State rules · Maryland
How to Get In-State Tuition in Maryland
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Time required
- 12 months12 consecutive months immediately prior to and including the last date available to register for the term
- Flagship school
- University of Maryland, College Park
- Savings per year
- $31,2512026-27 published rates
Bottom line: Worth pursuing with planning
Winnable, but you will need to prove financial independence and keep tight documentation for the whole qualifying period. USM Policy VIII-2.70 requires proof by 'clear and convincing evidence' of intent to reside in Maryland 'for a primary purpose other than that of attending an educational institution,' and expressly raises a presumption of out-of-state status if the student was 'attending school or living outside Maryland at the time of application' OR is financially dependent on a non-Maryland resident. It also requires the student (or the person claiming them) to have paid Maryland income tax on ALL taxable income including income earned outside Maryland. The controlling rule is USM Board of Regents Policy VIII-2.70, Policy on Student Classification for Admission and Tuition Purposes (amended June 14, 2024), under Annotated Code of Maryland, Educ. 12-101.
What in-state tuition is worth in Maryland
| University of Maryland, College Park | Annual tuition and fees |
|---|---|
| Out-of-state | $45,906 |
| In-state | $14,655 |
| You save | $31,251 per year |
Published 2026-27 rates, tuition and fees only, not housing or meals. Your exact rate depends on your college and course load. Source.
Who can qualify
If you are independent
Financially Independent means the student 'provides 50 percent or more of the student's own living and educational expenses and has not been claimed as a dependent on another person's most recent tax returns.' Being Financially Dependent on a non-Maryland resident independently raises the presumption of out-of-state status, which the student must then rebut with objectively verifiable evidence.
If your parents claim you
A financially dependent student can qualify by showing the person who claims them is a Maryland resident who filed a Maryland Resident Tax Return paying tax on all taxable income including out-of-state income, i.e. rebuttal evidence that the student 'is Financially Dependent, for the previous 12 months, upon a person who is a resident of Maryland.'
How to establish residency
- Live in Maryland for 12 continuous months. Keep one fixed address, and keep proof of it for the whole period.
- Show intent to stay. These are the acts this state looks for:
- continuously maintain primary living quarters in Maryland for 12 months
- keep substantially all personal property (household effects, furniture, pets) in Maryland
- file a Maryland Resident Tax Return and pay Maryland income tax on all taxable income, including income earned outside Maryland
- register all owned or leased motor vehicles in Maryland for 12 consecutive months (or within 60 days of moving)
- hold a valid Maryland driver's license for 12 consecutive months (or obtained within 60 days of moving)
- receive no public assistance from any state other than Maryland
- have the legal ability under federal and Maryland law to live permanently in Maryland
- voter registration in Maryland (rebuttal evidence)
- Document your finances. Be ready to prove how you support yourself and that nobody out of state claims you as a dependent.
- Cut ties to your old state. Surrender the old license, cancel the old voter registration, and move your vehicle registration.
- Petition your university. File the reclassification application with the registrar or residency office before their deadline.
Documents to collect
- Maryland Resident Tax Return (and federal return) for the 12-month period
- lease or deed for primary living quarters in Maryland
- Maryland driver's license
- Maryland vehicle registration
- Maryland employment and earnings history beyond work-study/scholarships/loans
- voter registration record
- affidavit from an unrelated person attesting to the student's conduct
- documentation of life/employment changes causing relocation (divorce, family relocation, caring for a sick relative)
Deadlines
Petitions must be submitted by the institution's published deadline before or within the semester sought; only one petition may be filed per semester. UMD published a Fall 2026 deadline of August 31, 2026. Students must notify the institution in writing within 15 days of any change in circumstances that may alter in-state status.
Shortcuts and exceptions
These groups may qualify faster, or right away:
- full-time or at-least-50-percent regular USM employees, and their spouses/financially dependent children
- active-duty Armed Forces stationed, residing or domiciled in Maryland, plus spouses and dependent children (Md. Educ. 15-106.4)
- honorably discharged veterans residing or domiciled in Maryland
- veterans using Montgomery G.I. Bill or Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits (including transferees)
- first-year Maryland public school teachers (Md. Educ. 15-106.2)
- children of Maryland public safety employees (Conroy/Cryor Scholarship)
- AmeriCorps and Maryland Corps program completers (Md. Educ. 15-106.9)
- Peace Corps volunteers domiciled in Maryland (Md. Educ. 15-106.11)
- undocumented immigrants meeting Md. Educ. 15-106.8 criteria
- U.S. Foreign Service members on active duty and their spouses/dependents
- citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, or Palau
- marriage to a Maryland resident (rebuttal evidence, not automatic)
The detail most people miss
Maryland's tax test is unusually harsh and catches families off guard: the student (or whoever claims them as a dependent) must have 'paid Maryland income tax on all taxable income, including all taxable income earned outside Maryland, and filed a Maryland Resident Tax Return.' Filing a part-year or nonresident Maryland return, or leaving summer earnings from the old home state untaxed by Maryland, defeats the petition. Separately, VIII-2.70 says a student's own 'statement of intent to remain in Maryland in the future is generally not considered to be objective evidence.'
Common mistakes
- Starting late. The clock runs before enrollment, so a plan that begins in your first semester is already behind.
- Keeping old-state ties. An out-of-state license, voter registration, or car tag can sink an otherwise strong case.
- Thin documentation. Reviewers decide on paper. If you cannot prove it, it did not happen.
- Assuming your school reads the rule loosely. Campuses vary in how strictly they apply the same statute.
How InstateMe can help
We do not run our full program in Maryland yet. This guide is free and complete, and if you want a second opinion on your specific school and situation, a free call costs nothing.