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, 30-mile, or border county. A person will be classified as 30-mile or border county if they have a bona fide place of residence in a county adjacent to the Tennessee state line and which is also within a 30-mile radius (as determined by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission) of the city containing the main campus. 
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 and the length of time the applicant has lived at their current permanent residence.
5. The College publishes a form in the student portal for students’ use in appealing their initial residency classification.  The form lists specific proofs requested to support the appeal in accordance to TBR Policy 3:05:01:00. 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.  The first level of appeal from the initial classification is the submission of the Application for In-State Tuition form.  The intial decision may be appealed to the Director of Admissions and College Registrar, 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. Students that are not U.S. citizens will be classified according to their immigration classification or 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. To receive this benefit, students must complete the required form for each term of enrollment.
   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.  

Submitted to Policy Review Committee on February 28, 2025

Submitted to Policy Review Board on April 11, 2025

Updates approved by Policy Review Board on May 7, 2025

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