James Madison University is a public university within the Commonwealth of Virginia. As such, we go by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Domicile Guidelines to determine eligibility for in-state tuition. Our applicants for admission have their residency for tuition purposes determined based on the information provided on their complete Application for Virginia In-State Tuition Rates. This application is incorporated in our undergraduate applications for admission based on initial answers provided on your application. Once an application for admission is submitted you may be requested to provide additional documentation to determine your residency for tuition purposes. The Office of Admissions will notify you of your residency determination in communications throughout the application process.

Please understand we cannot advise a student prior to applying whether or not they will qualify for in-state tuition, nor can we advise how to get in-state tuition or if they will qualify under a change of circumstances. Eligibility for in-state tuition is not discretionary or based on financial need; it is based on Virginia laws.

You may review the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Guidelines for Residency Determination by visiting the SCHEV Eligibility for In-State Tuition web page.

View our Residency Frequently Asked Questions

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia has published some helpful guides to the rules we go by to determine eligibility for in-state tuition for active-duty military members, veterans, and their families, located here: SCHEV Military Education

The following links may also be helpful:

• Veteran’s Access, Choice, and Accountability Act

For more information about Veteran’s educational benefits, please visit the JMU Veteran’s Educational Benefits web page.

Not necessarily. Prior determination of a student's domiciliary status by one institution is not conclusive or binding when subsequently considered by another institution.

JMU is not a member of the Academic Common Market, and we do not have reciprocal agreements. For a list of Academic Common Market schools, please see: https://www.sreb.org/acm-faqs

The DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) is administered through the District of Columbia government. Here is a link to DCTAG: https://osse.dc.gov/dctag

Eligibility for in-state tuition is not need based. It is determined by state laws. Please see the Financial Aid Office website for information about need based assistance.

There is an exception allowing in-state tuition for certain students who graduated from high school in Virginia. Please see the Tuition Equity Provision FAQs. The majority of Virginia residents qualify through the standard domicile review process, which is completed as part of the application to JMU. In cases where an applicant does not qualify via domicile laws, we may ask a student to submit this alternative application and supporting documentation.

If you wish to be considered for in-state tuition under the high school completer exception, please submit the application.

• Common App (On the Application for In-State Tuition Rates--Part A (Applicant) page): Answer Yes to the question, "Do you live outside Virginia but believe you are entitled to pay Virginia in-state tuition rates?" 

• JMU Online Application (on the Biographical Information page): Make sure the box is checked beneath your state of residence.

If you are NOT applying for in-state tuition, please respond to the initial residency questions appropriately.

• Common App (On the Application for In-State Tuition Rates--Part A (Applicant) page): Answer No to the question, "Do you live outside Virginia but believe you are entitled to pay Virginia in-state tuition rates?" 

• JMU's Online Application (on the Biographical Information page): Make sure the checkbox is Unchecked to close the application for in-state tuition.

Complete the residency application (PDF) and submit it to residency@jmu.edu.

Email: residency@jmu.edu

• Send documents as attachments (PDF, Word Doc, JPG/GIF)
• Identify student by legal name and ID# if possible

Postal Mail:

JMU Office of Admissions
Residency Determination Committee
MSC 0101
100 E. Grace Street
Harrisonburg, VA 22807

Examples of this include:  A copy of your birth certificate or US passport, permanent resident card, visa, or other immigration paperwork such as an I-797, I-485, or I-589.

Click the hyperlinked item in your To-Do List for additional information:

The following page will give you more information about the item(s) we need:

Please have your student check their MyMadison account. When the items have been received, they will no longer appear on their To-Do List.

Allow 10 business days for your items to be processed. We receive a high volume of mail during the processing season. See what residency documents we are currently processing.

After the deadline for submitting your materials passes, we will change your residency to out-of-state at that point. Please send your information as soon as possible and we will make the appropriate residency decision after we receive the information. We cannot change residency after the first day of classes for the term in which you are enrolling.

Yes, please send all the items on the list as requested. If you don’t have an item (for example, if you don’t file taxes because you don’t work or your income is below required filing thresholds) please just explain that when you send the rest of your items. Please see the Voter Registration FAQ if you can’t find your voter registration card.

In Virginia, we look at parent/guardian residency until a student is 24 years old.

• Federal 1040 (send both pages with social security numbers and bank account numbers removed. Please do not black out all financial information.)

• State 760 (send both pages with social security numbers and bank account numbers removed. Please do not black out all financial information.)

Do NOT provide the following:

• W-2

• e-file certificate
• Tax return transcript

Please go to https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation, supply your information, then print or screenshot to send in lieu of a copy of your card.

Before admissions decisions are posted, a student’s residency is in their MyMadison account when you click on the status of the application.

After your admission decision is posted, it will be on your admission letter, which will be posted in MyMadison.

You may appeal your residency decision. Please note that in-state tuition is not need-based. We follow the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia's Domicile Guidelines. Prior to appealing your residency decision, please be sure you have sent in all residency items from your to-do list in MyMadison. Items may be sent to residency@jmu.edu.

Applicants who have received an admission decision and wish to appeal their residency decision may do so by completing a residency appeal. The residency appeal form is only for undergraduate students who disagree with their residency decision for their first semester at JMU. We may request additional information as part of the appeal process.

The appeals process includes an intermediate review of the initial determination. Please allow up to 30 days for an answer to your appeal. If you disagree with the intermediate reviewer's decision, you may request a final administrative review, which may take another 30 days. We cannot change residency after the first day of classes for the term in which you are seeking in-state tuition. Please allow ample time to work through the appeals process. Your residency decision will appear on your admission letter to JMU. It is the student's responsibility to check their residency decision and allow a sufficient amount of time to work through the appeals process. 

The JMU Office of Admissions only determines your residency for your first semester here. The University Business Office handles reclassifications of current students: https://www.jmu.edu/ubo/residency.shtml

Please contact the University Business Office about the residency of a student after their first semester at JMU.