Since implementing tougher guidelines for nonresident students to receive in-state tuition rates based on emancipation, the University of Colorado has seen a marked drop in the number of students petitioning for the lower rate.
Between fall 2013 and fall 2014, the university saw a 66 percent drop in petitions for in-state tuition from nonresident students claiming independence from their parents or guardians.
The campus saw a 60 percent drop in petitions between spring 2014 and spring 2015, according to data provided by tuition officials. The approval rate for all types of petitions, including through emancipation, went from 91 percent in fall 2012 to 79 percent in fall 2014 for undergraduate students.
Colorado undergraduates in the College of Arts and Sciences will pay $9,312 in tuition next year, compared with $32,346 for out-of-state students.
The price difference leads some out-of-state students to petition for resident status through emancipation.
CU officials say the declines are significant because out-of-state tuition makes up a large portion of CU’s revenue and helps keep tuition low for Colorado students.
The stricter guidelines were put in place Oct. 1, 2013, for the spring 2014 petition cycle to more closely follow the spirit of Colorado’s tuition laws.
They now focus “more broadly on the actual financial independence of the student and look more closely at any outside support provided to the student, including support from parents, grandparents, friends,” according to an e-mail sent to students in fall 2013.
“We are trying to do a better job of educating students up front so they know what’s realistic,” said Kristi Wold-McCormick, campus registrar.
“We don’t want to waste their time and energy if they’re not likely candidates,” Wold-McCormik said.
