The best advice we can give you is to start on this process early. The residency process takes a long time (you’re looking at 12 months, remember). Especially if you are new to Missouri, you’ve got time ahead of you. But there are simple steps you can take right now to start checking things off the list.
We’ll update this page periodically with helpful links and advice based on what has worked for other Mizzou students during the residency process.
What to do first
The quickest things you can do right now are register to vote and get your Missouri driver’s license.
Note: you’ll need to submit a copy of your permanent driver’s license, not the temporary paper license you get on the day you apply. Your permanent driver’s license card will take up to three weeks to arrive, so getting this out of the way early can prevent a headache later.
Making sure you earn the required in-state income
Instead of planning to earn the full $3,000 in taxable income over the summer, we recommend working throughout the year if at all possible.
Relying solely on the summer months for that income leaves you at the mercy of your work schedule and employer. Depending on your wages and hours, you may have to get multiple jobs over the summer to make the $3,000 mark. If your primary concern is just making the money to hit the residency requirement, working part-time throughout the year instead will give you plenty of time to earn the necessary income.
A great way to do this is to work on campus at Mizzou. Besides having the ability to earn your income over a longer period, working on campus is flexible with your school schedule. You’ll get to network with others living and learning at Mizzou, build a support network on campus and have the ability to work on campus during holiday and semester breaks if you want to. You can find out about on-campus (and some off-campus) jobs at hiremizzoutigers.com.
Income log advice
If you’re a restaurant server or a nanny, you’ll need to track your income using an income log. We highly recommend filling out the log as you go, instead of waiting and filling it out all at once later on.
Fill in your log every pay day or at the end of every shift if you work for tips.