Education at OHSU

Oregon Residency for In-State Tuition

OHSU has specific criteria for determining Oregon residency for tuition purposes. You may be eligible for in-state tuition if you, or the person on whom you are a dependent for tax purposes:

  • Lived in Oregon for 12 consecutive months prior to enrollment at OHSU; and
  • Did not enroll for more than 8 credits per term at any Oregon college or university during those 12 months.

If you are starting at OHSU in Summer 2024 or later, you may also be eligible if:

  • You graduated from an accredited high school or home school in Oregon no more than 7 years prior to starting at OHSU; and
  • At least one parent/legal guardian has resided, and continues to reside, in Oregon since you completed high school.

Some students may be eligible under other criteria, such as military or veteran status, tribal affiliation, refugee status, or citizenship. 

How to Determine If You Are Eligible

Applicants: If you have not yet been admitted to OHSU, please contact your program or admissions officer for information about residency.

MD Students: If you have not yet started your program at OHSU, please contact mdadmin@ohsu.edu for information about residency.

Oregon residency for tuition purposes is determined according to the Student Residency for Tuition Purposes policy. Please read the policy carefully to determine if it applies to you. Having an Oregon driver’s license, voting in Oregon, having family in Oregon, or having grown up in Oregon do not inherently qualify you for residency status for tuition purposes.

Student Residency for Tuition Purposes Policy

Please note that OHSU adheres strictly to the policy and that you will be required to submit evidence that you meet the criteria. 

I started a program at OHSU a year ago and have now lived in Oregon for a full year. Am I eligible for in-state tuition?
No. Your eligibility for Oregon residency depends on your residency status in the 12 months prior to enrolling at OHSU. Once you have started in an academic program, your residency status will remain unchanged for the duration of your program.

I am a lifelong Oregonian who moved to another state for a year. I have now returned home and will be attending OHSU. Can I be classified as an Oregon Resident for tuition purposes?
It depends. If you are starting your program in Summer 2024 or later, you attended high school in Oregon, you have been out of high school for no more than 7 years, AND your parent/guardian still lives in Oregon, then you can be classified as an Oregon Resident. If you don't meet all of those requirements, then regardless of your personal connection to Oregon, it is your residency and enrollment history during the 12 months immediately prior to commencing enrollment at OHSU that dictates your residency status for tuition purposes. To regain your Oregon residency, you must live in Oregon for 12 months before enrolling full-time at OHSU. 

I came to Oregon to attend college and have now lived and paid taxes here for many years while progressing through school. Can I be classified as an in-state resident for tuition purposes?
No. Regardless of how long you have lived in Oregon, you cannot establish residency while enrolled in an Oregon college or university. To establish Oregon residency while living in Oregon you must take a year off from school and then reapply.

I moved to Oregon because my spouse/partner/family relocated here. Do I qualify for Oregon residency for tuition purposes?
To establish Oregon residency, you (or the person on whom you are financially dependent) must live in Oregon for 12 months without attending an Oregon college or university for more than 8 credits per term. Even if you moved to Oregon with another reason in mind, we must assume that you came here to attend college unless you prove otherwise by working or doing activities other than enrolling in college for the first 12 months.

Do I quality for residency if my permanent address is in Oregon but I have been attending school in another state?
Yes, as long as you return to Oregon within 12 months of finishing school (See policy section 5F.)

Can I retain my Oregon residency if I leave the state to attend school?
Yes, as long as you return to Oregon within 12 months of finishing school (See policy section 5F.)

Can I retain my Oregon residency if I leave the state to do an internship?
It depends on the nature of the internship. If you will be receiving credit for the internship or if you are paid a stipend, rather than a wage, you may be eligible to keep your Oregon residency as long as you return to Oregon within 12 months of finishing.

I attended OHSU as an Oregon resident and then moved out of state. If I start another program at OHSU, will I be classified as in-state or out-of-state?
It depends on how long you’ve lived outside of Oregon. Under section 5.A. of the residency policy, a person who has established Oregon residency retains it as long as they have not physically resided in another state for more than 12 consecutive months. 

    I moved to another state for my spouse/partner to attend school. Do I keep my Oregon residency since I moved out of state for educational purposes?
    No. Section 5.F of the policy, which states that “An Oregon resident who leaves Oregon for continuous enrollment…at an institution outside of Oregon will retain Oregon resident classification...” is based on the premise that a student cannot establish residency in the other state because they are there for educational purposes. If the student is not attending a college or university in the other state, they are establishing residency in that state.

    My primary residence is in Oregon, but I own a secondary residence in another state and have been going back and forth between those two locations. Am I still an Oregon resident?
    Yes. Under section 5.H. of the policy: “The criteria for determining Oregon residency classification shall also be used to determine whether a person who has moved from Oregon has established a non-Oregon residence.” Because your intermittent residence has not allowed you to establish residency in the other state, you have retained your Oregon residency.

    I qualify for Oregon Residency as a veteran under Section 3 of the residency policy. How can I update my residency status to in-state?
    Email veterancert@ohsu.edu to notify us that you qualify as an Oregon resident because of your veteran status. If you are not using your VA benefits at OHSU, you will need to provide your DD214 to verify your eligibility.

    My permanent home is in Oregon, but I have been volunteering/temporarily living in a foreign country for more than a year. When I return, I will not have resided in Oregon for 12 consecutive months before starting at OHSU. Will I be considered an Oregon resident for tuition purposes?
    Yes, as long as you: (1) met the requirements for Oregon residency when you left the United States; (2) are in the foreign country on a temporary visa or otherwise do not have a legal basis to remain in that country; and (3) return to Oregon within 12 months of leaving the foreign country.

    How to Apply

    1. Read the policy to determine if you are eligible for Oregon residency for tuition purposes.
    2. Check the program-specific tuition and fee charts to determine if tuition rates differ between in-state and out-of-state students in your program. Programs that DO NOT have lower rates for in-state students include: the online RN to BS nursing program; master's programs in management, nutrition, human investigations, or physician assistant; and most research PhD programs. 
    3. Complete and submit the Oregon Residency Affidavit. Be sure to attach all required documentation.
    4. Email the form and documentation to the Office of the Registrar.

    Oregon Residency Affidavit

    Nursing Students

    Certain nursing students may be eligible for in-state tuition if they reside in a bordering county or are graduate students coming from certain Western states. More information is available on the School of Nursing webpage.