Financial Independence Requirement
For students who are under the age of 24 and unmarried: If your parents are not California residents for
tuition purposes, you will be required to be financially independent in order to be a resident for tuition
purposes. You must demonstrate financial independence, along with physical presence and intent, when
seeking resident classification for tuition purposes. You are considered “financially independent” if at least
one of the following applies:
1. The
student is at least 24 years of age by December 31 of the calendar year for which resident
classification is requested
2. The student is a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces
3. The student is a ward of the court or both parents are deceased
4. The student has legal dependents other than a spouse
5. The student is married or has a registered domestic partner, and was not claimed as an income tax
deduction by parents or any other individual for the tax year immediately preceding the term for which
resident classification is requested.
6. The student is a single undergraduate student and was not claimed as an income tax deduction by
parents or any other individual for the two tax years immediately preceding the term for which resident
classification is requested, and can demonstrate self-sufficiency for those two years and the current
year
7. The student reached the age of 18 in California while his or her parents were residents of California,
and the parents left the state to establish a residence elsewhere while the student continued to be a
resident of California after the parents’ departure.
Verifying Financial Independence
To verify financial independence (self-support) per item 6 above, you must document your income and verify
that you were not claimed as an exemption by parents or anyone else for the two years prior to the request for
residence. You are also required to present a budget showing how you are able to be supported by the funds
claimed. Self-support is defined as money the student has earned through his or her own employment or
loans obtained with the student’s own credit, without a co-signer. A gift or loan to the student from a parent,
grandparent, or other family member does not constitute self-support regardless of the terms.
Residi
ng in California with an aunt, uncle, grandparent, or friend who provides the student with room and
board cannot be considered self-support, even if that person meets the CCSF residence requirement.
General Rules Applying to Minors
If
you are an unmarried minor (under age 18), the resident of the parent with whom you live is considered your
residence. If you have a parent living, you cannot change your residence by your own act, by the
appointment of a legal guardian, or by the relinquishment of a parent’s right of control. If you live with neither
parent, your residence is that of the parent with whom you last lived. Unless you are a minor alien present in
the U.S. under the terms of a non-immigrant status which precludes you from establishing domicile in the
U.S., you may establish your own residence when both your parents are deceased and a legal guardian has
not been appointed. If you derive California residence from a parent, that residence must satisfy the one-year
requirement.
A&R Form – 02/2018