California state law requires that each student enrolled in or applying for admission to a California community college provide information and evidence to determine his/her residence classification for tuition purposes. The guidelines below will help you determine if you are a California resident for purposes of attending a California community college.
To qualify as a resident, the student must meet the following requirements:
If the student was born outside of the United States, they must have met the above mentioned requirements, along with USCIS documentation (Notice of Action) that is dated at least one year and one day before the first day of classes for the term they plan to attend.
If student is under 19 years of age, residency is derived from their parent or legal guardian.
Did you graduate from a California High School?
AB 540 allows for California nonresidents who have attended at least 3 year AND graduated from a California high school to qualify for the non-resident tuition exemption. Please see the link below:
For more information on residency, please contact the Admissions and Records Office at (707) 864-7171.
Process for Residency Determination:
The College will make final determination of residency, but the burden of proof is on the student to demonstrate clearly, with proof, both physical presence in California and the intent to establish California as their permanent residence.
Each student at the time of admission or readmission will be classified according to his/her legal residence.
All immigration documentation and proof of California residency must be submitted to the Admissions and Records Office PRIOR to the start of the semester of attendance.
Residency decisions are never made at the Admissions and Records counter, or on the spot. Please allow 7-10 business days for a residency determination decision to be made. Notification of missing documents, complete or incomplete residency packets will be made to the email address(s) that the applicant has on file.
Basic Residency Questionnaire – Under 19
Generally, intent cannot be proved with only one or two pieces of evidence. The more evidence you can present to show intent, the easier it is to become a California resident for tuition purposes. A person begins to establish intent by doing as many of the above mentioned actions AS SOON AS POSSIBLE after their arrival in California.
Due to the complexity of determining residency, we reserve the right to ask for any additional documentation as may be needed on a case by case basis (To be determined by the Admissions and Records Office)
This information has been extracted from the California Education Code sections 68000 and after, and California Code of Regulations, Title 5, sections 54000-54072.