What qualifies you for in-state tuition in Kentucky? What admissions officers look at
For many high school students, it’s college application season, which means weighing your options and determining which school is the right fit.
If you’re in the middle of this process, maybe you’re a parent or a student, we’ve rounded up the in-state versus out-of-state tuition rates for Kentucky’s state universities and community college system.
We’ve also tackled a common question parents and prospective college students have: Who qualifies for in-state tuition and how?
The short answer is that it depends. There isn’t a single deciding factor in how institutions make that call, and Kentucky requires them to look at the information and evidence you provide as a whole. Here’s what to know.
How long do you have to live in Kentucky to get in-state tuition?
As explained by Travis Powell, the vice president and general counsel of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, state regulation on the topic lays out the criteria for institutions determining residency for tuition purposes.
“As outlined in the regulation, no one factor is determinative of residency and it is a weighing of all facts and circumstances,” Powell told the Herald-Leader via email.
Other factors can include employment, property ownership and taxes they paid in the year prior to application for admission.
“That said, there are a few references in the regulation that use 12 months/1 year as the sort of standard for living in Kentucky as a non-student (higher education student, not high school) before you can be considered a resident for purposes of tuition,” Powell wrote in the email.
Powell offered an example, “If you moved to Kentucky and bought a house and then six months later you enrolled in graduate school at [the University of Kentucky], you would likely be considered a non-resident. Wait another six months, you likely would gain resident status assuming the other factors in the regulation are met.”
Resident versus nonresident tuition at Kentucky colleges and universities
What follows is a quick look at the in-state and out-of-state tuition rates at Kentucky’s eight public four-year universities and within the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.
One thing to keep in mind, the following rates may or may not include financial aid or tuition scholarships institutions offer to out-of-state students. Be sure to check with each college or university for more information about what incentives they may offer.
The rates below also do not include student fees, which can be a significant contributor to the overall cost of attendance.
Here’s a look at 2023-24 tuition rates for undergraduate students in Kentucky:
Resident: $4,915 per semester
Nonresident: $5,450 per semester
Resident: $4,044 per semester
Nonresident: $6,067 per semester
Resident: $4,759 per semester
Nonresident: $7,193 per semester
Resident: $4,854 per semester
Nonresident: $7,371 per semester
*Murray State offers a lower rate to students residing in border states or neighboring states. Check with the institution for details.
Resident tuition: $5,256 per semester
Nonresident: $10,548 per semester
*Northern Kentucky offers a reciprocity rate to students residing in Ohio and Indiana. Check with the institution for details.
Resident: $6,606 per semester
Nonresident: $16,703 per semester
Resident: $6,316 per semester
Nonresident: $14,489 per semester
Resident tuition: $5,718 per semester
Nonresident tuition: $13,500 per semester
Kentucky Community and Technical College System:
Resident: $186 per credit hour
Nonresident: $250 per credit hour
Do you have a question about education in Kentucky for our service journalism team? Let us know via the Know Your Kentucky form below or email us at ask@herald-leader.com.
