Residency

 

California Law and Residency

Because Cuyamaca College is a state supported institution it must follow California laws pertaining to residency classification, in addition to many other regulations, for all students at California Community Colleges. All students must be classified as either "resident" or "nonresident" for tuition purposes. Students who are applying for admission, or currently enrolled students requesting residency reclassification, are required to provide supplemental information and supporting documentation or evidence to determine his or her residence classification.

  • Students who are over 19 years of age: Residency is based on factors pertaining to the student.

  • Students who are under 19 years of age: Students must complete an Under 19 Supplemental Information form. For unmarried students, residency is based on factors pertaining to the parent that the student is living with. If the student is not living with either parent, residency is based on factors pertaining to the parent the student last lived with. Married students may establish residence on their own (a copy of the marriage certificate must be submitted). There are some exceptions for students under 19 years of age, which are listed in the Cuyamaca College Catalog.

When Additional Documentation is Needed

Many times the Application for Admission does not provide enough information to make a residency determination and additional information and/or documents are needed before a determination can be made. In this case, a Supplemental Residence Questionnaire must be completed. If additional documents are needed, the student will be notified. All requested documents should be submitted to the Residency Specialist in the Admissions and Records Office.

 

Factors

Two factors are considered together when determining residency classification. To obtain "resident" status for a term, students must have:

  1. 1. Lived in California for at least one year (physical presence) AND
  2. 2. Taken action to make California their legal residence for at least one year prior to the start of the term (intent to reside).

In other words, the student needs to provide proof of BOTH physical presence AND intent to reside, to be considered a resident for tuition purposes. Physical presence must have been maintained for at least one continuous year prior to the start of the term and intent to reside must have been established a minimum of one year prior to the start of the term for which the student is planning to enroll.

 

 

Have questions? We're here to help!

person Rebecca Emadian

call (619) 660-4725

mail rebecca.emadian@gcccd.edu

location_on Student Services, G-102