The requirements to establish residency for tuition purposes are independent from those of other types of residency such as voting and holding public office (State of New Mexico Higher Education Department’s Residency Requirements).

New student residency is determined by information provided on your application admission / readmission.

Continuing students, classified as non-resident, must satisfy the requirements to establish residency prior to submitting a Petition for In-State Residency Tuition Classification along with the required supporting documentation to the University Student Records Office. Petitions must be filed on or before the third Friday of the beginning of the semester.

You are eligible to petition for residency for tuition purposes if:

1. you are a U.S. Citizens or U.S. Permanent Residents,
2. you are financially independent (over 23 years of age AND not claimed by parents or guardians on federal income tax return),
3. you can provide documentation of having resided in New Mexico for the past 12 consecutive months, and
4. you have not participated in certain tuition reciprocity discount programs for twelve consecutive months. Applicable tuition reciprocity discount programs are: Texas 135-mile radius, Colorado-Arizona, Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), and Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) [5.7.18 NMAC].

Any act considered inconsistent with New Mexico residency, such as a voter registration in a different state, holding and/or maintaining a driver’s license in a different state, or holding and/or maintaining motor vehicle registration in a different state, or paying in-state tuition at a college or university in a different state will cause your resident classification to denied.

To petition for New Mexico residency for tuition purposes, download the Residency Packet and email the completed Petition, with all supporting documentation, to records@nmsu.edu.