The state of North Carolina partially subsidizes the cost of North Carolina public
college and university
tuition for all students whose
domicile, or permanent legal residence, is in North Carolina. Residency determination
establishes
if students should have in-state or out-of-state tuition. Because North Carolina
residency status
is governed solely by North Carolina statute, lack of eligibility for in-state status in
another
state does not guarantee in-state status in North Carolina. The residency statute
mandates only
those who can demonstrate a minimum of twelve months of uninterrupted domicile (legal
residence)
in North Carolina are eligible for in-state tuition. The statute also places the burden
of proof
on the student to establish, by a preponderance of evidence, that they are a bona fide
domiciliary
rather than mere residents of North Carolina.
The Residency Determination Service (RDS) was established in coordination with the
University of
North Carolina (UNC), the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS), the North
Carolina State
Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA), and the North Carolina Independent Colleges and
Universities
(NCICU) as the centralized service for determining residency for students. This service
enables a
student to use one residency determination for admissions applications to multiple North
Carolina
public colleges and universities and to demonstrate residency for state aid programs
consideration
at all (public and private) North Carolina colleges and universities.
