Student Affairs

03:05:01 Residency and Lawful Presence

1. Residency Classification: For the purposes of assessing appropriate tuition and fees, all students are classified as in-state, out-of-state, or border county.
2. Lawful Presence:  In order to comply with the Tennessee Eligibility Verification for Entitlements Act (EVEA), the College must verify the citizenship or lawful presence of students who are assigned a residency category that is eligible for state benefits.  State benefits include in-state tuition, lottery scholarship, academic scholarship, or any form of tuition assistance or waiver funded with state-appropriated funds.
3. The specific combination of residency and lawful presence categories determines whether a student is charged in-state or out-of-state tuition in accordance with Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) policies and guidelines.
4. Each applicant receives an initial classification based on a combination of factors including (but not limited to) answers given on the application for admission, the location of the applicant’s high school, and the length of time since the applicant attended an out-of-state institution. 
5. The College publishes a form on its website for students’ use in appealing their initial residency classification.  The form lists specific proofs requested to support the appeal.  However, in accordance with TBR policy, a student may submit any and all evidence which they believe will sustain their burden of proof.
6. An applicant’s initial classification is made by the Admissions office staff.  The first level of appeal from the initial classification is the submission of the Application for In-State Tuition form, which is reviewed by the Director of Admissions or her designee.  The Director of Admissions’ decision may be appealed to the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, and on to the Vice President for Student Affairs. 
7. Provisions for Specific Categories:
   1. Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) students are not assessed out-of-state tuition.
   2. International students’ ability to prove residency and pay in-state tuition is dependent on their visa type.  The College’s International Student Services office will provide specific guidance to applicants and students based on visa type.
   3. Out-of-state students who work full-time in Tennessee may attend part-time and pay in-state tuition, if they meet the Lawful Presence requirements.
   4. Many active-duty military personnel, veterans, and their dependents qualify for specific tuition and fee reductions and classifications.  Students are encouraged to review current TBR policy at the link shown below for details on each category.
   5. Other categories of exemptions may exist in TBR policy.  Students are encouraged to review the policy for information at https://policies.tbr.edu/policies/policy-classifying-students-state-out-state-paying-college-or-university-fees-tuition.

Submitted to Policy Review Committee on 2019.02.18

Submitted to Policy Review Board on 2019.04.08

Approved by Policy Review Board on 2019.04.24