Application Requirements

Residency Guidelines

Students are classified for tuition purposes under one of the following resident classifications:

  • ·In-State Resident
  • ·Out of State Resident (includes Non-resident and F-1 nonimmigrant students)

Residency regulations are published in their entirety under Official Residency Guidelines of our college catalog.

Resident status will be assigned under the following conditions:

  • ·Dependent students who have lived in Arizona for less than a year, but reside with their parents or legal guardians who have established domicile in Arizona for one year and claim the student as an exemption for state and federal tax purposes;
  • ·Financially independent students who have resided in Arizona for at least 12 months prior to the start of the semester in which they are enrolling and have established Arizona as their permanent domicile;
  • ·Students who have transferred to Arizona by their employer for employment purposes;
  • ·Students or spouses who are members of the armed forces of the United States, stationed in Arizona pursuant to military orders;
  • ·Students who are members of Native American tribes whose reservation lands lie in Arizona and extend into another state and who are residents of that reservation.

Non-resident status will be assigned under the following conditions:

  • ·Students who are claimed as exemptions by parents or legal guardians for federal or state income tax purposes and the parent or guardians are residents of a state other than Arizona;
  • ·Most persons who have lived in Arizona less than one calendar year;
  • ·Students who have not established Arizona as their permanent domicile after moving to Arizona;
  • ·Winter visitors who have not established Arizona as their permanent domicile, even if here for more than one year, are still considered out-of-state.

Official Residency Guidelines

The following guidelines concerning the determination of residency for tuition purposes are a compilation of statutory law (A.R.S. 15-1801). Due to the complexity in interpreting this law, students having difficulty in determining their residency should contact the Admissions and Records Office for further explanation.

Implementation of Guidelines

  • ·Each student applicant shall have the question of legal residence determined prior to the time of registration and payment of fees. It is the responsibility of the applicant to register under the correct resident determination.
  • ·Enforcement of residency requirements shall be the responsibility of the President of Central Arizona College. The President has designated the Admissions and Records Office to make the initial domicile classification. In determining a student's classification, the college may consider all evidence, written or oral, presented by the student and any other information received from any source which is relevant to determining classification. The college may request written sworn statements or sworn testimony of the student.
  • ·A request for a review of the initial classification may be made to Dean of Academic Services. The request must be in writing, signed by the student and accompanied by a sworn statement of all facts relative to the matter. The request must be filed within 10 days of receipt of notification of classification as a non-resident. Failure to file properly a request for review within the prescribed time limit constitutes a waiver of review for the current enrollment period. The decision of the Dean of Academic Services shall be final.

Proof of Residency

When a student's residency is questioned, or when a student wishes to have his/her residency status reviewed, the following proof will be required:

  • ·A complete domicile affidavit signed by the student must be filed with the Admissions and Records Office;
  • ·Submission of evidence of at least two the following supporting documents, in addition to an Arizona drivers license, may be reviewed in determining a student's domicile in Arizona:

a. Arizona income tax return
b. Arizona voter registration
c. Arizona automobile registration
d. Place of high school graduation
e. Source of financial support
f. Dependency as indicated on federal income tax return
g. Bank accounts
h. Other relevant information

Concurrent Enrollment; Non-resident Tuition

  • ·It is unlawful for any non-resident student to register concurrently in two or more public institutions of higher education in this state, including any university or community college, for a combined student credit hour enrollment of more than six semester hours without payment of non-resident tuition at one of the institutions.
  • ·Any non-resident student desiring to enroll concurrently in two or more public institutions of higher education in this state, including any university or community college, for a combined total of more than six semester hours shall pay the non-resident tuition at the institution of his choice in an amount equivalent to non-resident tuition for the combined total semester hours at all institutions in which the he/she is currently enrolled.

Western Undergraduate Education Program

Students from 15 Western states are eligible to participate in the Western Undergraduate Education Program (W.U.E.). The program allows full-time students who are seeking degrees or certificates to pay 150 percent resident tuition, rather than out-of-state tuition. Central Arizona College participates in the program along with other colleges and universities in Arizona, Alaska, California, Colorado, Common Wealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

New Mexico Resident Tuition Waiver Program

Central Arizona College and Western New Mexico University in Silver City have established a tuition waiver agreement, which is subject to renewal. A New Mexico resident who attends CAC may qualify to be assessed in-state tuition. There is a limited number of waivers available. Contact the Admissions Office for an application form or additional information.

Out-of-County Residence Affidavit

An Arizona resident attending classes in Pinal County from Apache, Gila, Greenlee or Santa Cruz counties must submit a completed Out-of-County Residence Affidavit every semester.