North Carolina Residency for Tuition Purposes

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North Carolina ResidencyforTuition Purposes

• A workshop for graduate students, faculty and
  staff

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Presenters
Shalonda Arnold, Residency Coordinator,
Graduate School Trish Bunn, Director of
Administration, Graduate School This
presentation as well as a more extensive version
is available on our web site. gradschool.unc.edu/r
esidency
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Outline

• Part I Background Information
• Part II Application Process
• Part III Appeals Process
• Part IV Additional Information

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Part I Background

• History and context
• The Statute
• Definitions
• Determination of intent

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Background History and Context

• NC Constitution requires that higher education
  be available as a benefit to the people of NC as
  far as practicable at minimal cost.
• This benefit from the citizen taxpayers of NC is
  afforded to residents of the State in
  anticipation of present and future benefit to the
  State.

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Background The Statute

• Under North Carolina General Statute Chapter
  116.143.1, to qualify for in-state tuition an
  applicant (legal resident) must demonstrate a
  preponderance of evidence
• that he/she established and maintained a domicile
  in North Carolina at least twelve months before
  the first day of classes,
• with the intent to make North Carolina a
  permanent home indefinitely, and
• that he/she were not in North Carolina solely to
  attend college.

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Definitions

• A legal resident is a person who qualifies as a
  domiciliary of North Carolina.
• A domicile is a person's permanent home for legal
  purposes. A domicile is not a temporary residence
  established for attending the University after
  which you intend to depart from the state. A
  person can have only one domicile, but numerous
  residences.
• Indefinitely refers to duration of time having no
  exact limits. Indefinite does not mean you intend
  to stay in the state forever, instead it means
  that you have no end date predetermined.

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Definition Preponderance of Evidence

• Preponderance of Evidence is the greater weight
  of evidence. The classifier is looking for a
  cluster of factual events/activities in support
  of the applicants claim for in-state residency
  for tuition purposes.
• The accumulation of evidence for your cluster,
  not the date you entered the state, starts the
  clock.
• In other words The sooner the better

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Cluster of Events
First day of classes
One year before the first day of classes
Semester for which you claim residency for
tuition purposes
Your arrival in North Carolina
12 month period of domicile
Domicile must be demonstrated by this date
You want your cluster of acts to be as close to,
or before, this line as possible
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Determination of Intent

• Determination of Intent takes into consideration
  the following items which may be significant in
  determining domiciliary intent however, THE
  BELOW IS NOT A CHECKLIST. Not one element by
  itself guarantees or denies residency and these
  items are not comprehensive of evidence that
  could be used in support of a case.
• Tax status and dependency
• Employment
• Voter registration and activity
• Jury duty
• Sources of financial support
• Car registration
• Driver's license
• Property ownership
• State income tax returns
• Time in and out of state
• Ties to community

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Part II Application Process

• Process Chart
• Online Residency Application for Graduate
  Students Only
• Provisions and Benefits
• Determining Residency

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Application Process

• All students admitted to an academic program in
  The Graduate School are initially classified as
  nonresidents for tuition purposes.
• Students who are not enrolled for a Fall or
  Spring semester, and students who change or add
  programs will need to reapply.

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Application Process

• Online Residency Application (Graduate School
  students only)
• gradschool.unc.edu/residency
• Pay attention to filing periods
• You will need your ONYEN and your password
• Prescreen questions determined how much info we
  will need
• If possible submit any necessary supplemental
  materials to the Graduate School in pdf form or
  fax to 919.966.4010
• If additional information is needed you will be
  notified by email.
• Applications can take up to two weeks to be
  processed

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Application Process

• For non Graduate School programs submit a paper
  form directly to your admission office. See
  registrars web site or your admission office.
• http//registrar.unc.edu/AcademicServices/Residenc
  y/index.htm

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Background Special Benefits

• Non-U.S. Citizens
• Teacher
• Military and Dependents
• Employee (full-time permanent only)
• Here is a link listing all of the 16-UNC Campuses
  and links to their websites. http//www.northcaro
  lina.edu/content.php/campus/campusmap.htm

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Application Process
Here is a link listing all of the 16-UNC Campuses
and links to their websites. http//www.northcaro
lina.edu/content.php/campus/campusmap.htm
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Application Process
See web site for additional information
http//gradschool.unc.edu/residency
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Application Process

• Answer all questions consistently and accurately
• Keep a copy of the application for future
  reference/applications.
• In the online application your information stored
• Provide supporting documentation, i.e. copy of
  drivers license/state ID and taxes if asked
• Utilize the additional comments section to
  explain any discrepancies and provide any
  additional information.

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Application Process

• After you submit you will receive an email
  notification that your application is in process.
  
• If additional information is needed you will be
  contacted via email
• You, and your department, will receive a decision
  within two weeks of the date of submission
• If additional information is needed or you
  present questionable material decisions will be
  delayed

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Part III Appeals Process

• How to Appeal
• Preparing for an Appeal

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Appeals How to Appeal

• Reply to your initial decision with your intent
  to appeal within 15 days of receipt.
• You will receive an email stating your
  information will be forwarded to the Residency
  Status Committee (RSC).
• A Committee representative will contact you
  regarding a hearing date.
• Three members of the RSC will read your
  application, ask questions, and give you an
  opportunity to make a statement

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Appeals Preparing for the Appeals Hearing

• Review your application and gather information
  that can authenticate your claims.
• If you have new information, or corrections after
  the initial classification has been made your
  only recourse is to file an appeal.
• Initial classifiers do not overturn decisions

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Appeals Preparing for the Appeals Hearing

• Review your application and gather information
  around the following issues
• When did you physically come to NC?
• How did you establish the fact that you made NC
  your domicile of indefinite duration outside the
  context of your academic program and its related
  activities?
• List the other times you came to NC, and document
  events (dates and places) that led you to decide
  to establish your domicile in NC.
• What have you done (documentable events) to make
  plans for your future in NC?
• Your remarks must be factual in nature the
  committee does not have the authority to make
  exceptions to the statutes they are looking for
  a preponderance of factual information

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Part IV Additional Information

• Scenarios
• Upcoming Changes
• Resources

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Scenarios

• Interning/Researching out of state
• My parents are supporting me
• I go home for the holidays
• I own a house in North Carolina
• State income taxes and withholdings

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Upcoming Changes

• Applicants will be able to upload pdf versions of
  supplemental materials such as
• Copies of drivers license/state ID
• State taxes
• Visa and green cards
• Dual degree students and students that have been
  concurrently enrolled may be able to bypass
  submitting an additional application (contact
  admission office)
• Note for All Applicants
• If additional information is needed we will
  contact you via email and you should adhere to
  the directions/requests given.

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Resources

• Graduate School NC Residency for Tuition Purposes
  Web Site http//gradschool.unc.edu/residency
• The Manual can be found in reference libraries,
  admissions offices and the Registrars Office
  SASB Building (also online)
• Speak with the residency classifier who made the
  initial decision (Shalonda Arnold is the contact
  person for the Graduate School 966-2612)
• Contact Kimberly Rempson, Senior Vice Chair for
  Residency,
• Registrars Office (962-5540) with questions
  about scheduling an appeal.
• Registrars web site http//registrar.unc.edu/Acad
  emicServices/Residency/index.htm

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Questions?

• Questions related to the process?
• Questions related to you?