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Residency

Military Options

Qualifying Active Duty Armed Forces

Qualifying active-duty armed forces include:

  • United States Army
  • United States Navy
  • United States Air Force
  • United States Marine Corps
  • United States Coast Guard
  • United States Public Health Service
  • United States NOAA Corps
  • Members of the Canadian Military stationed in Colorado

A military member who is on active duty with a permanent change of station (PCS) or is on temporary duty (TDY) in Colorado on the first day of the first class that the student is registered for in an applicable term may be eligible for In-State tuition.

Once qualified as an In-State student for residency purposes, the member does not lose eligibility if the member retires or separates from the military, nor does the member lose In-State status by reason of presence in any state or country while a member of the armed forces.

If you believe you qualify for this exception, please complete a physical Active Duty In-State Exception Request Form.

A dependent of an active-duty military member currently stationed in Colorado must:

  • Be a dependent of an active-duty military member currently stationed (PCS) in Colorado,
  • Be a dependent at the time the member is stationed in Colorado, and
  • If the dependent is the child, must be biological or legally adopted

A dependent of a current or former military member not stationed in Colorado must:

  • Enroll in a Colorado institution of higher education within 12 years after the member was active duty and stationed (PCS) any length of time in Colorado,
  • If the dependent is the child, must be biological or legally adopted, and
  • If the dependent is the spouse, have been married to the military member at the time the member was stationed in Colorado and at the time the spouse is requesting resident tuition classification.

If you believe you qualify for this exception, please complete a physical Active Duty In-State Exception Request Form.

Members of the Colorado National Guard (and their dependents) qualify for In-State tuition if the Guard member maintains his or her sole residence in Colorado.

The Guard member must:

  • Have been a member of the Colorado National Guard by the first day of the first class that the student is registered for in an applicable term, and
  • Must be verified each term by the military installation. 

If you believe you qualify for this exception, please complete a Colorado National Guard In-State Exception Form.

Active Duty member must:

  • Be stationed in Colorado with permanent change of station (PCS) orders, and
  • Have physical residence in Colorado.

Child dependents and spouses must:

  • Have physical residence in Colorado, and
  • Provide evidence that they are the military member's spouse or their biological or legally adopted child.

If you believe you qualify for this exception, please contact Records@aims.edu for more information. 

Residency for Veterans and their Dependents

There are numerous ways students may qualify for In-State (or In-District) tuition. For military-affiliated students, the Federal Choice Act 702 and the Colorado GI Promise assist with defining qualifications In-State tuition.

In August 2014 Congress passed the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014. Section 702 of the “Choice Act” requests that schools provide In-State residency for tuition purposes to veterans and their family members using the Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33), Survivors' and Dependents' Education Assistance (Chapter 35) or the Active Duty Montgomery GI Bill® (Chapter 30) for terms that begin after July 1, 2015 (re-authorized July 1, 2017) with the following qualifying circumstances:

  • A Veteran who lives in the state in which the institution of higher learning is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and enrolls in the school of discharge from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more;
  • A spouse or child using transferred benefits who lives in the state in which the institution of higher learning is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and enrolls in the school from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more;
  • A spouse or child using benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship who lives in the state in which the institution of higher learning is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and enrolls in the school following a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.
  • Anyone using transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits who live in the state in which the institution of higher learning is located and the transferor is a member of the uniformed service who is serving on active duty.

Required documents for application for Section 702 classification are:

  • Certificate of Eligibility (COE) showing eligibility for either Chapter 33 (Post 9/11), Chapter 35 (DEA) or Chapter 30 (GI Bill®), AND
  • A completed physical GI Bill ® Resident Rate - In-State Tuition Application, OR
  • A completed "Create Request" in Workday titled STUDENT RESIDENCY: GI Bill Residency Rate In-State Tuition Application

A residency determination cannot be made until all supporting documents have been received.  Once a covered individual is determined to have met the qualifications for In-State residence, this person will retain his or her status as long as he or she remains continuously enrolled in the institution.

For more information on the Federal Choice Act 702, please visit the Federal Choice Act 702 page.

**The In-State tuition provisions in Section 702 do not apply to those on active duty or to dependents using transferred Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits while service member is still considered active duty.

All honorably discharged veterans and their dependents who show established domicile in Colorado immediately preceding the start of the semester, regardless of length of time, shall be granted In-State tuition.

The veteran can also petition for this benefit for their spouse and dependent if the veteran establishes domicile in Colorado. A dependent is an unmarried undergraduate student and under the age of 23 on or before the first day of class.

Required documents for application for Colorado GI Promise classification are:

  • A DD-214 showing honorable discharge status and date, AND
  • A completed "Create Request" in Workday titled STUDENT RESIDENCY: US Armed Forces Veteran In-State Tuition Application

A residency determination cannot be made until all supporting documents have been received.  Once a covered individual is determined to have met the qualifications for In-State residence, this person will retain his or her status as long as he or she remains continuously enrolled in the institution.