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Tuition Benefits

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Basic Requirements for In-State Classification for Tuition and Financial Aid

The specific requirements for establishing residency for tuition classification and State financial aid purposes are prescribed by state law. A North Carolina resident for tuition purposes (and for State financial aid consideration) is a person, or a dependent person (dependent according to IRS tax code - not the FAFSA definition of dependency), whose parent or legal guardian has established and maintained legal residence in North Carolina for at least 12 months. Residence in North Carolina must be legitimate and be a permanent situation rather than just for the purpose of maintaining a residence prior to enrollment at an institution of higher education, or solely for employment, or otherwise a residence that is secondary  to a permanent residence outside of North Carolina.

Under North Carolina law, to qualify for in-state residency, you must show that:

  • You have established your legal residence (domicile) in North Carolina
  • You have maintained that domicile for at least twelve (12) consecutive months before the beginning of the term
  • You have a residentiary presence in the state
  • You intend to make North Carolina your permanent home indefinitely (rather than being in North Carolina solely to attend college)

Persons not meeting the 12-month legal residence duration requirement might be eligible for some defined tuition rate exceptions if they fall within one of the limited categories authorized by the North Carolina Legislature. Most of these exceptions are handled at a campus level. All other persons are ineligible for classification as a North Carolina "resident for tuition purposes" and will be charged out-of-state tuition and not given consideration for State financial aid.

Determination of Intent

Residence in North Carolina must be legitimate and be a permanent situation rather than just for the purpose of maintaining a residence prior to enrollment at an institution of higher education, or solely for employment, or otherwise a residence that is secondary to a primary, permanent residence outside of North Carolina.

RDS reviews the information provided, as well as the documented actions taken to establish a primary permanent residence when determining if the evidence supports the stated intent of establishing a domicile in North Carolina.

 

Preponderance of Evidence

Preponderance of evidence refers to a cluster of significant events demonstrating domicile (physical presence and intent) to establish legal residence. North Carolina is not a checklist state, which means that North Carolina residency for tuition purposes is not based on performing a specific set of acts. All of the information you provide during the online interview and through your supporting documentation is taken into consideration and is used to determine whether a preponderance (or greater weight) of evidence supports the establishment of North Carolina domicile at least 12 months prior to the date that the request is submitted to RDS. 

RDS Determinations

All students (undergraduate, graduate, professional, and non-degree) seeking a residency determination for in-state tuition or state grant purposes use RDS.

RDS uses the date of submission when determining eligibility. Determinations have an expiration date that applies to new enrollments. Once a student is enrolled at a college or university, they generally will not need to return to RDS for a new determination as long as they remain continuously enrolled in their program.

Students who currently in high school and seeking to be dually-enrolled in a college course, should check with their counselor to see if they are required to obtain a RDS determination. Generally, high school students enrolling at a community college as part of the Career and College Promise Program (CCP) or Apprenticeship NC Program, will not need to complete the RDS process at this time. Other students, including those who are enrolling in a UNC System course, may be required to complete the RDS process.

Once a student graduates from high school, they are required to present an RDS determination to the college or university prior to taking any additional college courses.

Special Provisions in Law

North Carolina Statues provide for special consideration for students in certain specific situations when the resindecy determination is made.  RDS will screen for these based on the information provided by the student. Details on these provisions can be found in the RDS Guidebook. These provisions include:

  • Ward of the State
  • Emancipated minor (by marriage or court-order)
  • Orphans
  • Split families
  • Living long-term in NC with adult relative(s)
  • Marrying a NC resident
  • Active-Duty Servicemembers stationed in NC, and eligible immediate family members
  • Members of the North Carolina National Guard

Campus-Based Tuition Exceptions

There are some specific provisions in law that may permit a campus to provide an exception for a student deemed to be a non-resident to be able to receive an adjustment and be billed at the in-state rate. Generally, these require that the student has established a domicile in North Carolina, but has not yet met all requirements. Some of these exceptions are time limited. These are different by sector and are handled at the campus once RDS makes a non-resident determination.

A student should contact their college or university for assistance with these provisions.

These are handled by the campus, not by RDS.

Possible tuition exceptions within the UNC System:

A student who has been awarded and uses a defined Veterans Educational Benefit for a given term.

A student who has been awarded a 100% full scholarship by the UNC System for the academic year.

Applies to permanent full-time employees and immediate family members, with eligibility for the position confirmed by the campus Human Resources. It does not apply to temporary, part-time, contract workers or some affiliate agencies.

Requires that a permanent residence in North Carolina has been established, but they have not yet met all requirements, such as duration.

There are handled by the campus, not RDS.

Possible Exceptions with the North Carolina Community College System:

A student who has been awarded and uses a defined Veterans Educational Benefit for a given term.

A North Carolina employer who sponsors training for a particular student and pays 100% of the costs directly to the college, can trigger a change in billing to the in-state rate for that term.

If a student moves to NC based on an employer, or transfer by the military for civilian employees, a campus can consider an adjustment to an in-state rate on a time limited basis while the student meets residency requirements. This is subject to the student being able to begin to establish a bona fide domicile in North Carolina but had not yet met the duration requirement. There are also statutory caps in terms of how many exceptions the campus may award each term.

A non-US citizen who does not otherwise meet residency criteria, but who has been lawfully admitted to the US and is residing in North Carolina, and the non-profit entity accepts responsibility for payment of the tuition and fees. This exception is subject to provision caps.

A student who has graduated from a public North Carolina High school may be eligible for a tuition adjustment to the in-state rate. This provision can be granted for 12 months following the date of the high school graduation, giving the student additional time to try to meet statutory residency criteria.

Certain Non-US citizens who do not otherwise meet residency criteria, upon graduation from a North Carolina High School, may be eligible for an adjust to in-state tuition rate, provided they can show that they have been lawfully admitted to the United States.

A student who has been admitted to the US specifically with a refugee status, and living in North Carolina, but has not yet met all requirements for residency, such as 12 months duration, may be adjusted to the in-state rate until all residency requirements are met.

 

Students who provide documentation that they have been lawfully admitted to the US, and are residing in North Carolina, but do not yet have approval of a filed application to adjust their status may be eligible for an adjustment to the in-state rate upon submission of their documentation.

Students who are Federal law enforcement officers, but not meeting residency criteria, may qualify for an adjustment in tuition rate if they are permanently stationed in North Carolina ane enroll in specific, approved law enforcement training courses.

Applies to permanent full-time employees and immediate family members, with eligibility for the position confirmed by the UNC campus Human Resources. It does not apply to temporary, part-time, contract workers or some affiliate agencies.

Requires that a permanent residence in North Carolina has been established, but they have not yet met all requirements, such as duration.

Tuition Waivers

There are some limited provisions in law that allow a tuition waiver for certain specific students. Examples include a Ward of the State of North Carolina, Family Members of Deceased of Disabled Law Enforcement/Emergency Workers, and Seniors auditing a course. RDS does not determine eligibility for the waivers. This is handled by the campus. RDS does confirm residency eligibility which is typically one of the requirements that must be met.