Qualifying for In-State Rates

Maryland residents save on tuition at UMGC, a public state university.

When you complete the residency questionnaire on the application for admission to University of Maryland Global Campus, our admission experts will determine whether you will be classified as an in-state or out-of-state (non-resident) student for tuition purposes.

Requirements for In-State Status

To qualify for in-state status, you must meet the requirements in the University System of Maryland Policy on Student Classification for Admission and Tuition Purposes.

Below are the basic requirements that must be met for a request for classification of in-state status to be considered. You must comply with all of the following requirements for a period of at least 12 consecutive months immediately prior to and including the last date available to register for courses in the semester/term for which you seek in-state tuition status.

• Owning or renting and continuously occupying living quarters in Maryland
• Having substantially all personal property in Maryland
• Paying Maryland income tax on all taxable income
• Registering all vehicles in Maryland
• If licensed, possessing a valid Maryland driver's license
• If registered, being registered to vote in Maryland
• Receiving no public assistance from a state other than Maryland or from a city, county, or municipal agency other than one in Maryland
• Having the legal ability under the law to live permanently and without interruption in Maryland
• Rebutting the presumption that he or she is in Maryland primarily to attend an educational institution

In-State Tuition Eligibility for Veterans

In accordance with federal and Maryland law and University System of Maryland (USM) Policy VIII-2.70 – Policy on Student Classification for Admission and Tuition Purposes, veterans and their spouses and dependent children who do not meet the requirements for in-state status set forth above, will nonetheless be accorded the tuition benefits of in-state status in the following circumstances:

• The veteran was honorably discharged and resides in or is domiciled in Maryland.
• The veteran:
  • Lives in Maryland;
  • Served at least ninety (90) days in the military prior to discharge; and
  • Is using Chapter 33 Post-9/11 GI Bill® or Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill® benefits
  • The veteran or their spouse or dependent child lives in Maryland and
    • Is using transferred Post‐9/11 G.I. Bill® benefits (38 U.S.C. §3319) and the transfer or served at least ninety (90) days in the military prior to discharge or release;
    • Is using transferred Post‐9/11 G.I. Bill® benefits (38 U.S.C. §3319) and the transfer or is a member of the uniformed services who is serving on active duty;
    • Is using benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (38 U.S.C. §3311(b)(9));
    • Is using Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness and Employment benefits (38 U.S.C. §3102(a)); or
    • Is using Chapter 35 Survivors’ and Dependents’ Education Assistance (DEA) benefits. Effective 1 August, 2022.

    Review the USM Policy provided above for further details about in-state tuition eligibility for veterans and their spouses and dependents.

    University System of Maryland Nonresident Tuition Differential Exemption – Maryland Dream Act

    The Maryland Dream Act allows undocumented immigrants who graduated from a Maryland high school the opportunity to qualify for a non-resident tuition differential at public colleges and universities upon meeting certain eligibility requirements and submitting required documentation. Interested applicants must meet all requirements of the Nonresident Tuition Exemption for Eligible Maryland High School Graduates PDF.

    As authorized under Annotated Education Code of Maryland § 15-­‐106.8

    • Comptroller of Maryland - Request for Copy of Tax Return (MD 129)
    • Nonresident Tuition Exemption Request

    General Information

    Any student, other than a non-immigrant alien, within the meaning of 8 U.S.C. § 1101(A)(15), who meets all of the following requirements, shall be exempt from paying the non-resident tuition differential at all public colleges and universities in Maryland.

    1. Attended a public or nonpublic high school in Maryland;
    2. Graduated from a public or nonpublic high school in Maryland or received the equivalent of a high school diploma in Maryland;
    3. Registers as an entering student at a public institution of higher education in Maryland not later than 6 years after graduating from a public or non-public high school in Maryland or receiving the equivalent of a high school diploma in Maryland;
    4. If applicable, provides the institution with a copy of an affidavit regarding the filing of an application to become a permanent resident within 30 days after the individual becomes eligible to do so;
    5. If applicable, provides the institution with documentation that the student has complied with the requirement to register with the Selective Service System;
    6. Provides the institution with documentation that the individual or the individual's parent or legal guardian has filed a Maryland income tax return annually for the 3-year period before the academic year in which the tuition rate exemption would apply;
    7. An individual shall retain the individual's tuition status at a public institution of higher education if the individual:
       • Uses an address in the State on the Maryland income tax return of the individual or the individual's parent or legal guardian annually until the individual is awarded a degree from the public institution of higher education; and
       • On or after June 15, 2012, was exempt from paying the out-of-state or out-of-county tuition rate at a public institution of higher education.

    Procedures for Requesting an exemption from Non-Resident Tuition

    Your institution has established deadlines for submission of exemption requests; however, requests are not to be submitted until you have been admitted to a USM institution. Once you are determined to be eligible for the exemption, you will continue to receive it as long as you fulfill the eligibility requirements or until the University no longer offers this exemption. The exemption covers the Nonresident Tuition differential and the Educational Fee differential charged to non-residents. Applying for the exemption does not alter your responsibility to pay by the campus deadline any non-resident tuition and associated fees that may be due before your eligibility is determined. If you are granted the exemption, any differential will be refunded. For institution-specific instructions regarding documentation and deadline dates, contact:

    UMGC Residency Department
    residency@umgc.edu
    240-684-2107

    ** Students that hold DACA status should not apply for Maryland's Dream Act. Students should complete the Maryland Residency form on the application to request to be considered eligible for in-state tuition rates.