Residency policy

U.S. Citizens. The Community College of Baltimore County has adopted the following policy on residence status in compliance with the Maryland Higher Education Commission and the Code of Maryland Regulations:

“A student must reside in Baltimore County to be eligible for county tuition rates or in the State of Maryland outside of Baltimore County, to be eligible for state tuition rates. A student is a Maryland or Baltimore County resident if he/she has maintained his/her domicile in Maryland or Baltimore County, respectively, for at least three months prior to the beginning of the semester. Domicile as used in this regulation is defined as a person’s permanent place of abode, where physical presence and possessions are maintained and where he/she intends to remain indefinitely. The domicile of a person who received more than one-half of his/her financial support from others in the most recently completed year is the domicile of the person contributing the greatest portion of support, without regard to whether the parties are related by blood or marriage. A student who is under 18 years of age must claim his/her residence as that of his/her parents or legal guardians.”

It is the responsibility of the student to provide all required documentation to the Records and Registration Office when requesting a change of address. It is the student's responsibility to verify their residency and billing rate upon registration for the next semester. Employment and post office box addresses may not be used as a domicile. Students are required to sign a statement verifying their residency claims. When a residency is questioned, the burden of domicile proof is upon the student. The student must provide 2 (two) forms of documentation to substantiate his/her claim. For example, a copy of a rental agreement or an electric or a telephone bill may be used. Any documents presented after the last day of the third week or 20% equivalence of the semester/session will not be considered for the current semester/session but the following term.

Permanent Residents, Refugees and Asylees. Non-U.S. citizens who are permanent residents, refugees and asylees must present their immigration documents at the time of application to confirm residency status for tuition purposes. The same Residency Policy for U.S. citizens will apply to these students.

Non-immigrants who have applied for Permanent Residency. Students who possess a Notice of Action statement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or an Employment Authorization Document with immigrant notations may file a petition for residency reclassification for tuition purposes. Two forms of supporting documentation will be needed to determine whether or not the applicant has resided in-county or in-state for at least three months. In the case that the reclassification request is submitted by the third week or 20% equivalence of the semester/session, and it is granted, any resulting favorable decision will be implemented for the current semester.

International Students with an F, M or J Visa Status. These students must pay out-of-state tuition since their permanent place of residence is outside the United States.

All other individuals, with visa classifications not mentioned above, should be directed to the Admissions Office.