Misty Fewel has lived in Michigan for three years, works full-time and owns a home. So when the University denied her in-state tuition because her husband did not meet the residency requirements, she asked the University Board of Regents to overturn the Office of the Registrar"s decision.

Because of cases like Fewel"s, the regents are reviewing the residency policy.

"We are looking at the residency rule and what might be done to change them if they need change or clarify them if they need clarification," said Regent Andrea Fisher-Newman (R-Ann Arbor). "I think it is necessary to review the residency requirements and make sure they are being fairly applied."

Regent S. Martin Taylor (D-Grosse Point Farms) said the regents should begin making revisions within the next month.

Fewel said she was denied Michigan residency because her spouse, who is an out of state student, is a medical resident at the University, which the registrar considers to be a temporary position even though his residency is for seven years.

"We own a house here and we pay property and income taxes. I am a resident according to the state of Michigan but according to the University I am not a resident," Fewel said. "They flat out told me that if I was single or divorced him I wouldn"t be facing these problems."

Fewel is not the only student angry about the University"s policy on in-state tuition. Ford School of Public Policy graduate student Peri Stone-Palmquist spoke at January"s regents meeting after being denied residency by the Office of the Registrar because of her spouse.

Stone-Palmquist said the only reason she was denied residency was because her spouse does not also meet the residency requirements because he is a full-time student.

"I can"t be any more of a Michigan resident," said Stone-Palmquist. "I pay state income and property taxes I voted as a Michigan resident in the last presidential election."

According to the Office of the Registrar, the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition can cost as much as $15,000. In order to receive in-state tuition an applicant must "demonstrate that he or she intends to be domiciled in Michigan and has, in fact, established a domicile an individual whose presence in the state is based on activities or circumstances that are indeterminate or temporary, such as (but not limited to) educational pursuits, will be presumed not to be domiciled in Michigan and will be classified as a nonresident."

University spokeswoman Julie Peterson was unable to comment on the students" specific cases but said the reason for the residency guidelines is connected to the amount of funding the University receives from the state of Michigan.

"The state of Michigan supports residence education here through state funding they provide, so the intention of proving if someone is a resident or not is closely linked to the amount of funding they get," Peterson said.