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Policies and Procedures

5115 Determination of Residency

Initial Date of Approval: 4/22/09

Revision Date(s): 12/17/24
Administrative Responsibility: Vice President of Student Services

PURPOSE

To meet state residency requirements in compliance with RCW 28B.15 and the guidelines adopted by the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) for the purposes of setting tuition and fees.

REFERENCES

POLICY

Skagit Valley College complies with all Washington State residency laws for higher education established to set tuition and fees. The definition of “resident student” for certain students, who are not permanent residents or citizens of the United States, may be eligible for resident student status and eligible to pay resident tuition rates by the guidelines stated in Senate Bill 5194 (formerly HB 1079). Residency status is determined at the time of application for admission or class registration. The residency coordinator in the office of Enrollment Services makes the determination of residency based on Washington state law and guidelines adopted by the Washington Student Achievement Council.

Students must meet residency requirements to qualify for resident (in-state) tuition and fees at Skagit Valley College, which are typically less expensive than out-of-state rates.

To be considered for resident tuition and state aid, a student:

  • Must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or non-citizen with a qualifying immigration status;
  • Must maintain a primary residence in Washington for at least twelve (12) consecutive months immediately before their first term at the college determining residence, and
  • The Washington residence must be for purposes other than college.

Students who are admitted as nonresidents, but think they meet student residency requirements, can apply for resident tuition via the residency reclassification process.

 

PROCEDURES

Residency Reclassification

Students who are coded as “nonresident” or “undetermined resident status” are responsible for requesting a change in residency status and submitting all supporting documentation by the published deadlines.

A student determined to be a nonresident at the point of admission may apply for residency reclassification with the appropriate documentation. Residency status does not automatically update after living in Washington for twelve (12) months as other factors apply.   

A student assigned an “undetermined” resident status may request residency forms on the Residency Requirements webpage. (Forms available on the bottom of the page.)

Documentation for reclassification must be submitted to the residency coordinator by the 30th calendar day of the intended quarter. (See Important Dates and Deadlines.)

Students submitting reclassification documentation after the deadline will be considered for a residency status update for the following quarter. According to Washington state law, documents received after the deadline are processed for the next quarter.

Students who apply or submit their documents after the final deadline for the quarter in which they are seeking residency adjustment do not qualify for a tuition deferment. If a student later qualifies for residency status in that same quarter, they are eligible for a refund of the cost difference between non-resident and resident tuition (found on the College Fees webpage) only for the quarter in which they applied for residency adjustment.

Forms and required documentation can be submitted to residency@skagit.edu

 

Active Duty Military Members, Spouses, and Dependents

Active duty military members, their spouses, and dependents are eligible to apply for resident tuition via a waiver. To apply for an in-state tuition waiver and fees as an active duty military member or as a member’s spouse or dependent, students must email a copy of their military ID and orders to the residency coordinator.

Veterans

Veterans or their dependents may qualify as a resident for tuition purposes if they meet the requirements as a “covered individual” as defined in the Veterans Access Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 (Choice Act). The Choice Act requires states to charge in-state tuition and fees to “covered individuals” based on the following conditions:

  • A Veteran, spouse or dependent child is eligible if they live in the state in which the institution of their learning is located (regardless of their formal state of residency) and enroll in the school within three years from the date of discharge from active duty from the armed forces, found on the Veterans DD-214 form. This eligibility includes benefits and entitlements that were transferred to the spouse and dependent child.
  • A spouse or dependent child is eligible for educational entitlements under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship if they live in the state in which the institution of higher learning is located (regardless of their formal state of residency) and enroll in the school within three years of the service member’s death in the line of duty.
  • The Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 removes the requirement for covered individuals to enroll in a course at a public institution of higher learning within three years of being discharged to receive in-state tuition. Also, VA will make publicly available on the VA website a database explaining any public institution’s requirements for beneficiaries to be charged in-state tuition.
  • Students may be eligible for VA educational benefits or VA worker retraining entitlements as a Veteran, spouse or dependent child by the US Department of Veterans Affairs.
  • Individuals who establish resident student status as “covered individuals” maintain that status as long as they stay continuously enrolled at the school.

Tribal Members

Tribal members who meet the following two conditions are considered Washington resident students:

  • Students hold membership in one of the federally recognized tribes whose traditional and customary tribal boundaries include portions of the state of Washington, or whose tribe was granted reserved lands within the state of Washington.
  • For at least one year immediately prior to enrollment, students must have been domiciled in one or a combination of the following states: Idaho, Montana, Oregon, or Washington.

These students:

The following documentation can be sent to residency@skagit.edu:

  • Proof of Tribal Membership
  • WA, ID, MT, OR ID issued 12 months prior to the start of the quarter
  • Proof of living in WA, ID, MT, OR (lease agreement, letter from a landlord, mortgage statement showing that you have lived there 12 months prior to the start of the quarter 
Non-U.S. Citizen Students

Students are eligible to establish residency based on their immigration status. Immigration documentation is required for reclassification.

Students with the following status are eligible for domicile and can possibly qualify for resident tuition if they have lived in Washington for 12 months: A-1, A-2, A-3, DV-1, DV-2, DV-3, DV-6, DV-7, DV-8, E-1, E-2, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, G-5, H-1B, H4, I, K-1, K-2, K-3, K-4, N-8, N-9, NATO-1, NATO-2, NATO-3, NATO-4, NATO-5, NATO-6, NATO-7, O-1, O-2, O-3, Q-1, Q-2, Q-3, R-1, R-2, S, U-1, U-2, U-3, U-4, U-5, V-1, V-2, or V-3 visa status

The following visas are not eligible for domicile or resident tuition: B-1, B-2, C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4, D-1, D-2, F-1, F-2, F-3, H-2A, H-2B, H-3, J-1, J-2, M-1, M-2, M-3, P-1, P-2, P-3, P-4, TD, TN, WB, or WT visa status.

 

Residency Appeals

Students who wish to appeal the results of their residency reclassification request should submit the following materials to the residency coordinator:

  • A personal statement providing reasons why the student meets in-state residency requirements;
  • Supporting documentation that shows Washington domicile twelve (12) months prior to the start of the intended quarter;
  • Any additional supporting documentation explaining an institutional error.

Appeals must be received within 30 days of the original residency reclassification determination.