CMU Promise

County Residency Requirements

• County residency for CMU Promise follows the same principles as the CRS 23-7-101, et. seq. which governs tuition classification for in-state students. 
• CMU Promise status requires domicile in one of the CMU Promise counties for the year immediately preceding the first day of class.  
• “Domicile" is used to describe the place where an individual has demonstrated intent to make a permanent home and legal residence.
• Both physical presence and evidence of intent must be in place to begin the domicile year.
  • Physical presence is your actual permanent home and legal residence in one of the CMU Promise counties. Proof of physical presence may include all of the following: 
    • Lease agreements 
    • Rent receipts 
    • Home ownership 
    • Statement from a landlord 
  • Evidence of intent to make Colorado your permanent home and legal residence is demonstrated by giving up all your legal ties with your prior state or county and establishing them with one of the CMU Promise counties for 12 continuous months. Proof that demonstrates evidence of intent, as specified by the residency statute, may include all of the following: 
    • Colorado driver’s license or ID with one of the CMU Promise counties as the address. 
    • Colorado motor vehicle registration with one of the CMU Promise counties as the address. 
    • Permanent, full-time, off-campus employment in one of the CMU Promise counties. 
    • Colorado voter registration in one of the CMU Promise counties. 
    • Change in permanent address to one of the CMU Promise counties on all pertinent records 
    • Payment of Colorado state income taxes as a Colorado resident while residing in one of the CMU Promise counties.
    • Withholding of Colorado state taxes from wages while residing in one of the CMU Promise counties.
    • Ownership of residential property in Colorado in one of the CMU Promise counties. Ownership of a residential property in one of the CMU Promise counties would not be accepted as the sole evidence of intent. 
• Financial emancipation is an additional requirement applied to students 22 years of age or younger whose parents do not permanently reside in one of the CMU Promise counties. 

  • Financial emancipation applies to minors under 23 years of age who are no longer considered dependents and are not supported by their parents. An emancipated minor can begin establishing domicile on the date of emancipation. Proof of emancipation is documented by submitting CMU’s Petition for In-State Tuition Classification to the Admissions Office prior to the first day of the semester. Evidence of legal ties outside of Colorado during the domicile year that demonstrates residency in another state or county may include the following: 

    • Failure to file a Colorado state income tax return or filing a Colorado state income tax return with the address of a non-CMU Promise county. 
    • Failure to have Colorado state income taxes withheld from your wages or having Colorado state income taxes withheld with the address of a non-CMU Promise county. 
    • Filing a Colorado state income tax return as a non-resident.
    • Failure to obtain a Colorado driver’s license or Colorado ID with an address from a CMU Promise county.
    • Maintenance of a home in another state or county outside of the CMU Promise counties. 
    • Prolonged absence from Colorado or one of the CMU Promise counties. 
    • Registering the vehicle you operate in another state or a county outside of the CMU Promise counties. 
    • Residing in another state or county outside of the CMU Promise counties between academic terms or when not enrolled as a student 
    • Any other factor unique to the individual which tends to imply your permanent home and legal residence is in another state or county outside of the CMU Promise counties. 

• Intent is demonstrated by several kinds of connections with the state dated within the one year period prior to the beginning of classes. There is no formula or checklist to follow in establishing domicile. Generally, physical presence (as shown by rent receipts, home ownership, etc.) plus one connection with one of the counties in the CMU Promise program will not be sufficient to establish domicile in one of the CMU Promise counties. Several connections are necessary, and the more connections that are made, the greater chance a person has of qualifying for residency of one of the CMU Promise counties.
• Any connections maintained with any other state or county during the 12-month period for establishing domicile may be viewed as negative intent to make one of the CMU Promise counties one’s permanent home. 
• Since domicile is defined as a permanent home and legal residence, being in Colorado solely for school purposes and/or temporarily for other purposes does not qualify as domicile for Colorado residency or CMU Promise. 
• Time spent on a CMU reduced tuition program (Western Undergraduate Exchange or Mountains and Plains) does not count towards the twelve month domiciliary period.  Please refer to the terms and conditions of WUE or M&P here https://www.coloradomesa.edu/financial-aid/tuition/tuition-programs.html.