Financially Dependent Students Frequently Asked Residency Questions

The cumulative time a person has lived in Ohio is not relevant for residency purposes. If the person has been away from Ohio for more than the twelve months immediately preceding enrollment, they will not maintain their residency status for tuition purposes. However, a student may qualify under the guidelines of the Forever Buckeye classification if they graduated from an Ohio high school and have returned to Ohio. 

As long as a dependent student has one parent who has been an Ohio resident for at least the 12 months immediately preceding enrollment, they will be considered a resident whether or not the student themselves actually lived in Ohio. See Residency Classification C-1.

No. The state guidelines do not grant residency to individuals or their dependents solely on the basis that they own property or a business in Ohio. 

Marriage to a person living in Ohio does not automatically make you an Ohio resident for tuition purposes. The person you marry must qualify as a resident for all legal purposes. You would need to complete a reclassification application (the Online Residency Form) for your status to be reviewed.

No. A student cannot base dependency on another relative, fiancée, in-laws, etc. A dependent student may only be reviewed under a guideline through their dependency upon a parent, legal guardian or spouse. 

No. To be eligible for instant residency, a student must be dependent upon a spouse or parent who has full-time employment in Ohio. A graduate fellowship or assistantship is not considered full-time employment.

The student could request reclassification for residency once they have lived in Ohio for twelve consecutive months. At that time, the income earned by the spouse through a fellowship or assistantship could be considered eligible income. See Residency Classification C-2.

The state residency guidelines have two clauses that potentially address this:

1. If your parents are Ohio residents and move out of the state while you are an enrolled resident student at The Ohio State University, you will continue to be classified as a resident through the completion of one degree program, provided that you maintain continuous full-time enrollment (at least autumn and spring terms). If you apply for a second degree program (i.e., graduate or professional school), your residency status will be reviewed, and you will have to meet the residency criteria on your own.
2. If you are a dependent student applying for admission to The Ohio State University and your Ohio resident parents move out of the state, you will be considered a resident as long as you enroll within 12 months of the date your parents physically moved out of Ohio. A student would then have to maintain continuous full-time enrollment (at least autumn and spring terms). Students will be required to submit proof of when their parents sold their home in Ohio (or ended an apartment lease) and physically left Ohio in addition to when their employment ended in Ohio. When a parent physically leaves Ohio and also ends his or her employment are both factors in determining when a parent has left Ohio and the 12-month period begins for which a student must enroll.

No. Your parent or spouse must provide, at a minimum, 51% of your financial support.