Payment of Tuition, Fees and Expenses

Residency Status for Tuition Purposes

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.

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 requirement may be classified as North Carolina residents for tuition purposes only if they fall within one of the limited categories authorized by the North Carolina Legislature. 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.

Residency is not determined on campus and College staff is unable to adjust residency information for students. Residency will be determined by the Residency Determination Service (RDS), which was established by the NC State Legislature. Every applicant for admission will be required to complete RDS, an online interview that will be completed as part of the CFNC online admissions application. Verification of a student’s initial classification can take forty-eight (48) to seventy-two (72) hours under routine conditions. More information can be found at ncresidency.org.

Residency Determination Service (RDS) Appeal

A student may always seek an appeal if the student believes that the RDS process has failed to consider accurately important information regarding the student's residency status. The RDS appeals process will offer two levels of appeal, consistent with current practice. The initial appeal is the Additional Data and Documentation ("ADD") appeal; the second level appeal is to a state-level committee. Students will continue to have litigation available to them as an option following these two levels of appeal.

Additional Data and Documentation Appeal (ADD):

A "non-resident" student who believes the RDS determination is incorrect (i.e., key data was entered correctly and no change in circumstance has occurred) can move directly into the appeal process and provide additional narrative and/or documentation regarding his/her situation. The RDS website will provide a list of documentation which may support a residency claim; RDS will share this list with students. RDS will communicate to the student that:

1. submission of any or all documentation does not guarantee a "resident" determination
2. Non-submission of any or all documentation does not preclude an "non-resident" determination.

At this level of appeal a student may use RDS to explain the basis of the appeal and may submit documents through the standard RDS documentation upload procedure. Data and documentation will be reviewed and assessed by an RDS appeal committee. This committee may choose to contact an appellant directly for further information or clarification.

Higher Education Appeal Committee:

This option is available to students who remain "non-resident" following an ADD Appeal. This appeal committee, consisting of representatives of the UNC System, the Community College System, and the NC independent colleges and universities provides a check on the overall RDS process, allowing the committee to review a student's case to ensure the process was conducted fairly and correctly, and that the outcome was correct based upon the information provided throughout the process. Additionally, this process provides appellants the opportunity to appear in person or via technological means (Skype, conference call) to support their case and provide additional information, documentation, and clarifications as needed.

Following any successful reconsideration or appeal, the school will be notified via the school workgroup email so that the school can download the appropriate data reflecting the new determination and make the resulting change to the student's tuition bill. Any change in residency status will automatically be available to the state Grants System. RDS instructions and documentation will reflect this requirement to ensure students are aware the change is not automatic at the campus level.

Change in Residency

Students must disclose any change in residency to the Office of Admissions, Records, & Registration.

Undocumented Immigrants

Undocumented immigrants may enroll in MCC and will be treated as non-resident students with respect to tuition and fees. They will be admitted by the Office of Admissions, Records, and Registration according to ID SBCCC 400.2.

Undocumented immigrants will be admitted to the College if he or she attended and graduated from a United States public high school, private high school, or home school that operates in compliance with state or local law, or if he or she has earned a state-approved high school equivalent education in the United States and has Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) classification. Undocumented immigrants should speak with an admissions counselor when entering programs that require a professional license in order to work, such as the nursing program, because federal law prohibits states from granting professional licenses to undocumented immigrants.Undocumented immigrants will be charged out-of-state tuition.

Out-of-State Tuition Waivers

Out-of-state residents may be eligible for in-state rates if the following requirements are met:

In-State Employer Waiver

1. Employed by a North Carolina based business, which has agreed to pay tuition;
2. A request for the in-state tuition rate must be made on said employer's letterhead;
3. A copy of the employee's pay stub must be submitted to verify employment; [AND]
4. The employee's tuition must be paid with said employer's check.

Military Waiver

For veterans, the twelve (12) month residency requirement for in-state tuition is waived for those meeting all of the following criteria:

• Served active duty for at least ninety (90) days in the Armed Forces, the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Heath service, or the national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
• Was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable;
• Qualifies for and uses federal educational benefits under either the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty Education
• Program or the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance;
• Qualifies for admission to the community college;
• Enrolls within three (3) years of the veteran’s discharge or release;
• The veteran’s abode is North Carolina, meaning the veteran must actually live in North Carolina, whether temporarily or permanently; AND
• Provides the College with a letter of intent to establish legal residence in North Carolina.

For other individuals, the twelve (12)-month residency requirement is waived for those meeting all of the following criteria:

• The person is the recipient of a veteran's federal educational benefits under either 38 USC Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty Education Program) or 38 USC Chapter 33 (Post -9/11 Educational Assistance).
• The person qualifies for admission and enrolls in a community college within three (3) years of the veteran’s discharge or release from the Armed Forces, the Commissioned Corps of the U.S Public Health Service, or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
• The person’s abode is North Carolina meaning the person must actually live in NC, whether temporarily or permanently.
• The person provides the institution of higher education with a letter of intent to establish legal residence in North Carolina.

Furthermore, after the expiration of the three (3)-year period, any enrolled veteran or other enrolled individual eligible for the educational benefits listed above and for whom the twelve (12)-month residency requirement was waived will continue to be eligible for the in-state tuition rate so long as the veteran or qualified individual remains continuously enrolled at the same institution of higher education.