As the nation’s premier public research university, UCLA is grateful to the people of California. Residents contribute to state education funding and are responsible for the continued existence of this special California institution.

As a result, the tuition you pay depends on your residency status, which is determined by a specific process. California residency for tuition is not the same as other definitions of California residency.

If your parents are not California residents, then the financial independence requirement makes it extremely difficult for most undergraduates to qualify for classification as a California resident at UCLA. This includes students from community colleges and other post-secondary institutions within the state.

Transfer students who were classified as residents of California at their previous school should not assume that they’ll be classified as residents here.

If you’re unsure whether you qualify for in-state tuition at UCLA, visit the UC’s residency requirements page for more information.