Residency Policy

Residency

To receive the in-district tuition rate, a student 21 years of age or older must meet all of the following requirements:

1. Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, H visa holder, or refugee.
2. Maintain a legal residence* in one of the eight sponsoring school districts** for at least 90 consecutive days prior to start of the semester for which they are applying.

   *A legal residence is a student's permanent place of residence and one they have moved into for reasons other than attending college. Students living with in-district relatives do not qualify as legal residents.

   **Bangor, Bethlehem, Easton, Nazareth, Northampton, Pen Argyl, Saucon Valley, or Wilson

3. Provide two proofs of residency dated 90 days before a semester begins from the list below:
   • A PA driver's license with current address
   • per capita (school district) tax receipt for the current year
   • valid PA Department of Transportation ID card
   • lease (per capita tax bill or receipt or a utility bill needs to be the 2nd proof)
   • utility bill (is accepted as 2nd form of proof for lease only)
   • deed - home ownership is exempt from the 90 day rule

A student under the age of 21 retains the residency of his/her parents.

Families moving into a sponsoring school district (see ** above) must submit a Change of Information form and show proof of parents' residence with the required documents listed above to the Admissions Office (for new students) or the Records Office (for returning students).

A student under 21 not living with parents may be eligible for in-district rates if he/she proves independence. He/she must submit documentation proving independent status.

The definition of an independent student is one who is:

1. a veteran
2. married
3. an orphan or ward of the court
4. has legal dependents for whom he/she provides at least 50% of the support
5. a full time, permanent, benefits eligible employee who pays local or per capita tax in-district.

If proof of one of the above cannot be given, the student maintains parents' residence.

Important Notes

1. Students must document their residency before the first day of the semester in order to receive in-district rates for that semester. Students who qualify for residency after the beginning of a semester will be granted the appropriate tuition rates for the following semester. The college will not make retroactive changes to residency status.
2. Veterans retain the residency they had at the time they entered the military. They can qualify for in-district tuition as stated above.
3. If a student can not provide any of the documents listed above, please contact Admissions or Records for further guidance.
4. The documents will be reviewed and decided upon by the Residence Committee. Appeals of committee decisions will be reviewed by the Vice President of Student Affairs.
5. The College reserves the right to request additional information when appropriate. Until this residency documentation is received, student tuition will be assessed at the out-of-district or out-of-state rate. Falsification of records will result in immediate and retroactive residence change to out-of-county or out-of-state, and could result in disciplinary action.
6. NCC's decision to approve in-district residency may be challenged by the school district if their records do not reflect proper residency status. Out-of-county (those not residing within the eight sponsoring school districts) and out-of-state students will be charged non-resident fees.

Northampton Sponsoring School Districts

• Bangor Area
• Bethlehem Area
• Easton Area
• Nazareth Area
• Northampton Area
• Pen Argyl Area
• Saucon Valley
• Wilson Area

Residency - Monroe County

To receive the Monroe County tuition rate, a student 21 years of age or older must meet all of the following requirements:

Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, H visa holder, or refugee.

Maintain a legal residence* in Monroe County for at least 90 consecutive days prior to start of the semester for which they are applying.

*A legal residence is a student's permanent place of residence and one they have moved into for reasons other than attending college. Students living with Monroe County relatives (other than parents/legal guardians) do not qualify as legal residents.

Provide two proofs of residency dated 90 days before a semester begins from the list below:

• a PA driver's license or valid PA Dept. of Transportation ID card showing current address
• apartment lease in your name
• local real estate tax bill for the current year
• item mailed to your residence - only bank statement; pay stub; bills from utilities, credit card or phone
• deed - home ownership is exempt from the 90 day rule

A student under the age of 21 retains the residency of their parents.

Families moving into Monroe County must submit a Change of Information form and show proof of parents' residence with the required documents listed above to the Enrollment Office.

A student under 21 not living with parents may be eligible for Monroe residency rates if he/she proves independence. He/she must submit documentation proving independent status.

The definition of an independent student is one who is:

1. a veteran
2. married
3. an orphan or ward of the court
4. has legal dependents for whom he/she provides at least 50% of the support
5. a full time, permanent, benefits eligible employee who pays local or per capita tax in Monroe County.

If proof of one of the above cannot be given, the student maintains parents' residence.

Important Notes

1. Students must document their residency before the first day of the semester in order to receive in-district rates for that semester. Students who qualify for residency after the beginning of a semester will be granted the appropriate tuition rates for the following semester. The college will not make retroactive changes to residency status.
2. Veterans retain the residency they had at the time they entered the military. They can qualify for in-district tuition as stated above.
3. If a student can not provide any of the documents listed above, please contact Admissions or Records for further guidance.
4. The documents will be reviewed and decided upon by the Residence Committee. Appeals of committee decisions will be reviewed by the Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment.
5. The College reserves the right to request additional information when appropriate. Until this residency documentation is received, student tuition will be assessed at the out-of-district or out-of-state rate. Falsification of records will result in immediate and retroactive residence change to out-of-county or out-of-state, and could result in disciplinary action.
6. NCC's decision to approve in-district residency may be challenged by the school district if their records do not reflect proper residency status. Out-of-county (those not residing within the eight sponsoring school districts) and out-of-state students will be charged non-resident fees.

Veteran and Military Personnel

As required by PA Act 11 of 2015, Veterans and Military Personnel, their spouses and/or dependent children, may be eligible for reduced tuition rates as outlined below.

1. Veterans, their spouses and/or dependent children, who reside in the Commonwealth of PA will be granted a tuition rate equivalent to local sponsorship rate. For purposes of this policy, a veteran student is defined as an individual who: (a) Served in the United States Armed Forces, including a reserve component and National Guard and was discharged/released from service under conditions other than dishonorable; or one who is an active duty service member; and (b) Resides in Pennsylvania while enrolled at Northampton Community College.
2. Active military personnel, their spouses and/or dependent children, who are enrolled in online (distance) classes, and who reside outside of the Commonwealth, will be granted a tuition rate equivalent to Commonwealth of PA rate.
3. Any individual who receives VA education benefits under chapters 1606, 1607, 30, 31, and 33, and who resides outside of the Commonwealth, will be granted a tuition rate equivalent to Commonwealth of PA rate.
4. Civilian personnel who work at a Department of Defense facility in the Commonwealth of PA, their spouses and/or dependent children, will be granted a tuition rate equivalent to local sponsorship rate.

Those who qualify for reduced rates, as outlined above, are exempt from the 90 day residency waiting period, but must provide both proof of service and proof of residency prior to the start of the semester for which reduced rates are to be granted.

Proof of service must be documented with a DD214, current military ID, and/or VA Certificate of Eligibility.

Proof of residency, showing the local/PA address, can be documented with any of the following: PA Driver’s License/PA Dept. of Transportation ID card, per capita (school district) tax receipt, local EIT or Pennsylvania tax return, lease, utility bill, deed, bank statement, pay stub, credit card bill, or phone bill.

Important note: Students who qualify for residency after the beginning of a semester will be granted the appropriate tuition rates for the following semester. The college will not make retroactive changes to residency status.