STUDENT GUIDE TO MONTANA
RESIDENCY POLICY
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING
RESIDENCY QUESTIONNAIRE
You should complete the questionnaire as requested. If a particular item is not applicable to your particular situation, mark the item N/A. Attach to the questionnaire all items that serve to document your responses (e.g., a Xerox of your driver’s license showing the date of issue). If you do not document your responses, you may be classified out-of-state as a result of lack of proof. Because the policy contains a time element, it is important that your documentation clearly show the date when an action was taken. Again, if you have questions concerning documentation, feel free to contact the appropriate unit of the System for guidance.
What follows is a section by section analysis of the residency questionnaire:
1. If you have never been classified as in-state or out-of-state by the unit which you wish to attend, check 1a. If you have been classified by the unit and are requesting a reclassification, check 1b. A student transferring from one unit of the system to another should check 1a.
2. The responses called for in this item should be self-evident.
3. Read each of the statements carefully and check yes if the statement is true with respect to you, and check no if the statement is not true with respect to you. A yes response to any of these statements may mean you are eligible for in-state status under one of the exceptions in the Regents’ policy. If you have checked yes to a statement, you should submit documentation to support your claim. An Employer’s Affidavit is included in this guide.
4. This item contains numerous questions relating to your eligibility for in-state status based on residency. Even if you are eligible for in-state status based on an exception, it will be to your advantage if you also can receive in-state status based on residency, and consequently, you should provide responses to all items in 4.
4d — You should indicate in what state your father and our mother make their home. If you do not have a legal guardian other than your parents, simply mark N/A in the space next to legal guardian.
4f — If you will not be claimed as an exemption in the current year, but you were claimed as an exemption in the prior tax year, you should submit an affidavit from your parent or legal guardian that you will not be claimed as an exemption. An affidavit is included in this guide. You may be required to submit proof of this at a later date.
4o — If you possess a current Montana driver’s license and this license is a renewal of an earlier license, you should indicate this fact.
5. In-state status based on residency requires a 12-month period of residency prior to gaining such status, and this period does not begin to run until some act indicative of an intent to establish residency is taken. Items 5a and 5b request you to supply the beginning date and the act that started the period running. If the act you specify is determined to be insufficient to start the period running, your questionnaire will still be reviewed to see if you meet in-state requirements. If, during the 12-month residency period, you were absent from Montana for more than a total of 30 days, answer yes to item 5c and explain the reasons for such absence.
6. Fill out the table carefully. If insufficient space is provided, then prepare and attach a supplementary table. Place of abode means the physical site where you were living, city and state is sufficient. If you were absent from Montana for any period longer than 21 days, you should show such absence in the table.
7. The responses called for in this item should be self-evident.
8. This item requires you to estimate the sources of your support for the 12 months prior to the date on which you sign and date this questionnaire. You must show and list all sources of income, including student loans, other federally insured loans, and scholarships. You may be required to document your responses.
9. This item permits you to provide any additional information you feel should be considered in determining your residency status. If you need more space, attach additional sheets of paper.
Read and understand the statements immediately above the signature and date line. In particular, note that you are giving permission to the personnel who review your questionnaire to contact various sources, including taxing authorities, to verify your responses. Sign and date the questionnaire and submit it to the appropriate office. Your questionnaire will not be processed and you will not be eligible for in-state status if you fail to sign and date the questionnaire. A questionnaire is not considered to be received until it is signed and dated.
