In-State Eligibility Notification

Colleges & Universities University of Virginia
1

Hello UVa applicants,
Many of my friends applied early action and have received emails regarding their eligibility for in-state benefits, but I have not. I live in Virginia and I think that my admissions decision is contingent upon being considered in-state. Should I be worried that I haven’t heard back yet or are some of you in the same boat?
Thanks

2

Keep in mind that the Office of Virginia Status has a lot of applications to review. If about 1/3 of 16,000 EA applicants are VA residents, that’s just over 5,300 status decisions and there have only been 14 business days since the deadline (though admission officers read 7 days per week, status is open normal hours, Monday-Friday).

After Thanksgiving, if you are still worried, [you can contact Status](http://www.virginia.edu/provost/vastatus/).

3

Thanks Dean J!

4

If you send your application from a Virginia home address and your transcript is from a Virginia high school, there should be little to no reason to doubt your in-state residency. For most residents, confirming residency is simply a formality.

Keep in mind that there are multiple ways to confirm residency. For example,

  1. You actually reside in the state of Virginia (if your parents live apart from each other and you spend part of the year with each, whichever home you spend more nights at is your primary residence). Or,
  2. You receive more than 50% of your total financial support from a parent who is a Virginia resident. Or,
  3. You are claimed as a dependent on state and federal tax returns by a parent who is a Virginia resident.
    etc.

As a general rule, residency must be established twelve months prior to the date for which you seek an in-state benefit. For admission, that is twelve months prior to the date you submit your application; for a small number of applicants, this could determine when they should submit! For tuition, I think it is twelve months prior to the first day of classes. “Establish residency” means when you or your parents actually begin living in Virginia, i.e., the date they moved here.

5

That’s reassuring. I appreciate the insight.