Wisconsin Residency Rules

  Difficulty

How to get in-state at Universities in Wisconsin:

Wisconsin is a very difficult state in which to change your residency status to in-state.  The biggest complication is the extremely rigorous financial requirements which stipulate utter financial independence.  This will almost always require a gap-year involving no school for a year, working full-time, and no help from anybody.  In-state status is further complicated by the common practice of random audits after establishing residency.  Paying for school, even in-state school, is expensive! Having a co-signer for a student loan doesn’t seem like financial support; however, many universities in Wisconsin would count this against you as proof of your non-financial independence.  In the event of an audit, you could lose in-state status and even be forced to retroactively be charged out-of-state rates for all periods where you weren’t verifiably utterly financially independent.

Certainly some people’s situations allow for being successful despite the harsh regulations.  Even so, you must tread very carefully and be prepared to prove every claim you make with hard evidence.

Wisconsin Reciprocity Agreements:

Wisconsin is a member state of the Midwest Student Exchange Program which is a limited regional reciprocity agreement among select Midwestern States. Favorable college tuition rates in nearby states are sometimes possible through reciprocity although many restrictions apply.

See Tuition Reciprocity Agreements Explained

See Tuition Reciprocity Agreements Overpromise & Under-Deliver

University-Specific Overviews Below:

Below please find links to in-state overviews for select universities in Wisconsin. If your college is not highlighted, then please consider buying a University-Specific Nutshell Report or see all available university-specific in-state overviews.

Popular Universities in Wisconsin:

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Other Universities in Wisconsin:

Medical College of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health-Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
University of Wisconsin-La Cross
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
University of Wisconsin-Parkside
University of Wisconsin-Platteville
University of Wisconsin-River Falls
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie
University of Wisconsin-Superior
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater