Residency

CALIFORNIA RESIDENCY
California residency (for California Community College purposes) requires each student to qualify in two parts: act and intent. Determining residency can be very complicated. At the time of application and/or registration, students whose residency is in question will be asked to complete a supplemental residency questionnaire.

1. Act: Physical presence in the state for one year and one day prior to the first day of the term (quarter) is required to establish California residency.
2. Intent: To claim residency a student must have shown intent to establish permanent residency in California by:
   1. paying California income taxes
   2. possessing a valid California driver's license
   3. registering and voting in the state
      [CA Voter Registration Information]
   4. owning and registering a car in California
   5. taking other actions to establish residency

A California resident would not have taken similar actions in another state. In addition, the student must be eligible to establish California residency. In order to be eligible, you must be a United States (U.S.) citizen or hold a U.S. Immigration status that does not preclude you from establishing residency.

Students with questions may contact the Admissions and Records Office in person or by phone at (530) 541-4660, ext. 211. The burden of proof is the student's responsibility in the residency determination process. Students who fail to provide complete residency information will be classified as non-residents.

Changing Your Residency Status
If you believe you meet the criteria for establishing California residency and have previously been classified as a non-resident, you will need to bring documentation to the Admissions & Records office and complete a supplemental residency questionnaire. For guidance on what documents to bring, please see the tip sheet. Changes in residency status are NOT automatic. All documentation submitted is subject to review and approval.

CALIFORNIA NONRESIDENT TUITION EXEMPTION
This exemption waives non-resident tuition for eligible California High School Graduates in accordance with the law passed by the California Legislature in 2001 as "AB 540".

Any student, other than a nonimmigrant alien, who meets all of the following requirements, shall be exempt from paying nonresident tuition at the California Community Colleges, the California State University and the University of California (all public colleges and universities in California).

Requirements:

1. The student must have attended a high school (public or private) in California for three or more years.
2. The student must have graduated from a California high school or attained the equivalent prior to the start of the term (for example, passing the GED or California High School Proficiency exam).
3. An alien student who is without lawful immigration status must file an affidavit with the college or university stating that he or she has filed an application to legalize his or her immigration status, or will file an application as soon as he or she is eligible to do so.

Students who are nonimmigrants [for example, those who hold F (student) visas, B (visitor) visas, etc.] are not eligible for this exemption.

The student must file an exemption request including a signed affidavit with the college that indicates the student has met all applicable conditions described above. Student information obtained in this process is strictly confidential unless disclosure is required under law.

Students eligible for this exemption who are transferring to another California public college or university must submit a new request (and documentation if required) to each college under consideration.

Nonresident students meeting the criteria will be exempted from the payment of nonresident tuition, but they will not be classified as California residents. They continue to be "nonresidents".

If you think you may qualify for the tuition exemption, you may complete the AB540 exemption request form at the Admissions & Records office or download the form from our Forms page.