New Jersey Tuition Eligibility
NJ Residency Status
Based on information you supply in your admissions application, the Undergraduate Admissions Office will determine your state residency status for tuition assessment. Residency documentation is only required for students who wish to petition for in-state residency or are requested to submit documentation by the Undergraduate Admissions Office.
Who's Eligible for New Jersey Resident Tuition Rates?
The Rutgers University state residency policy (PDF) is governed by New Jersey Administrative Code 9A:5 which requires that individuals be domiciled within the state of New Jersey for at least one year immediately prior to enrollment. Persons who have been domiciled within the state of NJ for less than 12 months prior to initial enrollment are presumed to NOT be domiciled in NJ for tuition purposes. Domicile is defined as the place where a person has his or her true, fixed, permanent home and principal establishment, and to which, whenever he or she is absent, he or she has the intention of returning. Residence established solely for the purpose of attending Rutgers University does not constitute a domicile for tuition purposes.
Dependent Students
Dependent students are presumed to be domiciled in the state in which their parent(s) or U.S. court-appointed legal guardian(s) is domiciled. The New Jersey Administrative Code 9A:9-2.6 defines what qualifies a student as dependent versus independent for tuition assessment and financial aid.
Non-U.S. Citizens
Residency for non-U.S. citizens is determined based on criteria established by federal immigration laws. Most visa holders who are in the United States on a temporary visa are considered out-of-state for purposes of tuition and fees regardless of how long they have been residents of New Jersey.
What Is Required to Qualify?
Documentation will be required to qualify for in-state tuition rates. Such documentation will include:
- A completed Residency Analysis Form (PDF)
- A certified NJ resident income tax return from the year prior to the student’s enrollment
- A copy of a NJ driver's license or non-driver ID, a NJ motor vehicle registration, and a copy of a lease or deed to a NJ home
New Jersey domicile and all supporting documentation must be in effect prior to the beginning of the semester for which you are requesting a change in your residency status. File all petitions no later than 60 days after the start of the term in which the changed status is sought. Once the Residency Analysis Form (RAF) has been submitted, any additional supporting documentation requested by the University must be received within 30 days.
Newly admitted or enrolled students who do not automatically meet the qualifications for in-state tuition rates and wish to qualify for in-state tuition rates must complete the residency analysis form and provide all supporting documents to the appropriate admissions office. You may email residency@admissions.rutgers.edu with any questions pertaining to your undergraduate residency inquiry.
If you are a current matriculating Rutgers–New Brunswick undergraduate student and have inquiries in regard to your residency status, you may contact the Office of the Registrar.
If you are a graduate student, you may contact grad_help@gradadm.rutgers.edu with any inquiries.
Non-Resident/Out-of-State Rutgers Tuition Exemption Affidavit
For Eligible New Jersey High School Graduates and H-1B Visa Dependents
Students who declare that all of the following apply to them may file an application and affidavit for exemption for Rutgers non-resident tuition:
- Attended at least three years of high school in New Jersey; and
- Have or will graduate from a New Jersey high school or have attained the equivalent thereof, such as a High School Equivalency diploma, issued by the State of New Jersey Department of Education; and
- Are NOT a non-immigrant alien with a currently valid visa (Non-immigrants, as defined by federal law, have been admitted to the U.S. temporarily and may have been granted one of the following visas: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, TN, TD, V, TROV, and NATO or any other non-immigrant visa), or are a dependent of a parent or guardian who holds an H-1B, T, U, or O visa.
Please download, complete, and submit the form below to the appropriate admissions office.
Application and Affidavit (PDF)
New Jersey Tuition Equality for America's Military (NJTEAM) Act
Students who are eligible for VA Education Benefits under Chapter 30, 31, 33, or 35 of the GI Bill may qualify for New Jersey resident tuition rates. Please download, complete, and submit the form below to the appropriate admissions office.