The Graduate School determines residence classifications for all
graduate and post-baccalaureate students at the University of North
Carolina at Charlotte. North Carolina State law governs these
classifications, but the information below gives a brief overview of
certain points of the law. If you want a more in-depth
examination of the law as it pertains to residency, please consult A
Manual to Assist the Public Higher Education Institutions of North
Carolina in the Matter of Student Residence Classification for Tuition
Purposes. A copy of the Manual is on
reserve in Atkins Library.
DEADLINES
You should submit the North Carolina Residence and Tuition Status Application
with copies of supporting documentation 60 days prior to the beginning of the
term for which you are applying for residency for tuition purposes.
However, your application and supporting documentation must be received in the
Graduate School no later than the last day of exams of the term
for which you are applying for residency.
REQUIREMENTS
Under North Carolina law, to qualify for in-state tuition for a given term,
you must prove that you :
- established your domicile in
North Carolina, and
- maintained your domicile in North Carolina for 12
continuous months prior to the beginning of the term for which
you are applying for residency for tuition purposes.
Establishing Your North Carolina Domicile
To prove that you have established a bona fide domicile in North
Carolina, you must prove that you were physically present in the
state; that you intent to make North Carolina your home indefinitely;
and that you moved to North Carolina for reasons other than to solely
attend college.
Your intent is evaluated by the actions you have taken to establish
your domicile in North Carolina. The Manual lists
the following considerations that may be significant in determining
your intent:
- Do you live in North Carolina?
- Are you registered to vote in North Carolina?
- If registered, where did you last vote?
- If you drive, where did you last obtain a driver's license?
-
If you drive, is the car you drive registered in North Carolina?
-
Do you own a home or other real estate?
- Where do you keep your personal property?
- Where is your personal property listed for taxation?
- Where do you spend your vacation time?
- Where do you work?
- Where did you file your state income tax return?
- Where did you last attend college?
- Where did you live before enrolling in a university or college?
- Do you have memberships in community associations, professional associations,
unions, or other organizations in North Carolina?
- If you have non-resident parents,
are you financially independent?
In order to determine your residency status, residency classifiers weigh all the evidence you furnish in your application
to determine if the preponderance (or
greater weight) of the evidence supports your having established North
Carolina domicile
12 months before the beginning of the academic term
for which you seek
to be classified as resident. If the evidence shows
a cluster of significant
events occurring at about the same week, for example, or at the same time, the classifier will start counting from that point to
determine if the twelve-month requirement has been met. If instead the
evidence has accumulated
over time, the classifier must decide at what
point a preponderance of
evidence shows the intent to establish NC
domicile, and that is the date
on which the 12 month maintenance period will begin.
To begin the residency classification process, you must complete the Application
for Residency for Tuition Purposes and provide the necessary
supporting documentation. You may apply for
reclassification
before or during a given term. The absolute deadline to file a residence
status application is the last day of exams
for a given term.
THE EFFECT OF MARRIAGE ON
RESIDENCY
A person does not automatically obtain North Carolina domicile solely by
marrying
a North Carolina resident. If both spouses have established
a NC domicile,
and one spouse has been a domiciliary longer than the
other, the member
of the couple who has the shorter duration of
domicile may borrow his or
her spouse's duration of domicile to meet
the 12 months maintenance requirement. However,
the two durations cannot be
added together to meet the requirement.
TEACHER TUITION BENEFIT
According to North Carolina General Statue 116-143.5, public
school
teachers and other personnel paid on the North Carolina
teacher salary schedule who have established a legal residence
(domicile) in North
Carolina, but have maintained the domicile for less than twelve months, may be
eligible to receive a waiver of the tuition difference between
out-of-state and in-state tuition for courses relevant to teacher licensure or
professional development as a teacher. If you believe you are eligible for
this benefit, you must complete the entire North Carolina Residence and Tuition
Status Application and provide supporting documentation. If eligible, you
will receive the benefit for up to a 12 month period, after which time you will
be considered an in-state resident for tuition purposes (without needing the
Teacher Tuition Benefit). Note that there is no need to reapply for the
benefit each semester.
MILITARY
TUITION BENEFIT
According to North Carolina General Statute 116-143.3, certain members of the
armed services and their dependent relatives may be eligible to be charged a
tuition rate of less than the out-of-state rate whether or not they qualify as
residents for tuition purposes under GS 116-143.1. If you believe you may
be eligible for this benefit, please call the Graduate School and request the
Military Tuition Benefit Application. Note: You must apply for this
benefit before the first day of classes of your first term of enrollment.
Military
Tuition Flier
Military
Tuition Application
NON-UNITED STATES CITIZENS
If you are not a U.S. citizen, you may or may not qualify for resident
tuition status on the same basis as a U.S. citizen; it depends upon the
type of immigration documents you hold. You may qualify if you are a permanent
resident alien, a refugee, a parolee, or an asylee. You do not qualify if
you hold one of the following visa - - B, C, D, F, J, M, P, Q, S.
If you later receive permanent resident alien status or a visa that allows
you to qualify for resident tuition status, you must establish North Carolina
domicile and wait 12 months. If you have applied for permanent resident
alien status, but it has not been granted yet, you are still considered as being
in the country under the visa or document that you had before you applied for
the "green card".
APPEALS
If the Graduate School determines that you are not a resident for tuition purposes,
you may appeal that decision to the on-campus Graduate Residency Appeals Committee.
If this Committee also determines that you are not a resident for tuition
purposes, you may appeal that decision to the University of North
Carolina: Office of the President.
QUESTIONS?
Attend a workshop, see http://www.uncc.edu/gradmiss/p_residencyworkshops.html.
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