Residency
To be eligible for Maricopa County resident tuition status, which is among the least expensive, a student must:
- Be a United States citizen or in an eligible status, and
- Live in Maricopa County and in the State of Arizona for at least one year prior (365 days) to the first day of the semester (as published in the approved Maricopa Community Colleges academic calendar)
In-state residency must be established prior to county residency for those moving from other states.
Residency for tuition purposes is determined in accordance with state law (ARS §§15-1801 et seq.) and regulations of the Maricopa Community Colleges Governing Board. All of the Maricopa Community Colleges are subject to statutes and regulations.
A new-to-Maricopa Community Colleges student who enrolls is considered out-of-state until proof of residency and eligible status is established with the Admissions, Records, and Registration Office/Office of Student Enrollment Services at the college they plan to attend.
Students who have questions about their residency and eligible status should contact the Admissions, Records, and Registration office or Office of Student Enrollment Services of their respective college for clarification.
A full list of residency classifications can be found at www.maricopa.edu/students/tuition-payment-information/tuition-fees.
Acceptable Documents to Establish Lawful Presence
Arizona law requires that students who are seeking consideration for in-state tuition status or aid that is funded in part or in whole by state money to provide verification of citizenship, permanent residency or other lawful immigration status. Students must provide evidence of lawful presence in the U.S. by providing one of the following types of documentation.
Documents may be mailed, or submitted in person to the Admissions and Records office/Office of Student Enrollment Services at each college of attendance. All documentation must be current, valid and legible. Maricopa reserves the right to request additional documentation.
Final residency decisions for tuition purposes will be made in accordance with ARS §§15-1801, 15-1802, 15-1802.01, 15-1803 and regulations of the Maricopa Community Colleges Governing Board (AR 2.2.2).
- An Arizona driver's license issued after 1996 or an Arizona non-operating identification license or an Arizona Instruction Permit
- A birth certificate or delayed birth certificate issued in any state, territory or possession of the United States (a hospital record/certificate and certified Abstract of Birth are not acceptable)
- A United States certificate of birth abroad
- A United States passport
- A foreign passport with a United States visa
- An I-94 form with photograph
- A United States citizenship and immigration services employment authorization document or refugee travel document
- A United States Permanent Resident Card
- A United States certificate of naturalization
- A United States certificate of citizenship
- A tribal certificate of Indian blood
- A tribal or Bureau of Indian Affairs affidavit of birth. Tribal members*, the elderly and "persons with disabilities or incapacity of the mind or body," may submit certain types of documentation under Section 1903 of the federal Social Security Act. (42 United States Code §1396b, as amended by Section 6036 of the federal Deficit Reduction Act of 2005)**
*A document issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe evidencing membership or enrollment in, or affiliation with, such tribe.
**If you think that this might apply, please contact the Legal Services Department for assistance at 480-731-8877.