charges are resident or non-resident.  You can also inquire about your residency status by emailing Office of the Registrar.