UMBC, as a part of the University System of Maryland (USM), defines in-state status as someone who:

has, for at least twelve (12) consecutive months immediately prior to and including the last date available to register for courses in the semester/term for which the student seeks in-state tuition status, the continuous intent to:

1. Make Maryland his or her permanent home; and
2. Abandon his or her former home state; and
3. Reside in Maryland indefinitely; and
4. Reside in Maryland primarily for a purpose other than that of attending an educational institution in Maryland.

-OR-

• is, or is the spouse or financial dependent of, a full-time or part-time (50%) regular employee of a University System of Maryland educational institution

-OR-

• is, or is the spouse or financial dependent of, a full-time member of the U.S. Armed Forces, residing or stationed in Maryland, or whose home of residency is Maryland.

For additional information, please refer to the USM page concerning Residency.

For a complete breakdown of both UMBC's In-State and Out-of-State tuition rates, please refer to the Tuition and Fees page.

A Residency Petition form must be completed and submitted to the Registrar's Office 's Residency Evaluator by mail or hand delivery. Faxed copies of the petition and documentation will not be accepted. Please mail or hand deliver the form and all required documentation (detailed in the form) to.

UMBC
Attn: Residency Evaluator
Registrar's Office
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250

Financially dependent students must have their petition form signed by their Parent/Guardian/Spouse and notorized. Notary services are available for these purposes at the on-campus bookstore and bank located in the Commons.

Your completed petition and all required documentation must be submitted to the Registrar's Office by the last day of late registration for the term which you request to be classified as "In-State."

The petition is only considered valid if the student enrolls in the term in question.

During the processing time of the petition the student will still be billed as an Out-of-State resident.  Students will be responsible for any late fees and finance charges that are assessed to their student account during the petition process. If an approval is granted, then Student Business Services will credit the student's account for any excess tuition paid.

If a petition is denied, the student can choose to appeal.  There are two levels of appeal:

1. A student whose Petition for in-state reclassification has been denied may appeal that decision to the Campus Classification Officer. This request must be received no later than fifteen (15) working days from the date of the Residency Evaluator's written denial of the Petition. Failure to appeal within fifteen (15) working days will mean that the Residency Evaluator's decision is final and no appeal will be reviewed, no secondary decision will be made, and the denial will be maintained for the remainder of the semester.
2. A student whose appeal is denied by the Campus Classification Officer may file a written appeal with the Residency Appeals Committee within fifteen (15) working days. This appeal should present any and all information upon which the appeal is based and of which the student would like the Committee to be aware. Unless otherwise specifically requested by the Committee, information and arguments not presented by the student to the Campus Classification Officer shall not thereafter be considered on appeal. It is the student’s responsibility to provide complete and timely responses to requests for information by the Committee; failure to do so may result in a denial of the appeal. If an approval is granted, Student Accounts Receivable will credit the student’s account for any excess tuition paid. The decision of the Residency Appeals Committee is final and no further appeals will be accepted.