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Residency Requirements

A resident student is one who has been physically present in the state for more than one year and one day prior to the start of the term they will be attending.

A person capable of establishing residency in California must be able to provide objective evidence of their eligible immigration status, physical presence in the state of California, and their intent to make California a permanent home.

Residency status is determined at the time of admission. Applicants who cannot establish residency, as defined above, will be considered as non-residents or international students.

Residency Reclassification Request

If you need to update your residency, please fill out the Residency Reclassification Request and return it to the Admissions Office along with your supporting documents. All documents must be in the student’s name and dated appropriately for the term in which residency is requested. Original documents are required.

All valid supporting documents are stated on the petition.

Eligibility for California Residency
  1. You must be a United States citizen, permanent resident, asylee/refugee, or have a visa status that is eligible to establish residency.
    • That includes the following visa categories: A 1-3, E 1-3, G 1-5, H-1B, H-1C, H4 (if dependent of H-1B or H-1C), I, K 1-4, L-1A, L-1B, L-2, NATO 1-7, N-8, N-9, O-1, O-3 (if dependent of O-1), R 1-2, T 1-5, U 1-5, and V 1-3. List of eligible nonimmigrant visa categories.
  2. You must have lived in California under a residency eligible immigration status for at least one year and one day prior to the start of the term for which you seek residency.
Exemption for Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) & Refugee Students

Education Code section 68075.6 grants an immediate nonresident tuition fee exemption to eligible Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders and refugee students who settled in California upon entering the United States. This exemption is granted for one year from the date the student settled in California upon entering the United States.

This exemption applies to the following:

  • Iraqi citizens or nationals (and their spouses and children) who were employed by or on behalf of the United States Government in Iraq (Pub.L. No. 110-181, 1244.)
  • Afghan and Iraqi translators (and their spouses and children) who worked directly with the United States Armed Forces (Pub.L. No. 109-163, 1059.)
  • Afghanistan nationals who were employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government or in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan (Pub.L. No. 111-8, 602.)
  • Refugee students admitted to the United States under Section 1157 of Title 8 of the United States Code.
Nonresident Tuition Exemption for Eligible California High School Graduates (AB540)

In accordance with Assembly Bill 540 and AB 2000, any student, other than a non-immigrant, who meets all of the following requirements, shall be exempt from paying nonresident tuition at the California Community Colleges.

To request this exemption, a student must complete the form online and submit it to [email protected] or in person in the Office of Admissions and Records SEC 118.

Educational Requirements: students must meet one from each column when completing the AB540 form

Column A
Column B
  • The student has three years of attendance at a California high school.
  • The student must have graduated or will graduate (before the first term of enrollment at the CCC) with a California high school diploma or have attained the equivalent prior to the start of the term (for example, passing the California-issued GED or California High School Proficiency exam).
  • The student has three or more years of California high school coursework (public or private) and attended three years in California elementary or secondary or a combination of elementary and secondary schools.
  • The student has completed or will complete (before the first term of enrollment) an associate degree from a California Community College.
  • The student has three or more years of attendance or attained credits at a combination of California high school, California adult school, and/or California Community College.
  • The student has completed or will complete (before the first term of enrollment) the minimum requirements at a California Community College for transfer to the California State University or the University of California.


Type of School 1-Year Full-Time Attendance 3-Year Full Time Attendance
High School 55 credits 165 Credits
Adult School 420 Classroom Hours 1260 classroom hours
Community College (Credits Courses) 24 semester credit units;
or 36 quarter credit units		 72 semester credit units;
or 108 quarter credit units
Community College (Noncredit courses) 420 classroom hours 1260 classroom hours

 

Additional Information
  • A 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 nonimmigrant [for example, those who hold F (student) visas, B (visitor) visas, etc.] are not eligible for this exemption.  Student information obtained in this process is strictly confidential unless disclosure is required under law.
  • 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. 
  • Students meeting the criteria will be classified as AB540. AB540 students will be considered for state aid through the California Dream Act application but may not for federal financial aid.

Students meeting the criteria will be classified as AB540. AB540 students will be considered for state aid through the California Dream Act application but may not for federal financial aid. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid for details.