Criteria for acceptance to undergraduate majors may vary from department to department. Department admission policies are binding if they are the result of action by the faculty of the department concerned and have also been approved by the dean of that school or college, the designated faculty governing council or body, and the president of the university.

(1) Continuing students. Continuing students at the university who remain in good standing are in compliance with other rules and regulations will have the opportunity to register at the same campus each quarter as long as they maintain continuous enrollment. A "continuing student" is one who has registered at the same University of Washington campus in the same degree level (i.e., undergraduate to undergraduate) or degree level program (i.e., graduate to graduate) the preceding quarter, or preceding spring quarter, if registering for autumn quarter.

(2) Newly admitted students. Newly admitted students are eligible to register for the quarter for which they have been offered admission when the applicable registration period(s) open and only after they have confirmed their enrollment and intention to attend the university beginning that quarter. Confirmation usually requires an advance payment on tuition and/or a confirmation fee. A "newly admitted student" is either one who has not previously registered for credit courses at the university or one who will be in their first quarter in a status different from that in which they last attended.

(3) Quarter-off, on-leave status and returning students.

(a) Quarter-off eligibility for undergraduate and professional students.

(i) Subject to college, school, and departmental enrollment policies, undergraduate and professional students who have completed a quarter at the University of Washington may take the following quarter off and remain eligible to register for the subsequent quarter without reapplying as returning students. Any quarter from which a student has completely withdrawn or been canceled does not constitute a completed quarter. Summer quarter enrollment is not required to maintain continuous registration eligibility.

(ii) Undergraduate and professional students who have taken more than one consecutive quarter off (not including summer) and who wish to return to the university in the degree or certificate program for which they were last registered must submit a "returning student reenrollment" form to the university registration office.

(b) Graduate students. Graduate students are required either to be registered each quarter (except summer) or to be officially on leave until the completion of all requirements for the graduate degree toward which such a student is working. Graduate students who do not maintain continuous enrollment must file an on-leave application with the graduate school. An "on-leave graduate student" is a graduate student in good standing who is away from the university and has been granted on-leave status. Failure to register each quarter (except summer) or to go on leave will constitute presumptive evidence that the student has withdrawn and resigned from the graduate school. The quarter-off eligibility is not available to graduate students.

(4) Enrollment in a different campus or different program. Current students who wish to attend the university at a different campus or in a different program than they are currently enrolled in must complete the application of and be accepted into the campus or program in which they would like to enroll.

(5) Enrollment after program completion. All undergraduate and graduate students who completed a degree or certificate program at the time they were last enrolled must apply as new students if they wish to continue or return to the university. For students completing a master's degree, it is sometimes possible to return into the PhD program without a new student application.

(1) The board of regents is authorized to grant tuition and fee waivers to students pursuant to RCW 28B.15.910 and the laws identified therein. A number of these statutes authorize, but do not require, the board of regents to grant waivers for different categories of students and provide for waivers of different fees. For the waivers that are authorized but not required by state law, the board of regents must affirmatively act to implement the legislature's grant of authority under each individual law. The permissive waivers that the board has implemented are noted in subsections (5) and (6) of this section. Permissive waivers not listed in subsection (5) or (6) have not been implemented. A full list of permissive waivers adopted by the board of regents and a list of mandatory waivers can be found online on the University of Washington's office of the university registrar website. Mandatory waivers are also listed in university policy.

(2) Even when it has decided to implement a permissive waiver listed in RCW 28B.15.910, the university, for specific reasons and a general need for flexibility in the management of its resources, may choose not to award waivers to all students who may be eligible under the terms of the laws. The university's description of the factors it may consider to adjust a waiver program to meet emergent or changing needs is found in subsection (7) of this section. All permissive waivers are subject to subsection (7) of this section.

(3) The board of regents also has the authority under RCW 28B.15.915 to grant waivers of all or a portion of operating fees as defined in RCW 28B.15.031. Waivers granted under RCW 28B.15.915 are subject to subsection (7) of this section.

(4) No waivers contained in this section will be awarded to students participating in self-sustaining courses or programs.

(5) Pursuant to its authority to grant permissive waivers under RCW 28B.15.910 and the laws cited in this subsection, the board of regents adopts the waivers of all or a portion of nonresident tuition fees differential contained in the subsections listed below, with the accompanying noted limitations. These limitations are in addition to any limitations set forth in RCW.

(a) RCW 28B.15.014(1);

(b) RCW 28B.15.014(2). Waivers under this subsection shall be restricted to four consecutive quarters from the employee's initial date of employment with the University of Washington. The employee must be employed on or before the first day of the quarter for which the waiver is awarded;

(c) RCW 28B.15.014(3). Waivers under this subsection shall be restricted to persons who reside in Washington state;

(d) RCW 28B.15.225; and

(e) RCW 28B.15.544 and chapter 28B.70 RCW.

(6) Pursuant to its authority to grant permissive waivers under RCW 28B.15.910 and the laws cited in this subsection, the board of regents adopts the following waivers contained in the sections listed below, with the accompanying noted limitations. These limitations are in addition to any limitations set forth in RCW.

(a) RCW 28B.15.100(3);

(b) RCW 28B.15.540(2);

(c) RCW 28B.15.555 and 28B.15.556;

(d) RCW 28B.15.558. All waivers authorized by RCW 28B.15.558 shall be subject to such additional limitations as determined by the provost, pursuant to the terms of subsection (7) of this section. These limitations on employee and course eligibility can be found in university policy in administrative policy statement (APS) 22.1. The office of the university registrar also maintains a list of excluded courses and programs. As authorized by RCW 28B.15.558(5) waivers shall be awarded to eligible University of Washington employees before considering waivers for eligible persons who are not employed by the institution;

(e) RCW 28B.15.615;

(f) RCW 28B.15.621(2). The university adopts this waiver only as to:

(i) Undergraduate students pursuing their first bachelor's degree to a maximum of 225 college-level credits, including credits transferred from other institutions of higher education; and

(ii) Full-time graduate or professional degree students, provided however, that the waiver may be applied only toward a single degree program at the University of Washington, and provided further, that graduate and professional degree students who received a waiver authorized by RCW 28B.15.621(2) as undergraduates at the University of Washington shall not be eligible for this waiver.

To qualify an individual as an "eligible veteran or National Guard member," the person seeking the waiver must present proof of domicile in Washington state and either a DD Form 214 (report of separation) or other documentation indicating they meet the criteria in RCW 28B.15.621(8).

(g) RCW 28B.15.740(1); and

(h) RCW 28B.15.740(2).

(7) The university may modify its restrictions or requirements pursuant to changes in state or federal law, changes in programmatic requirements, or in response to financial or other considerations, which may include, but are not limited to, the need to adopt fiscally responsible budgets, the management of the overall levels and mix of enrollments, management initiatives to modify enrollment demand for specific programs and management decisions to eliminate or modify academic programs. The university may choose not to exercise the full funding authority granted under RCW 28B.15.910 and may limit the total funding available under RCW 28B.15.915.

Nonresident students who desire to apply for a change in resident status must complete and submit a Washington institutions of higher education residence questionnaire or a Washington higher education residency affidavit, whichever is appropriate to the student's circumstances, and submit all requested supporting documentation to the University of Washington, residence classification office at the student's home campus.

Residence questionnaire and additional instructions are available on the residence classification office website. Within ten days of taking action on the residence questionnaire, the residence classification office shall provide to the student a written statement of the reasons for any decision it makes. This statement may be transmitted electronically (e.g., by email). This rule is adopted in accordance with RCW 34.05.482 through 34.05.494, governing brief adjudicatory proceedings, the provisions of which are hereby adopted.

Any student wishing to appeal a decision of the residence classification office may request administrative review through the University of Washington, residence classification review committee. The residence classification review committee shall be composed of at least four persons appointed by the vice provost for academic and student affairs or designee.

Appeals may be submitted by written or oral request to the residence classification office within twenty-one days from the date of the emailed residency decision required by WAC 478-161-030. Written appeals are strongly preferred, and may be made by the student submitting a written statement describing why the student believes the decision was incorrect. The residence classification review committee will consider the student's statement of appeal and the student's residency file as of the time of the residence classification office's decision. Decisions of the residence classification review committee shall be rendered within twenty days of the request for the review. Decisions shall be in writing, and may be transmitted electronically (e.g., by email). The residence classification review committee shall issue the institution's final decision.

All F-1 and J-1 eligible international students enrolled in a program of study with an I-20 or DS 2019 issued by the University of Washington are required to purchase the UW International Student Health Insurance Plan (ISHIP) while attending the University of Washington.