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Residency requirements

There are two residency issues to consider when applying to UC Berkeley: residency for admissions purposes and residency for tuition purposes.

Residency for admission purposes

To establish California residency, you must demonstrate that you, your family, or a parent/guardian has a permanent address established in the state of California. Please review these common scenarios to see if one fits your situation:

  1. You have attended a high school in California but moved to another state or country. If you have attended at least two full years of high school in California, you may be considered a California resident. Be sure to include the information in your application. If you have attended fewer than two years of high school in California, please review scenario two to see if you can establish residency through a parent/guardian with a permanent address.
  2. You have a parent who has a permanent address in California, but you live part- or full-time with a parent who lives in another state or country, or you attend boarding school in another state or country. If you can establish that a parent/guardian has a permanent address in California, than you may be considered as a California resident.

Residency for tuition

Undergraduate students who are declared out-of-state for tuition purposes pay an additional charge. (See the most current financial information at: financialaid.berkeley.edu/cost-attendance.)

Residency for tuition purposes is not determined by admissions. All details related to residency requirements can be found on the Registrar website.

For a residency policy overview for all UC campuses, visit the University of California website.

Learn more

Understanding residency

Definition of legal residence

Residency for tuition purposes

Financial aid and international students