Students are encouraged to submit their Tuition Reclassification Application and supporting documentation as soon as appropriate during the eligible enrollment semester after the 12 month (365 days) domicile requirement has been met.

Parent's Affidavit Form

(Required when a student has been claimed as a tax dependent within the past two years, or was provided with any parental financial support in the past two years. "Financial support" refers to funds parents or guardians give directly to the applicant, or any expenses incurred on the applicant's behalf such as parent paying for a vehicle, health insurance, car payments, mortgage payments, cell phone service, etc. An original notarized form completed by a parent is required for review by the Residency Officer.)

You will receive a Checklist at the completion of the Tuition Reclassification Application. The Checklist will provide you with a list of required supporting documentation that must be submitted for the review of your application.

Please block out all social security numbers and account numbers for security purposes, before sending your documentation. Required supporting documentation (with the exception of affidavits*) may be sent as .pdf file email attachment, mailed or hand delivered to the address below.

*The original signed affidavit must be provided when required.

North Carolina State Residence Manual

Under NC statute G. S. 116-143 the legal residence of an individual's living parents or legal guardian is prima facie evidence of the individual's legal residence. This means that the legal residence of the applicant is considered the same as that of his or her living parent(s) or legal guardian. That prima facie evidence may be rebutted or reinforced by other evidence relative to the applicant's age and general circumstances. Generally speaking, for an applicant with out-of-state parents, the older the applicant and more independent the applicant is from his or her parents, the more likely it is for the applicant to be able to demonstrate domicile in North Carolina.

• establishment of domicile (legal residence) and physical presence in North Carolina for at least 12 months
• residence has been maintained for at least 12 continuous months prior to the start of the term
• intent to make North Carolina a permanent home of indefinite duration
• evidence supporting that one is not in the state solely for the purpose of attending an institution of higher education

1. Birth: In this case, a child has the domicile of his or her parents;
2. Law: In these instances, domicile is defined by law, as in the case of a minor whose domicile is presumed
to be that of his or her parents or legal guardians; or
3. Choice: Upon reaching the age of adulthood (age 18), a person of capacity may independently establish a
domicile in the state of his or her choice.

One is not guaranteed under the law, however, to always have a state in which he or she qualifies as a resident for tuition purposes. A person can have multiple residences, but can have only one domicile at a given time.

Evidence of North Carolina domicile for tuition purposes includes actions that would normally be characteristic and expected of any permanent resident. A variety of evidence is considered when evaluating requests for instate tuition status; however, no single factor or combination of factors may be considered conclusive evidence of domicile. Following is a list of the kinds of information and conduct that may be considered as evidence in determining domicile. This is not a checklist, and because each application is considered on its own, even those who meet each element below still may not qualify for in-state tuition:

• Living or not living in the home of one's parents
• Voter registration and voting
• Location of jury duty
• Registering, licensing, and maintaining a motor vehicle
• Driver's license or state ID card
• Location of permanent employment
• Filing of North Carolina state income tax return
• Places where one resides during periods between academic sessions
• Location of personal property
• Property tax assessment
• Ownership of residential real property that is one's primary residence (including maintenance and payment of expenses associated with the property)
• Place from which one graduated from high school
• Place of residence prior to enrollment in an institution of higher education
• Memberships in professional associations, unions, civic organizations, etc.
• Sources of one's financial support
• Citizenship or immigration status

It is important to remember that a person can have multiple residences, but can have only one domicile at a given time.

To determine whether a student has established a domicile in North Carolina, as opposed to a mere temporary residence, one must first determine if the student has capacity to establish residency. The conduct of the student, taken in total, must demonstrate an intention to make North Carolina his or her permanent dwelling place. The classifier looks for evidence showing a cluster or focus of favorable information occurring about the same time as the indicator of the initial intent to domicile, not when physical presence in the state began.

1. Non-U. S. Citizens- Persons who are not U.S. citizens but who hold eligible immigration status documentation have the capacity to establish legal residence for tuition purposes. This requires visa and immigration status that grants the legal ability to establish and maintain a bona fide domicile in this country. Such people are subject to the same considerations as U.S. citizens in determining residence status for tuition purposes and must provide evidence of intent to domicile.

The following types of documentation enable a non-U.S. citizen who is legally present in this state to have the capacity to establish domicile:

a. Evidence of either of the following:

(1) A valid A-1, A-2, E-1, E-2, E-3, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, H-1B, H-1C, H-4, I, K-1, K-2, K-3, K-4, L-1A, L-1B, L-2, N, O-1, O-3, P-1, P-2, P-3, P-4, R-1, R-2, T-1, T-2, T-3, T-4, T-5, U-1, U-2, U-3, U-4, U-5, V-1, V-2, V-3, NATO-1, NATO-2, NATO-3, NATO-4, NATO-5, or NATO-6 visa status (eligibility for in-state tuition under these visa statuses lasts only so long as the time frame of the authorized stay under the applicable visa status); or

(2) A pending Application to Adjust Status (Form I-485) and an approved Immigrant Petition
(Forms I-130, I-360, or I-140).

b. One of the following:

(1) A Permanent Resident Card I-551; or
(2) A USCIS-issued notice of approval of Application to Adjust Status (I-485); or
(3) A current Conditional Permanent Resident Card.

Non-immigrant visa statuses such as B, C, D, F, J, M, Q, S, and TN visas (and dependent visas for spouses and children such as a TD visa) cannot establish domicile with these documents, in and of themselves, unless there is a change in their visa status. An Employment Authorization Document (EAD or EAC) is a document that provides non-U.S. citizens with the authorization to work in this country. An EAD or EAC, in and of itself, does not confer any immigrant or non-immigrant status and does not give the EAD or EAC holder the legal capacity to establish residency for tuition purposes in this state.

2. Members of the Armed Forces and their dependents - Active duty personnel in the armed services, and their spouses, dependent children and dependent relatives may be eligible for in-state tuition. An active duty member of the military (and their eligible family members) who qualifies for admission to an institution of higher education in the State may qualify for in-state tuition in two ways:
• as a domiciliary of the State, or
• under a special provision of North Carolina and federal law requiring that non-resident active duty military personnel and their eligible family members be charged in-state tuition when assigned to a duty station in North Carolina.

3. Members of the North Carolina National Guard - Any member of the North Carolina National Guard, regardless of whether the person is a legal resident of North Carolina, is eligible for in-state tuition rate during the Guard Member's period of service whether in a reserve or active status. Complete the Armed Services member of the Reclassification application and submit proof of active N. C. National Guard membership and a recent pay statement.

4. UNC Employees and their families - Permanent full-time employees of the University of North Carolina who are legal residents of North Carolina qualify as resident for tuition purposes even if they have not maintained legal residency for the required 12 consecutive months prior to residence classification.

5. Married Persons - Although a nonresident cannot automatically achieve resident status simply by marrying a person domiciled in North Carolina, a nonresident person who marries a North Carolina legal resident may benefit from the length of time his or her spouse has been domiciled in this state. If the nonresident spouse becomes domiciled in North Carolina, he or she may count the length of time the resident spouse has been domiciled in North Carolina for purposes of satisfying the 12-month requirement for in-state tuition. The qualifying event must have occurred prior to the first day of the term for which the in-state tuition rate is requested. Qualification for this benefit is determined by information provided by the applicant including the North Carolina resident spouse's residency information and legally valid marriage documentation.