Graduate Studies - Residency

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WKU Residency Information for Graduate Students

 

WKU Graduate Studies is responsible for making initial residency determinations at the time of admission for all graduate students, based on the approved university Student Residency Policy. (Note: undergraduate initial residency determinations are made by the the Office of Admissions.)  All residency reclassification appeals are administrated by the Office of the Registrar.

The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) is responsible for the establishment of criteria for determining residency in the state of Kentucky for tuition purposes. All residency decisions are governed by Kentucky Administrative Regulation 13 KAR 2:045.

At Western Kentucky University, a residency determination is made based on information supplied by each prospective student via the application for admission. If insufficient information exists to make a determination, applicants will be sent a residency reclassification affidavit that serves as a tool to gather more information in order to ensure a correct determination.

Because of the complex nature of residency determinations, no final decision on a student's residency reclassification request can be made until all of the required documentation is received.

In general, in-state residency for tuition purposes requires domicile and legal residence in Kentucky prior to enrollment. Please note that "residency for tuition purposes" is defined by the state regulation. Upon acceptance to the university, students can view their residency status via TopNet (from the Student Services tab, choose Registration, then View Student Information). A student's residency status remains unchanged unless a residency change request initiated by the student or an internal audit reveals an incorrect or outdated classification.

All residency determinations will be made based on the comparison of the residency affidavit with 13 KAR 2:045. Residency decisions will be provided in writing to the applicant. Applicants can petition for reclassification once per term (spring, summer, fall). Residency reclassifications cannot be applied retroactively. Deadlines for residency reclassifications for the current term are published by the Office of the Registrar in the Registration Guide.

For further information on initial residency determinations, contact Graduate Studies at 270-745-2446 or graduate.school@wku.edu, and for information on residency reclassification, please contact the Office of the Registrar at 270-745-3351 or registrar@wku.edu.  The CPE Student Residency site (http://cpe.ky.gov/legislation/residency.html) also has additional information on residency.

Current WKU students can check their residency status by logging onto TopNet. Choose the Student Services tab, click on "Registration" and then "View Student Information".