Guidelines for residency certification

Residency Information 

  • All prospective students applying to our program, regardless of residency status, apply to Washington State University. 
  • Applicants must declare their current state of residency on the VMCAS application. By identifying yourself as a Washington resident, Idaho resident, Montana resident, a resident of a WICHE state (Arizona, Hawaii, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Wyoming), or as a nonresident, your application will be funneled through the appropriate application pool.
  • It is highly recommended that applicants contact the appropriate state authority for information regarding residency requirements as early in the application process as possible. Please see the state-specific information below for additional information about each state’s residency certification process. 
  • Washington state allows nonresident veterinary students who attend the Pullman campus for all four years to change their residency status (become Washington residents) for tuition-paying purposes after residing in Washington state for one year and meeting certain criteria. Visit the WSU Office of the Registrar website for more information. 

Washington and Idaho residents 

  • Up to 55 seats in the incoming class are reserved for Washington residents, and up to 11 are reserved for Idaho residents. 
  • Washington and Idaho residents attend the Pullman campus for the entire four years. 
  • Washington applicants must be residents of the state of Washington at the time of application. Visit the WSU Residency page for overall information about residency for tuition purposes at WSU. You may take the Residency Survey and visit the Future Residency page to ensure that you have taken the steps needed to be considered a resident. Our residency office is not able to pre-certify that you are a resident until 60 days before the start of a term. 
  • Idaho residents must read the Idaho Residency Law information and follow the residency certification instructions. Residency questions should be directed to the Office of the Registrar at the University of Idaho, registrar@uidaho.edu or 208-885-6731. Please contact the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine Office of Admissions at DVMApplication@vetmed.wsu.edu to keep us up-to-date on your progress as you complete the residency certification process. Residency certification is due by Tuesday, September 3, 2024 for applicants in the 2025 application cycle.  

Montana residents 

  • Up to 10 Montana residents (up to an additional 6 seats on Bozeman Campus for WICHE or Nonresident) may be admitted through the cooperative agreement with Montana State University.
  • Applicants selected to participate in this program spend their first year at our Bozeman campus (Montana State University) and the remaining three years at our Pullman campus. 
  • Montana applicants must certify as Montana residents through the Montana Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP). Click on “Veterinary” under the “Application Materials” section on the left. Please follow the residency certification instructions and contact the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine Office of Admissions at DVMApplication@vetmed.wsu.edu to keep us up-to-date on your progress as you complete the residency certification process. Residency certification is due by Tuesday, September 3, 2024 for applicants in the 2025 application cycle.  
  • Interview offers will be sent out early November. Interviews for the Regional Program are tentatively scheduled for mid-November and admissions offers will be made shortly thereafter. After the available positions in the Regional Program are filled, offers may be made to those Montana applicants who have received WICHE financial support. 

WICHE residents (Arizona, Hawaii, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Wyoming) 

  • The WSU College of Veterinary Medicine is a participant and receiving school in the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education (WICHE) exchange program. The WICHE exchange program helps students in the above listed western states enroll in select, out-of-state professional programs not offered in their home states, as well as providing financial support for that professional program. 
  • Applicants should contact their state WICHE office for residency certification requirements and deadlines. 
  • Under the terms of the WICHE Compact, a select number of certified applicants from WICHE states may be sponsored by their home states and pay resident tuition and fees. 
  • Applicants from WICHE states that are not selected to receive WICHE sponsored support (as well as those applicants who do not receive certification through their state) will be considered in the nonresident applicant pool. 
  • Additional information may be obtained from: 

Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education 
3035 Center Green Dr, Suite 200 
Boulder, CO 80301-2204 
303-541-0200 
www.wiche.edu 
 

Nonresidents 

  • Applicants who are not residents of the states of Washington, Idaho, or Montana, as well as applicants from WICHE states who either were not certified or selected to receive financial support from their state, will be considered in the nonresident applicant pool. 
  • Up to 35 seats are available for successful applicants in the nonresident applicant pool. Between 15-25 students will attend at the Pullman campus for all four years.
  • Nonresidents accepted at the Pullman site may be able to establish residency in the state of Washington for years two through four. 

International applicants 

  • 2 dedicated seats are reserved for international applicants. International applicants are also considered in the nonresident pool.
  • Applications from international students are accepted and encouraged and are also considered in the nonresident pool (see information above). 
  • Please see the VMCAS website for specific information regarding international transcripts.  
  • International students must also demonstrate English proficiency. Either a language waiver or a TOEFL score greater than 550 on the paper based test or 80 on the internet based test is required. TOEFL scores must be mailed to us at the mailing address below. Please scroll to “Language Waivers” on the WSU Admissions site for more information about language waiver criteria.  
    • WSU College of Veterinary Medicine 
      Office of Admissions 
      PO Box 647012 
      Pullman, WA 99164-7012 
  • While most international students will have to pay nonresident tuition for all four years, there are exceptions. Please see the WSU Office of the Registrar for information regarding residency for tuition paying purposes. 

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